Huge electricity bill

Paulk22

Hi I'm new here so hello guys

We have just had a electricity bill of Scottish power saying we've used 12,500 kW this year

We are on Direct debit & been paying £75 per month, the last 11 months we have been on a estimated bill (silly i no I should of checked the meter before now) the engineer took a reading last week and they are saying we are now in £800 debit after being £600 In credit.

Last year we used 4,500 kW so I don't understand how it's possible to of increased so much. Are heating is gas, fire is Gas & cooker hob is gas also.

Is it possible the electric meter is faulty?

Thanks Paul

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

Paulk22 wrote: »

Hi I'm new here so hello guys

We have just had a electricity bill of Scottish power saying we've used 12,500 kW this year

We are on Direct debit & been paying £75 per month, the last 11 months we have been on a estimated bill (silly i no I should of checked the meter before now) the engineer took a reading last week and they are saying we are now in £800 debit after being £600 In credit.

Last year we used 4,500 kW so I don't understand how it's possible to of increased so much. Are heating is gas, fire is Gas & cooker hob is gas also.

Is it possible the electric meter is faulty?

Thanks Paul

It's certainly possible. Have you tried switching everything off and checking that the meter stops? Plug in a 1kW heater for an hour and check that the count increases by 1 unit.

polymaff

You're suggesting that your rate of electricity consumption has tripled. This should be easy to check out yourself. See how the pointers / digits / flashes occur over 15 minutes, then do the same with a 2kW heater switched on high plugged in. The without-fire 15-minute consumption should be low - or else there's your problem; the difference between the with-fire and the without-fire consumptions should be 0.5kWh.

EDIT: Huh, beaten by a minute

molerat

Have you checked the meter reading yourself ?
Was the previous bill an estimate ?
Have you taken any other readings yourself ?

Paulk22

Thanks for the replies guys

Yes I have checked the meter myself

I will try that with the heater thanks

Also I've asked for my meter to be checked by a engineer but will have to wait 3 weeks

[Deleted User]

Its not a dial meter is it ? 6 little rotating dials. Thats the usual suspect with huge electric bills all of a sudden ?

Cardew

Paulk22 wrote: »

Last year we used 4,500 kW so I don't understand how it's possible to of increased so much.

Welcome to the forum.


It is important that you check that the 4,500kWh annual bill was based on actual meter readings, and not an estimate, for the last reading.


It is very common for an underestimated meter reading to lead to a 'catch-up' bill.


You haven't explained why 'the last 11 months we have been on a estimated bill'?

energyworker

Check the meter reading on the bill matches the one you have provided. If you are on a dial meter it is possible that you have misread it which is a common issue. If you have done so you will need to take a new reading and contact the company asking them to dispute the incorrect reading. Different companies will have different ways of doing this.

lstar337

Paulk22 wrote: »

Also I've asked for my meter to be checked by a engineer but will have to wait 3 weeks

Should have checked the things posted here first.

They will charge you if they find nothing wrong with the meter.

Mandyg283

Exactly the same happened to me, even the amount. I disputed how they could let me build up a debt like that, but they wouldnt budge. The new monthly payment was so huge i couldnt afford it, so they fitted a prepayment meter. This was a year ago. I paid some of the money off but they failed to take any money for the debt on the meter. Recently i heard from them to say i now owed over 1000 pounds which is impossible. I have written and complained and threatened to go to Ofgem and got a very interesting letter back. The letter was a generic letter which said they were investigating the complaint but they had a problem with their IT system which had caused problems for lots of their customers. I would complain, and ask for a full detailed account summary and threaten Ofgem. I think this is going to hit the news!

lisa110rry

No one has secretly planted a cannbis farm in your attic have they? Seems a huge increase in usage...