New to paying energy bills - help please

sunny_money

Hi. I’m new to paying energy bills. Got our quarterly bill from British Gas for electric and gas - £466.33. We live in a small 2bed house, work full time, do like to keep cosy. See below usage, does this bill sound right?

Gas:
last meter reading 19307
This meter reading 20023

Electric:
Last meter reading day 60264
Last meter reading night 06395
This meter reading day 60907
This meter reading night 06562

System

sunny_money wrote: »

Hi. I’m new to paying energy bills. Got our quarterly bill from British Gas for electric and gas - £466.33. We live in a small 2bed house, work full time, do like to keep cosy. See below usage, does this bill sound right?

Gas:
last meter reading 19307
This meter reading 20023

Electric:
Last meter reading day 60264
Last meter reading night 06395
This meter reading day 60907
This meter reading night 06562

It’s only right if the bill is based on ACTUAL meter readings that you have provided or have been recorded by a smart meter/meter reader. If you are out all day, then your usage is high. Have you checked that you are on the cheapest tariff?

sunny_money

Hengus wrote: »

It’s only right if the bill is based on ACTUAL meter readings that you have provided or have been recorded by a smart meter/meter reader. If you are out all day, then your usage is high. Have you checked that you are on the cheapest tariff?

It says my tariff is Dual HomeEnergy Capped. What does that actually mean?

CharlieBilly

It means the price per kWh wont go up until 31st May 2018. Before then you need to shop around at least 4 weeks before end of contract as you will be on a variable tariff. If you move before then you have to pay "exit fee of £20 for electricity and £20 for gas"

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/content/britishgas/terms/homeenergy-capped-may-2018-terms.html

sunny_money

CharlieBilly wrote: »

It means the price per kWh wont go up until 31st May 2018. Before then you need to shop around at least 4 weeks before end of contract as you will be on a variable tariff. If you move before then you have to pay "exit fee of £20 for electricity and £20 for gas"

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/content/britishgas/terms/homeenergy-capped-may-2018-terms.html

Thanks. Most people I have spoken to think we are using to much / price is high. Maybe our old house is not very efficient and British gas is expensive.. I’ll call them tomorrow to discuss

System

sunny_money wrote: »

Thanks. Most people I have spoken to think we are using to much / price is high. Maybe our old house is not very efficient and British gas is expensive.. I!!!8217;ll call them tomorrow to discuss

Don't talk to British Gas - do a full market price comparison using a price comparison website. You need to look back over 2 statements about a year apart and work out your annual consumption in kWhs/year for each fuel not £s. If you talk to British Gas and they will convince you that anything is fine and that you should stay with them.

If you don't believe me, then go to a switch site like WhichSwitch. Enter your postcode and 12500 kwhs/year for gas and 3100 kwhs/year for electricity and see how far down British Gas is down the list.

sunny_money

Hengus wrote: »

Don't talk to British Gas - do a full market price comparison using a price comparison website. You need to look back over 2 statements about a year apart and work out your annual consumption in kWhs/year for each fuel not £s. If you talk to British Gas and they will convince you that anything is fine and that you should stay with them.

If you don't believe me, then go to a switch site like WhichSwitch. Enter your postcode and 12500 kwhs/year for gas and 3100 kwhs/year for electricity and see how far down British Gas is down the list.

Trouble is we don’t have a years worth of bills...

System

sunny_money wrote: »

Trouble is we don’t have a years worth of bills...

Contact British Gas and ask them for the Annual Quantity (gas) and Estimated Annual Consumption (electricity) figures for your home. This is the historical usage data that the supplier holds on file for your property. They use it to estimate bills if the consumer doesn't provide meter readings.

Use these figures in a PCW. Your usage will be different over time, and the AQ and EAC figures will be updated; however, this is a good starting point for a comparison. You then need to monitor your usage like a hawk (meter readings at least once a month). Chose a supplier like Octopus and you can get £50 off the annual cost. They have exit fees but if you find a cheaper deal in the months ahead there are ways around having to pay exit fees. Stay with British Gas, and you will end up paying more than you need to.

Robin9

You are unusual in that you have a 2 rate Electric meter usually associated with Storage Rads and E7 tariffs and a gas supply.

Your % night use at 20% is poor (and thats for a winter quarter) and not usually high enough to benefit from E7 tariffs - the break even (annual) figure is typically 35-40%.

What do you use elec for at night?

System

Robin9 wrote: »

You are unusual in that you have a 2 rate Electric meter usually associated with Storage Rads and E7 tariffs and a gas supply.

Your % night use at 20% is poor (and thats for a winter quarter) and not usually high enough to benefit from E7 tariffs - the break even (annual) figure is typically 35-40%.

What do you use elec for at night?

A good point. I should add that Octopus is one of the suppliers that will take an E7 meter and then bill you at a single rate for all units used. I have just helped my 18 year old Grandson - he has just started an apprenticeship - to switch to them. He will happily give you a friends referral code.

House_Martin

Personally I would switch to Iresa Energys Eco 7 rates. Regardless of night time consumption their rates are so good you would be better off on Eco 7 with them than switching to a single rate with nearly all the other suppliers. Then work on using the higher using appliances like tumble dryers , irons and electric showers in the half price cheap 7 hours.
Visit Uswitch and try inputting average usage on both Eco 7 and single rate to compare.Will be a lot cheaper than anything BG can come up with.
Going single tariff on an Eco 7 meter may not be any benefit at all with the low Eco 7 rates of some suppliers