Understanding gas bills

loracan1

Does anyone really understand them? I'm reasonably well-educated, loved maths at school but show me a utility bill and I start having hot sweats.
Just got one with a breakdown of the last year's bills, 3 sets of prices on both gas and electric and it's giving me a headache...flippin calorific values indeed...

dogshome

Hi loracan - I'm afraid it's a learning curve we all have to got thro' and the trick is to create a table and break the bill down into all of it's component parts - I know that a lot of people set up a srpead sheet, but tho' what I do is probably anorak in the extreme, it's surpising just how many times the supplier getsthe simple arithmatic wrong

backfoot

loracan1,

Unashamedly, I would class myself as an expert, but I have to say that bills for gas and electricity are now presented in an impossibly complex and often incorrect manner.

I had a series of bills on OS7 with EDF which were all wrong and the final bill was an extraordinarily £300 out. I can only agree with 'dogshome' that you need to check line by line and try to understand the basis and calculation of each component.

I am now trying to unfathom a series of three final bills (for electricity only !) from Scottish Power Energy Reward tariff for a relative. There is no continuity of closing balance becoming the opening balance and two of the bills cover an identical period. (both based on firm readings). The third is a bill for no units but with discounts only showing.:eek: As for a final gas bill,they haven't even sent that some 4 weeks after the switch completed.

I've no idea whether they are correct or not and find it almost impossible to logically even present my query.

Scottish_Power

Hi backfoot,

From what you have said I think I can explain.

The online reward tariff ended 31/07/2011. however you registerd your right to cancel and were therefore entitled to the unit prices up until your transfer date. As the prices are removed from our billing system after 31/07/2011 when we issue your final bill we will bill for all untis used up until the loss date but up to 31/07/2011, giving you the lower price for all units used.

I understand this is not explained and is confusing.

Kind regards

Graeme @ ScottishPower

westv

Am I the only one that finds gas/electric bills easy?

Yes, the calculation is convoluted but with my E.on bills the methodology is clearly laid out and (for ME) it's just a simple case of going through the calculation step by step.

However I do, of course, appreciate that some may find it confusing.

backfoot

scottishpower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi backfoot,

From what you have said I think I can explain.

The online reward tariff ended 31/07/2011. however you registerd your right to cancel and were therefore entitled to the unit prices up until your transfer date. As the prices are removed from our billing system after 31/07/2011 when we issue your final bill we will bill for all untis used up until the loss date but up to 31/07/2011, giving you the lower price for all units used.

I understand this is not explained and is confusing.

Kind regards

Graeme @ ScottishPower

How do I contact you Graeme,please?

There seems to be a duplication of charges on the electricity final bills,despite the above explanation.

There is also the gas bill which has not been produced.

backfoot

westv wrote: »

Am I the only one that finds gas/electric bills easy?

Yes, the calculation is convoluted but with my E.on bills the methodology is clearly laid out and (for ME) it's just a simple case of going through the calculation step by step.

However I do, of course, appreciate that some may find it confusing.

I find it confusing when the Supplier calculates it incorrectly.

backfoot

scottishpower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi backfoot,

From what you have said I think I can explain.

The online reward tariff ended 31/07/2011. however you registerd your right to cancel and were therefore entitled to the unit prices up until your transfer date. As the prices are removed from our billing system after 31/07/2011 when we issue your final bill we will bill for all untis used up until the loss date but up to 31/07/2011, giving you the lower price for all units used.

I understand this is not explained and is confusing.

Kind regards

Graeme @ ScottishPower

Graeme has now been able to look into this for me in detail.

I now have a satisfactory explanation that the account is correct. At the same time,there is some detail missing which made it very difficult to follow and fully reconcile the account.

Graeme has said he will look into making a system change for the future.

Unfortunately,because SP couldn't continually bill on the Online Energy Reward tariff until the switch an unduly complex set of bills are produced.

Thanks Graeme.:T