No way I can pay Bill - Npower

BigDebtBoy

Hi guys

I moved into a new flat at the end of last year, its in social housing (electric only)..more of a large bed sit than flat I guess, Its on economy 7 .. I have little Idea about all this is as its my first place of my own
I am out of work on esa due to mental health issues and other ill health problems.
I heard a lot of stuff about bills going up when I moved in so used u-switch and change from eon to npower
However last month I got a bill through for £200 from start of december to start of feb, basically 2 months
I have no idea how the hell its that much, for one I have only been staying there for approx 50% of the time, rest at my parents so I have no idea how its so much I was expecting around £30-50 per month max, as I am on benefits there is no way on earth I can afford that and I would really love to know how they work it out and what is burning all that electric
I know for a while the boiler/economy 7 heater whatever it is the clock/timer was wrong as the person here before me must have messed up and it was coming on in the day so when I worked out how I changed that so it comes on at night which I believe is what its supposed to do.

I've had no hot water until yesterday due to a problem with the heating (sinks in kitchen/bathroom and bath)

I am at a bit of a loss as to whats costing so much, and how I am mean't to pay such a lump sum, when I simply don't have that kind of money, this plus water, council tax etc will take up pretty much all my ESA leaving naff all for food
to top it off I have an upcoming appt with those lovely people at ATOS who will no doubt screw me over once again leaving me even less money and having to give the flat up, and go back to my parents box room at 35 years old.
is there any help,advice, way of finding out whats using all the electricity , I can't even see my meter only the caretaker has access so have to find him when I want one, and judging by my last reading I got off him, my next bill will be just as high if not higher.

I have tried phoning but its a 20-40 minute que, I don't have the patience or credit for such stuff

Any advice much appreciated

bengal-stripe

BigDebtBoy wrote: »

However last month I got a bill through for £200 from start of december to start of feb, basically 2 months

Is that bill based on an estimated or an actual reading? Does the opening reading correspond with the your meter reading the day you moved in? - Check that first.

BigDebtBoy

It says ''our reading'' and they do seem to tally up with the readings given to me by the caretaker (there is 3 different readings I think one is day other night) no idea what other one is though

If I had been living here full time my bill would be £200 p/m for a small flat/apartment/ large bedsit

They must be pulling my plonker

macman

You are entitled to access your own meter-so enforce your rights. If a caretaker is required to accompany you, so be it.
Post your actual kWh consumption figures on each register (cheap night rate and day rate), because £££'s bills tell us nothing about your actual consumption.
E7 is fine if you use it as intended (NSH's and an immersion heater), but any leccy used at the day rates is very expensive. So you really do need to understand how it works. How are you heating the property?
You cannot possibly hope to heat, hot water, light and power any property for £360-£600 a year, it's simply not realistic.

Scoobysnax666

macman wrote: »

You are entitled to access your own meter-so enforce your rights. If a caretaker is required to accompany you, so be it.
Post your actual kWh consumption figures on each register (cheap night rate and day rate), because £££'s bills tell us nothing about your actual consumption.
E7 is fine if you use it as intended (NSH's and an immersion heater), but any leccy used at the day rates is very expensive. So you really do need to understand how it works. How are you heating the property?
You cannot possibly hope to heat, hot water, light and power any property for £360-£600 a year, it's simply not realistic.

You state this is a Social Housing property.

Have you had them to check the timer and make sure it is functioning correctly?

Is the thermostat on the Immersion Heater functioning correctly? How hot is your hot water, if it's scalding hot your thermostat is set wrong or knackered and that will chew through juice. It's like having a kettle on permanently.

Are you turning everything off when at your parents, if heating etc. still on while you are not there it's still burning leccy.

This meeting with ATOS, is it a routine re-assessment? If so, these were supposed to be deferred until further notice from 20 Jan 2014 so why have you got one? Unfortunately, as a new user I cannot post the link for this but google

Atos quietly dropped from carrying out repeat reassessments by DWP, internal memo shows.

and check out the results.

BigDebtBoy

macman wrote: »

You are entitled to access your own meter-so enforce your rights. If a caretaker is required to accompany you, so be it.
Post your actual kWh consumption figures on each register (cheap night rate and day rate), because £££'s bills tell us nothing about your actual consumption.
E7 is fine if you use it as intended (NSH's and an immersion heater), but any leccy used at the day rates is very expensive. So you really do need to understand how it works. How are you heating the property?
You cannot possibly hope to heat, hot water, light and power any property for £360-£600 a year, it's simply not realistic.

