moving home from flat with pre paid meter to pay monthly

Keely345

Hi,

I have been living in a 2bed flat with pre paid meter for 18 months. Everything is electric with panel heaters. (costing me £5 a week in summer and £5 per DAY in the winter - with heating on).

About to move to a 2 bed semi-detached bungalow with night storage heaters and economy 7.

This is my first move on my own and the new property isn't a pre paid meter so I'm wondering how to set it all up.. do I stay with my existing supplier or use the one already active in the new house?

Do I set up a direct debit straight away.. if so, how do I/the supplier, figure out how much to pay each month?

I'm setting aside approx £150 per month to cover electricity and water throughout the winter and hoping I can then reduce this a little in the summer. Does this sound reasonable?

Also any advise for helping keep the costs down and what to look for to make sure my storage heaters and econ 7 are operating correctly would be wonderful.

When I moved into my flat it was all a bit of a blur and I think my agent just signed me onto a supplier so I have little experience of this.

Thank you xx

zzzLazyDaisy

Keely345 wrote: »

Hi,

I have been living in a 2bed flat with pre paid meter for 18 months. Everything is electric with panel heaters. (costing me £5 a week in summer and £5 per DAY in the winter - with heating on).

About to move to a 2 bed semi-detached bungalow with night storage heaters and economy 7.

Happy Christmas and Congratulations on your move!

This is my first move on my own and the new property isn't a pre paid meter so I'm wondering how to set it all up.. do I stay with my existing supplier or use the one already active in the new house?

When the last person moved out, they should have taken a meter reading and notified the supplier. When you move in, you do the same - take a meter reading and notify the supplier (assuming the previous people notified the supplier you should get a letter addressed 'to the occupier'). You remain with the existing supplier to your new house, but you are at liberty to switch after moving in, provided that is allowed by your tenancy agreement

Do I set up a direct debit straight away.. if so, how do I/the supplier, figure out how much to pay each month?

You should set up a DD straight away, otherwise you will be hit by a big bill at the end of the winter period. How the DD is calculated is hit and miss at first, because the supplier has to guess your consumption. The usage in the flat will give you a guide, but be aware that you are probably going to use more electricity to heat a bungalow, than your flat (unless the flat was old and drafty, and the bungalow is modern and well insulated, which would make a difference)

I'm setting aside approx £150 per month to cover electricity and water throughout the winter and hoping I can then reduce this a little in the summer. Does this sound reasonable?

To be honest that sounds on the low side to me, but it very much depends on your personal circumstances such as how well insulated the new place is and does it have double glazing, how cold this winter is, whether you are at work or at home most of the day, how sensitive you are to cold, how high your water usage is etc. But my advice would be to assume that your heating bill is going to be higher than you expect and budget accordingly.

Also any advise for helping keep the costs down and what to look for to make sure my storage heaters and econ 7 are operating correctly would be wonderful.

Sorry I can't help with this, but I am sure someone will be along soon.

When I moved into my flat it was all a bit of a blur and I think my agent just signed me onto a supplier so I have little experience of this.

Thank you xx

Just one other thing - if you have a disability there may be other assistance available from your supplier (no offence meant, I just mention this because you are moving into a bungalow, so it may be a possibility).

DVardysShadow

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

You remain with the existing supplier to your new house, but you are at liberty to switch after moving in, provided that is allowed by your tenancy agreement

I believe that Ofgem are of the opinion that the bill payer has the freedom to choose the supplier, regardless of contract clauses to the contrary. I think the strongest clause which would stand is 'tenant must seek permission to change supplier, permission will not be unreasonably withheld'. And fair enough when Agents and Landlords are getting kickbacks for switching their tenants.

t0rt0ise

If it were me I'd contact the current supplier of the place with the start meter reading and to set up an account and then look at a comparison site like uswitch to find the cheapest supplier. I would then move to that supplier. So I wouldn't set up a DD until I know which supplier I am going to go with.

Richie-from-the-Boro

The £150pm over all 12 months would be about right, I assume [two bedrooms] you are not single, so water will be for two or more people using showers not baths, and [including 5% inflation rises] would be :

- calc your leccy over 52 weeks @ £80pm [ish]
- calc your water over 52 weeks @ £25pm [ish]
- in your other place you paid full price for hot water, in this one it should be 60% cheaper
- there are hundreds of threads on E7 use the 'search this forum box' and search for E7 or night storage
- then come back and ask any questions you like

- your (1) supplier contract starts whoever your property is currently with, establish that first
- only then find out what (2) tariff you are on and what (3) prices you pay, they will estimate your CAC based on previous use
- ask your supplier what your (2) tariff & (3) calculated annual consumption figures are in (4) kWh and record them
- only at that point will you know what you will pay and whether or not its worth changing suppliers
- tell this group your CAC in kWh & tariff, and the group will help decide if you are getting a good / bad deal

- you will have 2 different meter reads, one for the night units and one for the day units
- record and photograph them the very first moment you move in, and do so every Monday for the first 6 weeks

So you need to know tariff / calculated annual consumption in kWh / and both day and night meter reads.