Electricity meter

agentsquirrel_2

hi, new here but i need some advice desperatly. we switched to british gas for electricity back in the summer. i have a prepayment meter even though i don't have a debt. the meter was recently upgraded to a key meter from a card meter. the thing is, we are putting between £25-£30 a week in this meter and our usage hasnt changed. my neighbour who lives across the street is in the same size house on the same meter with loads more stuff than me. for instance he has a tumble dryer and i don't, electric hob, i have gas etc. etc. he puts in between £15-£20 a week. i've tried calling the gas board and explaining this but they don't seem interested, they just fob me off. its getting to the point where i can't sleep for worrying that the electric will go and i won't have any money to top it up. the gas is brilliant and thats what i can't understand. that is a prepayment card meter and we put on average about £12 a week in it, i cook with gas, we have the central heating on and we have hot water so i can't figure out this with the electric at all, any advice would be great, i've tried to email them also but they just ignore them or give me loads of stuff about energy saving light bulbs (which we already have anyway) help. :eek:

teagan1966

hi
i used 2 have a meter in and i was putting in between 10 15 pounds a week in and i had a dryer 3 kids and im sure electrical item on when the kids where in !, i also had a debt of about 150 on it , it sounds almost like u hav a debt if u dont have, have u just moved in and they hav tried 2 claim a debt back from u that isnt urs hope im makin sense lol
if not i just asked my company for a proper meter and they put me one in and i get bills now
teagan

agentsquirrel_2

no we've been here nine years, and like i said it just seems to have jumped astronomically in the last few months. i don't owe them a penny, on the electric or the gas. just seems daft when my neighbour is paying half the amount each week i do. i'm gonna try and get thru to them again tomorow and see if they can sort it out. i even asked my friend who's an electrican for the council to do a circuit test and there's no 'leakage' either, and no one can be tapping my meter as its on an outside wall. i'm gonna see if they will swap the meter for a normal one and set up a payment plan. but then again i dont want to end up in debt if they undercharge me then hit me with a big bill. :T

masonic

When were the rates on your old card meter last updated (there have been several price rises recently)?
When were the rates on your neighbour's meter last updated?

agentsquirrel_2

allegedly it updates thru the smart key, it reads it and recalibrates it from that or thats what they told me when i got it. not sure if i belive them. sometimes think i'd be better off going back to candles!!!!!
ive been considering switching to equipower does any know anything about them, i've read the blurb on the website but recommendation is by far the best advert really.

masonic

Well, the reason I asked is, if both your old card meter and your neighbour's were charging very old rates so that you have both been underpaying and your new meter is now charging the correct rates, it would explain your situation.

artic_fox_2

if you do change make sure you go through a cash back site

and i would check this out as i was only paying £10-£15 per week and had washer and dryer on daily and have a gas cooker aswell

hot water is only on for 1/2 hour though

lots of items left on standby aswell and kids in house after 3 each day

so i realy think your being over charged

and i had mine changed oct and it didnt seem to go up by much maybe from £9-£12 per week before but then it was summer