Ok thanks for the reply here are the reading given to me by the caretaker when I can find him over last few months

13 OCT
1 02273
2 13878
T 16151

28 NOV
1.02300
2.14038
T.16338

16 JAN
1 02442
2 14913
T 17355

27 feb
R1 02615
R2 15371
T 17987


I also have a bill from EON for £65ish from when I moved in early october to end of november, the only Thing i was doing this time Is decorating the flat, radio, kettle, light 2/3 nights a week

The readings from npower on the bill I have are

Day
29 nov - our estimate 14178
6 feb - our reading 14879
kwh used over 70 days 701 at 17.5p this cost £123.24

Night

29 november our estimate 2307
6 feb Our reading 3163
kwh used 856 @ 5.8p this cost £50.33

total kwh used 1557

standing charge £15.12

vat £9.43

BigDebtBoy

Scoobysnax666 wrote: »

You state this is a Social Housing property.

Have you had them to check the timer and make sure it is functioning correctly?

Is the thermostat on the Immersion Heater functioning correctly? How hot is your hot water, if it's scalding hot your thermostat is set wrong or knackered and that will chew through juice. It's like having a kettle on permanently.

Are you turning everything off when at your parents, if heating etc. still on while you are not there it's still burning leccy.

This meeting with ATOS, is it a routine re-assessment? If so, these were supposed to be deferred until further notice from 20 Jan 2014 so why have you got one? Unfortunately, as a new user I cannot post the link for this but google

Atos quietly dropped from carrying out repeat reassessments by DWP, internal memo shows.

and check out the results.

The timer was coming on in the day as it was set wrong I noticed this about 2 months ago and changed it, not sure why it was wrong as I didn't understand it

I haven't had hot water for last couple of months only this week the electrician came out and now I have decent hot water

Yes turning everything off apart from the clock of microwave and my router/tv box but may start with those, I didn't think they would use much and had a few things on freeview series link


Is that right about ATOS ? i sent my forms in back in Dec, not heard anything till the other day but now they want to see me in 2 weeks, I've been screwed both times and had to go to court to get it overturned twice, the back pay is nice but the struggle for 12 months while waiting on next to no money was hard, now I have my own place will be impossible almost with all the bills

I really want to get back to work but I simply wouldn't last a week at moment as got too many health problems

Gratis

BigDebtBoy wrote: »

I have tried phoning but its a 20-40 minute que, I don't have the patience or credit for such stuff

Any advice much appreciated

Forgive me if this seems harsh but if you "don't have the patience" to wait in a telephone queue for twenty minutes to sort it out yourself, why do you expect other people to have the patience (and indulgence) to spend twenty minutes of their own time sorting it out for you?

Just asking.

BigDebtBoy

Gratis wrote: »

Forgive me if this seems harsh but if you "don't have the patience" to wait in a telephone queue for twenty minutes to sort it out yourself, why do you expect other people to have the patience (and indulgence) to spend twenty minutes of their own time sorting it out for you?

Just asking.

I can cope with 20 mins but not best part of an hour and I don't have the money/credit to waste on such stuff, I am out of work

I wasn't asking anyone to spend 20 minutes of their own time, just some advice from people who may know more about this than me

but cheers for the help anyway

DomRavioli

BigDebtBoy wrote: »

Ok thanks for the reply here are the reading given to me by the caretaker when I can find him over last few months

13 OCT
1 02273
2 03878
T 16151

28 NOV
1.02300
2.04038
T.16338

16 JAN
1 02442
2 14913
T 17355

27 feb
R1 02615
R2 15371
T 17987


I also have a bill from EON for £65ish from when I moved in early october to end of november, the only Thing i was doing this time Is decorating the flat, radio, kettle, light 2/3 nights a week

The readings from npower on the bill I have are

Day
29 nov - our estimate 14178
6 feb - our reading 14879
kwh used over 70 days 701 at 17.5p this cost £123.24

Night

29 november our estimate 2307
6 feb Our reading 3163
kwh used 856 @ 5.8p this cost £50.33

total kwh used 1557

standing charge £15.12

vat £9.43

They are estimated readings. You NEED to call them with the correct readings as per this post above, I don't care if it is boring - you either do it or pay 200 quid to a utilities company - those are your options.

McKneff

Have you been putting money away each week to cover for when the bill came in?