Gas & Elec bills

cheery29

I ma due to move into a flat on Friday - when can I expect to receive my first gas and elec bill>:o

Cardew

It depends on which company and their billing cycle.

Take a meter reading for both gas and electricity when you move in and ensure that the company supplying you have those readings. You can ask them at the time when you will get the bill.

However don't be surprised if what they tell you is going to happen - doesn't happen!!!

olly300

Utility bills are on a cycle and the cycle appears unconnected to anything. They can appear after 3 weeks or 3 months. I guess it's due to when the house/flat was given a meter originally.

It doesn't matter though all you need to do is make sure you are not paying for estimated readings. Ring the company up and give them the actual meter reading. You need to do this for a year so that your estimated readings are related to what you actually use.

BTW If you have problems with the supplier not accepting your actual reading because they think it's too low compared to the estimate then change suppliers. I recently had problems with EDF doing this to my online and automated telephone readings, so I changed suppliers and found a cheaper one to boot.

Terrylw1

Hi,

As others say, take your readings and keep them safe for over a year incaso of disputes later. Call them and set up your account and make them use those readings.

Billing cycles are set up based on how the boards billed years ago with their Meter Operators. This used to be referred to as a Walk Order.

So, they will have 4 cycles set up to bill you for a year. However, if you join "mid quarter" they will produce you a pro rata instead. So, your first quarter could be for 2 weeks usage or you may get a bill for a quarter plus those first 2 weeks. Depends on how the Supplier operates their billing policy.

If you move in and go 6 months without a bill, there is a problem as they have had ample opportunity to produce at least 1 bill at that point.

If they do to you what they did to Olly, it's simple to sort - make them pay for a site visit to check. Don't back down though - unless the readings they estimate to are higher than yours (because then you have savd money!) in which case you are better off with the estimate!