powergen bill - arrgh!!

saxmund

When I was last with Powergen they let me run up a fairly big debit - I did go online once and increased my monthly payment, but not enough. But not as bad as British Gas who I reckon must now owe me about £150 - at the end of the winter! - but haven't got round to sending me my quarterly bill yet (it was only due last week, on the other hand I run the account online, you'd have thought it was easy enough to make up a completely spurious figure and email me an estimated bill).

BritBrat

Do you think they make people go into debt so they cant move away?

Or am I reading to much into this.

GhostDog_2

We moved into our new property in January and had loads of problems trying to find out who supplied our electricity :mad:
There is no gas

Finally got it sorted and asked how much we owe for the quarter (Jan - Mar) and they came back with a staggering bill for just under £400!!! :eek:

I've emailed Head Of Customer Services (Southern Electric) and I'm still waiting *patiently* for the reply.:rolleyes:

2 of us in mid-terrace 3 bed-property.
Working full-time.
Storage heaters - not used in bedrooms.
No dishwasher - but washing machine and occasional tumbler.

In the meantime.........everything that could be, has been turned off!

lil_me

I've alway been curious about the debt and moving thing. Also the seem so cheap when you move to them as DD is lower, until you end up in oodles of debt.

firesidemaid

BritBrat wrote: »

Do you think they make people go into debt so they cant move away?

Or am I reading to much into this.

i am starting to wonder this......

TOBRUK

sazzacat wrote: »

i have now checked all my bills for the last year or so. unfortunately everything has been calculated correctly - i think it's a combination of the high prices and powergen starting off our payments too low (it was £40)!

am going to try and pay off the bill somehow (?) and then move probably to npower - according to energysave. the prices per kwh do look a lot better.

also, i think OH will have to stop leaving lights on and stuff on standby - that's not gas though........:rolleyes:

I can relate to this as I had bad experience with powergen a about 3 years ago, I had been with them a couple of years and they would increase my direct debits as the bills were showing debit amount as time went on. Like a couple of people here I keep all my bills and whenever I got an estimated bill I always look at the meters and make a note on the bill and see how close the figures are.

I am in a 2 bedroom house and I live alone, however I felt that the usage shown on bills were far higher than I felt I was using. I wrote to them and telephoned them regarding this when they again notified that my direct debit was increasing - at this time the balance on my bills showed that I was over £150 in debit! I told them that I could not be using the amount of electricity and gas that they claimed, although the figures matched up to the usage and instead of increasing my direct debit I wished to decrease it!

I wrote to ofcom (it is ofcom isn't it?) explained the situation and noted my concerns. In short a very strange thing happened after ofcom looked into it, My direct debit was lowered by £10 a month and within 6 months the £150 debt on account disappeared and I was in credit! Very very strange, but as soon as I was in credit I moved to another provider and have not had any probems since.

I don't really understand that although the meters and usage matched the bills something was not right and how did everything turn round after my complaint?? I would never go back to powergen again.

sandhabibi

Had a shock too today as had powergen bill and it was £260 for gas+elec. :eek: We've been paying £40 a month which was up'ed from £29 amonth last year as got slightly in debt to them. I live in a 1bedroom flat and use gas for oven,hotwater taps & heating which not been on for few months now anyway.
I think what you are saying about not being able to move companys is true, not going anywhere until can repay them which won't be for a while......

Cardew

sandhabibi wrote: »

Had a shock too today as had powergen bill and it was £260 for gas+elec. :eek: We've been paying £40 a month which was up'ed from £29 amonth last year as got slightly in debt to them. I live in a 1bedroom flat and use gas for oven,hotwater taps & heating which not been on for few months now anyway.
I think what you are saying about not being able to move companys is true, not going anywhere until can repay them which won't be for a while......

If you can find another cheaper tariff, it may be better to borrow the money to pay off Powergen and clear your debt; or do Powergen have a cheaper tariff.

Before the last round of price decreases the average family paid £1,000 a year for gas and electricity(although less in a 1 bed flat) . So it is not surprising that £40 a month(£480 a year) does not cover gas and electricity.

A quarterly bill of £260 for gas and electricity for part of the winter period is not unusual, especilly if you carry forward some debit balance from the last quarter.

sandhabibi

Cardew wrote: »

If you can find another cheaper tariff, it may be better to borrow the money to pay off Powergen and clear your debt; or do Powergen have a cheaper tariff.

Before the last round of price decreases the average family paid £1,000 a year for gas and electricity(although less in a 1 bed flat) . So it is not surprising that £40 a month(£480 a year) does not cover gas and electricity.

A quarterly bill of £260 for gas and electricity for part of the winter period is not unusual, especilly if you carry forward some debit balance from the last quarter.

The £260 is not including debt carried over. My main shock was the increase in cost as £29 used to cover it fine until last year and now it seems we need to be paying nearly treble that.
I'm stuck with them now until we can get it paid off which will be a while as can't borrow. I will check that we're on cheapest tariff but sure we are already...

Cardew

sandhabibi wrote: »

The £260 is not including debt carried over. My main shock was the increase in cost as £29 used to cover it fine until last year and now it seems we need to be paying nearly treble that.
I'm stuck with them now until we can get it paid off which will be a while as can't borrow. I will check that we're on cheapest tariff but sure we are already...

If £29 a month "used to cover in fine until last year" the massive increase is certainly not down to price increases. Prices have perhaps gone up 30-40% since last year.(and now being reduced)

You have either increased your consumption by a huge amount or you are mistaken about debit balances not being carried forward.