Does this mean I can never have my heating on?

Andy_WSM

KTF wrote: »

How much were you paying before when you were not on pre-payment meters?

£10 every 2 days is around £150 a month and you would have to be using a lot to have that as your monthly DD payment.

It wouldn't have been the monthly DD - for 2 reasons.

If the Op had been on a credit meter they would have been paying about 20% less with discounts applied.

Secondly, you only need heating for about 4-5 months, so the cost is shared over the other 7-8 months you don't have the heating on.

Some saying £5 a day is "a lot" - It's really not if the heating is left on overnight in cold weather.

maas

Is the prepayment meter set to collect arrears?

Pincher

Go back to a credit meter, even if you have to pay £60.


Switch to Scottish Power


Online Fixed Price Energy January 2016


I am paying, for my post code:

Gas 3.355p per kWh
Electricity 10.793 per kWh


The people who switched in the MSE Big Switch are paying 3.497p/11.067p, i.e. MORE.


Altogether now: "Lord, Lord, forgive them, for they know not what they do."


You have to manage the account online, and pay by monthly direct debit.


The quarterly payment in arrears may seem like you were being smart, but you disqualified yourself from REALLY CHEAP tariffs, which you only qualify for if you pay monthly Direct Debits.
The drawback is Scottish Power will try to build up a surplus, so you will have £200+ sitting in the account doing nothing.


We will remember you in our prayers, if you cling onto to your overpaying ways.

Inigo_Montoya

do you use an electric blanket ?

they are very cheap to run & make your bed lovely & warm without the need for any 'air' heating

if your head gets cold then just wear a hat to bed ?

spiro

The problem with gas ppm is that you can 6 times as much gasa day in the winter compared to the summer. So if you said you gas on a credit meter was £600 per year that could equate to £150 a month in the winter so £5 per day could be normal. As others have said is any debt being collected?

Boxman

Out of curiosity Mr (I assume apologies if incorrect) Pincher, what are the daily charges which are added to the unit costs you have quoted?

Pincher

Boxman wrote: »

Out of curiosity Mr (I assume apologies if incorrect) Pincher, what are the daily charges which are added to the unit costs you have quoted?

Gas Standing charge E.On 21.903p per day, SP 20.549p per day


Electricity Standing charge E.On 16.422p per day, SP 20.549p per day

Using MoneySupermarket.com
Assuming 16,500/3,300kWh. London post code.


E.On MSE Fixed 1 Year Collective Switch Online
£1,080


Scottish Power Online Fixed Price Energy January 2016
£1,039


Check for your own post code. Choose the E.On tariff as the existing tariff, click "see more details" for the SP tariff, and there is a big green button "How do these rates compare to my existing tariff": click it.

Joyful

Are you still paying back a balance? If so how much is it?

PlymouthMaid

I would vote for water bottles/electric blankets and maybe even hats as having the heating on overnight does seem unrealistic although obviously you do not want your children to actually become ill. My house can drop to below 15 degrees very quickly once the heating goes off but I make sure to keep the bedroom door shut whilst it is on so that the heat stays for as long as possible. I would also suggest changing to monthly payment for utilities as then there are no nasty unexpected large bills so long as you do not go crazy and change your average a lot.

ChumpusRex

£5 a day for gas in Winter is about right for a 3 bed semi.

When I lived in a 3 bed terrace, it was around £30 a week for gas during Winter. During a severe cold snap, the record was £25 in one day, and £100 in one week.

Unfortunately, pre-payment meters have a problem in that they don't "smooth out" the cost of energy over a year. You have to pay the full price of energy as it is used - if it's £25 a day, and you don't have it, then you'll be cold.

If you can't afford to heat the whole house, then options are to turn off radiators in some rooms, so you only keep 1 or 2 rooms heated.