Energy Bills Rocketed but Consumption the Same

scottishlass1979

In November, Green Star (our provider for four years) told us our bills were going to go up. We found a new provider, and were set to make the change, when Green Star told us they would find us a better rate. They actually lowered our direct debit, and we cancelled the switch.

They have just billed us an additional £1000 for January - May. I have queried how this is possible, and the answer is just that we've used additional energy. We have done nothing different from previous months/years. I have asked how we can investigate that this is accurate and they don't want to know.

I am completely at their mercy - I feel we have no recourse. Can anyone please advise?

worried_jim

Have you been supplying monthly readings and checking that your account/balance was up to date?

Neil_Jones

This sounds like a classic case of "my direct debit is my monthly bill, end of discussion", all readings are estimates and now you're playing catch-up.

Best thing to do is get six months of bills, presumably from your online account and check to see if all the meter readings are actual or estimates. If they are all estimates then go and read your meter right now and see how far out it is in either direction from the most recent bill.

How much is your direct debit, what are your unit rates and what is your annual usage?

scottishlass1979

We have always been in credit for the last four years, to the extent that they would send me out cheques to refund the difference. I last supplied a reading in December, and they haven't notified me that the account went into debit, until I asked to close the supply as we are moving house.

Our consumption has not changed during this time, we have done nothing differently from before.

scottishlass1979

They told us they were putting us on a cheaper tarriff, and lowered our bills accordingly. We have never been in debit with them before, now all of a sudden our consumption has apparently tripled.

We will go back through our bills and look into this further

Shavuot

scottishlass1979 wrote: »

In November, Green Star (our provider for four years) told us our bills were going to go up. We found a new provider, and were set to make the change, when Green Star told us they would find us a better rate. They actually lowered our direct debit, and we cancelled the switch.

They have just billed us an additional £1000 for January - May. I have queried how this is possible, and the answer is just that we've used additional energy. We have done nothing different from previous months/years. I have asked how we can investigate that this is accurate and they don't want to know.

I am completely at their mercy - I feel we have no recourse. Can anyone please advise?

You have used (or have been estimated to have used) more energy than you have paid for.

Provide the supplier with regular meter readings and ensure the supplier usese these, and you should have seen this coming after 3months, not 12 months.

scottishlass1979

Its not been 12 months since I last supplied a reading, it's been six. Fully appreciate I should have supplied one sooner, but the point I'm asking for help with is how can you verify that the meter reading is accurate? If nothing has changed with our consumption then I cannot understand why the bills are three times higher than before.

Robin9

scottishlass1979 wrote: »

.............. If nothing has changed with our consumption then I cannot understand why the bills are three times higher than before.

If you've not been reading your meter how do you know ? If you've not been reading them nobody else will - it's rare for suppliers to read meters.

As others have said give us some meter readings please. Go back 18 months - you'll probably find the letter E (for estimated against them all Read your meter NOW and see how it compares.

Shavuot

scottishlass1979 wrote: »

Its not been 12 months since I last supplied a reading, it's been six. Fully appreciate I should have supplied one sooner, but the point I'm asking for help with is how can you verify that the meter reading is accurate? If nothing has changed with our consumption then I cannot understand why the bills are three times higher than before.

Speak with your supplier. Thay can arrange for the accuracy of the meter to be checked.
Expect to be charged about £100-£150 per meter checked, but you will get that back if your suspicions are confirmed by the checks.

scottishlass1979

that's great, thanks for your help

thriftylass

So have your actual Kwh trippled then?

Another thing you can try is switch everything off and see if the meter is running.