now e.on want to increase dd

redhead36

by £75 a month, no way we can afford that.

i've had enough, i cant take anymore :-(

JustinCredibleGillespie

Why do they want to increase the DD? Its your choice at the end of the day, why not just say 'No, I can't afford to pay £75''.

JCG

xx

redhead36

they said if they dont then it wont cover the gas/elec before annual spring review. it would mean going from£113 to £187

i only put the heating on 6-9 then 3-10, mainly when the kids are home.

am i allowed to say i dont want it put that high?

elaine12022

Are the bills based on actual reads or estimates? If estimates you need to make sure you have some actual readings (ones by yourself or meter reader) to ensure the bills are correct.

Have you looked into going to another supplier? Maybe you can get a better deal elsewhere (perhaps threaten to leave e on over the DD and see what they can offer you)? ebico who i'm with have the same prices for everybody however you pay.

Or possibly in order to afford the bills, perhaps you can cut down your use slightly eg by having heating on slightly less or drop the thermostat by a degree or two.

king100

Don worry, with DD you have the right to cancel at anytime, call them and tell them you want to pay the same, British gas increased mine to £195 a month up £80 and didnt bother to tell me I emailed them and basically told them keep it the same or I cancel, it returned down to the same as I was paying

king100

They review it in winter an think that's you annual spen it's so wrong it's untrue, you don't have to pay that amount.

SeduLOUs

Tell them that you think the estimated usage is too high and that you don't want the DD putting up. If they refuse, you can either cancel the direct debit and just pay the bills as and when they come, or switch suppliers entirely.

Now is the best time to think about switching and getting a fixed rate somewhere else as energy suppliers are going mad hiking prices at the moment. Read Martin's info about it under "Utilities". If you use topcashback you could also get some money back for switching. I just got £41.20 for switching to NPower and my DD is now £20 a month less than I was previously paying with Eon.

bargainbetty

Honestly, just call them and say you will not accept the increase, and if they try to take that sum you will cancel the DD and they will have to revert to bills.

In the meantime, take all your meter readings and give them over at the same time, make sure you aren't leaving loads of stuff on standby etc and look at what you can do to reduce the spend: draft excluders to stop heat loss, reduce the thermostat (as advised above) unplugging things you don't use often, not leaving things on charge when the batteries are full, and turning lights off when you are using the rooms.

They don't have the right to do it - they tell you they are going to, and if you don't refuse then they will, but it is up to you. Just say no outright, or agree to a small increase to show willing.

And find another supplier!

G51shopaholic

We're with E-on and they reduced our DD by £50 a month.

Got Plan Renewal yesterday as our fix rate (FixOnline9) is ending at end of next month.

I though most suppliers were reducing their rates till I realised that they'd put them all up by 20% last year so 5% reduction is nothing.

Tell them you DO NOT want to increase your DD and if you want give them readings from your meters on that day to get an accurate bill.

I'm at home all day (been fighting breast cancer for 4yrs) and I'd rather sit with a blanket round me than have the heating on.

redhead36

I don't mind sitting with a blanket round me but I hate the thought of my kids being cold.

Will ring them and ask for it to be £120 so hopefully will keep them happy.

david39

The main point you need to consider is : what was your position at the time of your last bill?

Bills sent out at the end of the summer/early autumn should be showing a credit balance, to offset the increase in consumption during the winter months.

If your bill during the autumn was showing that you were in debit to e.on instead of being in a credit position then they are probably asking you to pay extra now so that you don't end up owing them a large sum in the settlement quarter in the spring.

If the above assumption is correct then unless you start paying more per month now, you are going to end up paying them a large lump sum very shortly or paying extra throughout next year.

If you have used the fuel, you will end up having to pay for it sooner or later - equal monthly DDs are a way of spreading the cost evenly across the whole year, but it doesn't mean that you pay any less for the fuel.

If I were you, I would contact them, decline the increase, but offer them a smaller increase - say £30. If you do shop round for another, cheaper, supplier, you will have to pay e.on for all fuel up-to-date before the change becomes final.