Confusion with monthly cost for electric

GolfR

Hi all

I'm hoping you can help me. I left my partner and moved into a rented house as a private tenant on January 24th 2019. Did not bother changing suppliers at first as the monthly costs appeared to be reasonable but today I am on a money saving binge so decided to look into my utilities. I have gas heating, hot water and hob which I am on a credit meter for and there is no issue with this. I have electric on a prepayment meter which I am looking to change to a credit meter (I've had landlords permission to do this). I pay £60 onto this pm which never seemed unreasonable as I've not had a prepayment meter before and never lived alone so I had nothing to compare it to. I work a lot of nights and sleep through the day and I don't use the electric much, tv isn't on a huge amount and I don't use the oven much either.

So I've looked back on my photos to the meter reading I took on the day I moved in which was 44321 and I've just checked and the current reading is 45537. I have worked this out to be 174 kwh pm in the seven months I've been here and 2088 per annum. So I've put this annual number into the MSE energy comparison tool and I've had numbers back at £30 pm which is half of what I'm paying now. Assuming the company I'm with (Utility Warehouse) are very expensive I looked at the rates for their prepayment meter. Standing charge is 28.9p and unit rate is 4.186 pence per kwh. I checked on the cheapest company the MSE tool offered me (Bulb) and the the costs are way higher. Standing charge is 30.419p a day and unit rate is 13.734 yet I'm being offered this for £33 per month on a prepayment meter.

I don't know if I've worked something out wrong, if I'm being swindled by the electric company or if I may be paying off some sort of debt left by a previous tenant through my monthly meter top ups.

Any help is massively appreciated. Thank you.

EDIT: After doing some fishing I've discovered I'm paying off a £5 a week debt for a previous tenant so I'll be phoning Utility Warehouse tomorrow to query this as I have it in writing that they've cleared the debt.

Gerry1

GolfR wrote: »

Standing charge is 28.9p and unit rate is 4.186 pence per kwh.

That's obviously for gas.

antrobus

GolfR wrote: »

.... Assuming the company I'm with (Utility Warehouse) are very expensive I looked at the rates for their prepayment meter. Standing charge is 28.9p and unit rate is 4.186 pence per kwh. .....

That'll be for gas. There is no chance at all of getting electric at 4.186 pence per kwh.

17p per kwh would be more like it.

https://www.utilitywarehouse.co.uk/services/energy/til

GolfR

Thanks for clearing that up, when I work it out from the proper figures (17.084 per kWh and 31.74 standing charge) this comes to approx £39 a month so is still £20 off the £60 a month I’m paying.

Robin9

GolfR wrote: »

..............the £60 a month I’m paying.

Is this £69 for gas and electric ?

[Deleted User]

Hi,

GolfR wrote: »

I have electric on a prepayment meter which I am looking to change to a credit meter (I've had landlords permission to do this). I pay £60 onto this pm

EDIT: After doing some fishing I've discovered I'm paying off a £5 a week debt for a previous tenant

GolfR wrote: »

Thanks for clearing that up, when I work it out from the proper figures (17.084 per kWh and 31.74 standing charge) this comes to approx £39 a month so is still £20 off the £60 a month I’m paying.

Once you get the £5 per week debt knocked off you'll be much the same.


You say you put £60 pm into electric meter, do you actually use all that, or have you built up a credit?



Then when you get meter changed you should be able to find a cheaper online tariff.

nigelbb

17.084 per kWh for electricity & 4.186 per kWh for gas is ridiculously expensive. The standing charges aren't as ridiculously high but are expensive.

PasturesNew

I live alone, in a modern 2-bedroom end of terrace house, with a combi boiler running 6 radiators and a towel rail. I've never bothered to change suppliers, nor sign up for any "deals", it was all too hard to choose....

I am on the bog standard British Gas rate for electricity and gas. My standing order (which is never in debt) is £40/month.

Your most expensive items to run will be: the oven, any tumble drier. I have/use neither of these.

GolfR

Robin9 wrote: »

Is this £69 for gas and electric ?

I'm thinking you meant £60? No it's not for gas and electric, I put £60 pm on my electric key token and I pay £37 pm DD for my gas to a different company.

[Deleted User] wrote:

Hi,

Once you get the £5 per week debt knocked off you'll be much the same.

You say you put £60 pm into electric meter, do you actually use all that, or have you built up a credit?

Then when you get meter changed you should be able to find a cheaper online tariff.

Yes I do use it all, it's payday today and I have £4 left on my meter which is the same story every month with the £60 top up. I've been looking at the comparison tool and I've seen a 12 month fixed term dual fuel deal with British Gas which will cost me £60 pm instead of the £97 pm I'm paying now for both utilities. Question, am I better off switching to a credit meter with my current company first - providing they allow me to - or getting in touch with British Gas (or any other company) to change to a prepayment meter and then a credit meter with them once the initial prepayment meter switch is done?

I don't know what to expect when I phone Utility Warehouse today regarding this debt and the £150 I'm owed by them for paying it off over the last 7 months, I've not read particularly favourable reviews on their behalf so I'm not expecting it to be easy.

[Deleted User]

Hi,


a lot of providers will want you to have smart meters fitted, so perhaps the ppm change to credit could be done then.