MERGED: Huge / crazy Utility Bills - Help & Advice

joannec_3

joannec wrote:

Oh boy do I need help!!!!

I've just had a bill which has replaced bills for the last three years. It is a gas bill from npower. It is for £1,231.65!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The bills have previously been estimated. The meter is tucked behind the cooker and washing machine and we've always let them in to read the meter and they've always refused to read it.

I've just checked the meter reading and the new bill is right. I can, however, see on the bill that there was an actual meter reading done about 18 months ago which reads at 7278 but my last bill in June had an estimated meter reading of 5997??? How can they get it so wrong?

Any advice on what to do now. Yes, I know we've used the gas and have to pay for it but I do not have that kind of money! We were thinking of switching supplies anyway as I think npower are now one of the dearer ones but I don't suppose I can switch with this debt outstanding.

Crumbs!

Just a bump for this thread. I'm still waiting for Npower to get back to me. I queried their breakdown of the bill as it shows me using the same amount of gas from April - August as January to April. Its only the heating and the water which is gas so that makes no sense and appears to relate purely to a price rise.

I have been so upset about it all but I'm finding it sort of amusing now.

Hey ho

fbrj

joannec wrote:

I queried their breakdown of the bill as it shows me using the same amount of gas from April - August as January to April. Its only the heating and the water which is gas so that makes no sense and appears to relate purely to a price rise.

Hey ho

Hi joannec - I think the power co really has no option but to pro-rata usage over time (ie between price changes) and assume equal usage throughout the year.....we all know this is unlikely to be accurate for most (although for me it happens to be quite realistic) - but how do you allocate usage otherwise in the absence of any actual readings?

Just to complete the saga of my own situation (see above)...I called back to sort out payment of the arrears, having received my revised bill. The nice lady the other end asked if I would prefer to pay it off over 12 months (with no penalties at all). In addition...having monitored my gas usage almost on a daily basis for the last 3 weeks we agreed a monthly DD amount to cover current usage (plus, of course, the arrears!!).

Well...can't say fairer than that!!

cmacneil

Hi all -

Slightly off topic, and this is one of those how-long-is-a-piece-of-string questions.

I am trying to compare my electricity usage against others. I live in a purpose built building with neighbours above, below and to one side of my flat. I am here with my girlfriend. We're in Central London with EDF Energy. We have a social lifestyle - sometimes we're at home with friends (hence using more electricity for cooking), sometimes we're out (therefore less electricity for lights, cooking etc those nights). We have guests stay with us up to 5 days a month. We just have electricity (no gas or other energy sources). We have the usual mod cons and run the dishwasher and washing machine 2 - 3 times each per week. We're on Economy 7. We have electric heating, and no A/C.

Over the winter (Dec '05 to Mar '06) we used about 2,600 units at night and 3,400 units during the day. During the summer we used (Jul to Sep) we used 1,000 at night and 675 during the day.

I'd be interested to hear from other people in 1-bedroom flats who lead a similar lifestyle and can tell me if our usage is consistent with their own.

Cheers,
Chris

hubballi

Oh dear, this is happeneng with me with Atlantic. I can't get sense out of them either. I wonder what is happening. They don't return my emails at all and seem to blind me with figures everytime I do actually speak to any of them. All I know is everytime the statement comes it gets more and more ridiculous. They are trying to bill me £90 a month electric for a small 2 bed semi with just me and my wife.

Martin, I think you need to look into this

changkra

I think reading these posts I'm quite lucky as my meters will of been read twice in the past 6 months. Having said that my bills have doubled in approx 12 months. electric is now running at £65 a month and gas £77 i only have one gas radiator one gas fire gas boiler and cooker. I'm just thankful that the price is coming down soon as its crippling me.

tripled

Considering the national average for energy use is around £1000 per year, if you have used £1704 then there must be a lot of gas/power going somewhere.

TerminallyShortOfCash

We just had our quarterly gas and electric bill from British Gas and it's absolutely terrified me! Gas is in at £329 and Electric at £129 This is roughly what we were paying in a year for Electricity with Powergen, but DH wanted to switch on the basis of a man who came to the door! D'oh! I have a policy of never buying ANYTHING at the door, but I wasn't in when he did it! Some friends of ours are also with BG and they have a house that's the same size as ours - a 2 bed end terrace with 2 people living there, gas central heating and a gas hob. They have a combined gas and lec bill of £60p/m and we're now paying £124. When we changed from Powergen, we got a meter reading which we gave to them and they passed it on the BG. We've looked at our meter and it seems to be running about about 5 units per day. Does this sound right?

bumfluffer

3 bed semi water heater on 24/7 well lagged tank heating on timer 3 hours morning 5 hours evening winter bill received today and under estimated by 120 units £479 !

wishing4amoneytree

Hello Everyone! This is my first post:j

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I am with Southern Electric ( darent leave them as I am NEVER in credit with them and dont want a huge final bill!) My electric meter reading is always MUCH higher than they estimate. Infact once I tried to ring it thorugh and the automated service told me it was too high and to recheck!?

So I have started noting my meter reading and being very good with useage and thought I would see if any of you feel these figures are still to high:

Friday PM - 63882
Sun AM - 63891

Mon AM 63900
Tue PM - 63909

Wed AM - 63918
today AM - 63932
today PM - 63936 ( had used dishwasher inbetween AM/PM today)

So does that seem about average? or is that going up to fast? We have a gas combi boiler for water and heating ( dont even get me onto my gas bill!!) Electric cooker used once a day. dishwasher once a day. I turn lights off and unplug things at night. What do you think?

THANKS in advance. xxx

Cardew

Welcome to the Forum.

54 units in 6 days is very good.