new smart meter increases my bills?

Robin9

OP could you post the readings as billed and the dates for the periods you are talking about please ?

Bigphil1474

As above - OP you seem confused. You'd be best served providing detail of readings and the period they apply to, so an explanation can be sought. Comparing one years usage against another isn't really that easy - lots of things change in a year and affect gas and leccy use - from the weather, the time you go to bed, get up, the devices you own/use, how long you are at home or not, device efficiency, not to mention human factors (teenagers!). It's not just about what you pay for your electricity but what you use, and the unit price.
I use about 2,500kWh electricity a year, so an extra 150kWh a year is about a 6% increase - for me that would be expected as, since last year, my OH has started working at home 3 days a week and she uses an oil filled electric heater to heat her (box room) office, rather than using the central heating to heat the whole house up - works out cheaper.

Alan.s

Hi.. I’ve had the same problem. I put it down to, having a new meter installed, when they get old they slow down and don’t give a correct reading. I’ve had a new meter installed twice now and both times my usage jumped up, but my actual use has not changed. My bills work out at about £2.00 per day and I’m very careful with my usage. I always switch all my lights and sockets off when not in use and never leave anything on standby. Yet my daughter has an old key meter and is never careful with her electric. And she only spends £1.00 per day. Also key meters tend to be on high tariffs.. So I believe the reasons for your high billing is your getting true readings now where as before your meter wasn’t giving a true reading.

renegadefm

I have the same problem. EDF installed my smart meter after weirdly suggesting I need it installed by 2023 before the deadline is up.
But they automatically against my wishes or concent changed the tarrif from the blue tarrif to Safeguard Assist Capped (E7)
When I rang to complain they just said the old tarrif doesnt work with smart meters.

But we set aside a monthly budget for our electricity so know how long a certain amount should last and compared it to previous winter months last year, but its as if we have a lot more things switched on which I know we havent.
We used to have a prepayment meter where you just take the key to a shop to top it up. Now I can top up online, but I have noticed many more visits to the web site than I did trips to the shop.
What can I do? EDF seem no help at all?

WhoIsThat

renegadefm wrote: »

I have the same problem. EDF installed my smart meter after weirdly suggesting I need it installed by 2023 before the deadline is up.
But they automatically against my wishes or concent changed the tarrif from the blue tarrif to Safeguard Assist Capped (E7)
When I rang to complain they just said the old tarrif doesnt work with smart meters.

But we set aside a monthly budget for our electricity so know how long a certain amount should last and compared it to previous winter months last year, but its as if we have a lot more things switched on which I know we havent.
We used to have a prepayment meter where you just take the key to a shop to top it up. Now I can top up online, but I have noticed many more visits to the web site than I did trips to the shop.
What can I do? EDF seem no help at all?

Your exiting thread on this can be found here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6095710/edf-changed-my-tariff

renegadefm

WholsThat, I know where my other thread is. I am putting it on here too after finding it after I created my thread to highlight I got the same complaint to the other guy.

MWT

Same advice to both of you in this thread, compare actual meter readings and usage, and separately compare the tariffs, don't try to directly compare cost between the two years as it will get confusing.


An increase in cost year on year could just be a change in tariffs for example and have nothing directly to do with the meter change...

renegadefm

MWT, but EDF changed my tarrif the minute the smart meter was installed, but I didnt realize this until after, otherwise I'd have complained sooner. They tried saying my old blue tarrif which was a fixed no price increase type tarrif wouldn't work with a smart meter.

But my point is we have noticed that it appears consumption has gone up considerably not just a tiny amount, its noticeably a lot more based on the fact we set aside a set amount for electric each month and now we are having to top up a lot more.

Can I change back to the old prepay meter and blue tarrif?

Robin9

renegadefm wrote: »

Can I change back to the old prepay meter and blue tarrif?

There appear to have been a whole host of "Blue" tariffs - which one were you on ? They will only be there for a limited period - eg a Jan 18 one would finish in Jan 19 and then automatically revert to a standard tariff. It may well be (almost certainly) be more expensive than the one Edf have put you on.

Are you able to actually determine actual consumptions - just saying its costing more dows actually help.

MWT

renegadefm wrote: »

But my point is we have noticed that it appears consumption has gone up considerably not just a tiny amount, its noticeably a lot more based on the fact we set aside a set amount for electric each month and now we are having to top up a lot more.

That can just as easily be down to a more expensive tariff...


Just as an example, comparing one of the many blue tariffs with your current tariff, there is a difference of over 20% in the unit costs...


So paying more doesn't mean your consumption has gone up, just that the tariff prices have increased.


You will not be able to go back to the original meter and tariff now, but that doesn't mean you are on the cheapest tariff that EDF offer either.


Can you at least check one of your previous bills and post exactly what the name of your tariff was, or at least what the unit costs were on that tariff?