Crazy energy bill - how can this be?

Wanttobreakfree_2

I am hoping my energy supplier, First Utility has had a blow to the head or something and gone mad. If not, I am stuffed!!
I have been on a fixed energy tariff with them for the past two years, which is just coming to an end. I thought this would save me money but it seems I was wrong!
When I left British Gas I owed them £200 having paid £115 a month for dual fuel for two years. First Utility agreed the same amount. I should have told them that my direct debit should perhaps have been raised a bit but I didn't think to. I could never submit my readings on line as they suggested because there were two boxes for my electricity and I only had one. A few times I emailed customer services about this and they said to email the readings to them. I did this every now and then but not every month. Then last October somebody suggested they obviously thought I had an Economy 7 meter as that has two readings. I emailed customer services and eventually they came back to say this was the case and they would sort it. I kept getting the same requests for meter readings which I couldn't submit as they hadn't changed it and kept badgering their customer services department but they just didn't come back to me. I even rang them and the girl I spoke to said she would chase it up and that it wouldn't make any difference to my bill as it was a fixed tariff. Eventually I went onto my account on line to see if I could do anything and was stunned to see that it was showing me as £1500 in debit!! I emailed them and they said yes this was the case and I had obviously been underpaying. they offered to send me a breakdown a month ago, which I am still waiting for. Today they have sent me a standard kind of email saying they project that by November 2014 I would owe them £3222 if I didn't change the amount I was paying so they were upping my monthly payments to £473 a month! do they think I am running a cannabis farm from here? It is a 3 bed semi detached that has been fully insulated! Surely this is ridiculous?
The only thing I can think that might be costing me extra is an electric heater in my daughter's very cold bedroom as it is an annex and poorly insulated. She often forgets to turn it off, but still it has only been in use for the past 3 months. She also has a lizard with a light that is on more or less constantly. But can it really be costing that much? Otherwise I am mean with the heating and they are always moaning that I make them wear extra layers. I just don't get it. Does anyone else have the same experience or suggestions as to what on earth I can do? I cannot afford to pay that much a month! I am a single parent on a limited income.

molerat

Stop talking £ and give us some kWh figures.
Is your bill based on accurate readings and have they billed correctly for single rate ?
Is this figure based on electric only or both ?
What rating is the bedroom heater ?
Heating a reptile can be quite expensive and can easily use one third of the average electricity consumption for the whole house, what wattage is that bulb ?

Wanttobreakfree_2

I'm not sure if the readings are correct. I'm going to ask them to come and read the meter in case I have messed it up. I am being charged 9.733/kwh for electricity and 3.606/kwh for gas, which I thought was a good deal.

The gecko bulb is a 50w bulb. I have no idea how much electricity that uses.

The bedroom heater is 1500w, so I guess fairly expensive to run.

I have been looking at my online account, which I should have done before, and it makes no sense at all. I will call them in the morning and see if I can get some sense. I am hoping it is all some horrible mistake!

insanegloss

Unfortunately you *really* need to talk kWh. When was your last actual reading on any bill? What's your reading now? When you have these you can see how many units you have used and therefore the price.

Check your previous bills in detail. Remember, they need to be actual readings.

molerat

(As you are a FU customer) another thing you need to check is that your gas is being charged correctly. Look at the dial on the meter, it will state either cu ft or cu m / m3. Check your bill and divide the kWh by the units, if around 11 then you are being billed in cu m / m3, if around 32 then you are being billed in cu ft, does this tally with the meter ?