Huge Gas & Electric Bill for Pensioner - Help please !

monkeybusiness

Hoping someone may be able to help here - my mother is with N-Power on a contract until March 2020 and has been paying £106 per month for her gas and electric. Neither meters had been read for 16 months until i submitted an online reading two weeks ago as she had a card left by the meter reader. Now she is having her direct debit increased to £288 per month as she is £1048 in arrears ! She lives in a small three bed semi detached house, doesn't have the heat on all the time, only runs one or two light bulbs, no computers, no chargers, just a TV so I can't understand why her bill would be so ridiculously high. I live in a four bed property with children running chargers and computers all the time and only pay £100 per month so this is definitely wrong. I've called them and they confirmed the charges were correct and I have insisted someone come out to look at the meter which is 65 years old - could it be this ? If its not what else could it be ? My mother is worried sick !

[Deleted User]

Hi,


you say the meter is 65 years old, so I presume it is an old dial meter, did you perhaps read it wrong?

Robin9

It does come as a shock when you have a big catch up bill.

What happened in March 2019 or did her fix start in March 2018 as a 2 year fix.

Has she got a bill from that time with actual meter readings on it ? What were the readings you have just submitted ?

JJ_Egan

As above and its probably a catchup debt due to no meter readings sent to supplier .


Why is she/ you not reading the meters ??
Suppliers only read about every two years .

Robin9

monkeybusiness wrote: »

................ which is 65 years old - could it be this ? ................!

What makes you think this ?

Could you post a picture - could simply be a testers mark >

lindens

This is why it is important to send in meter readings regularly - at least every 6 months if no sooner. If your mother cannot do this can family members support her in this?
It's hard for us to help you without meter readings. Can you go back over previous bills and give us the date and reading it was last read and the most recent one that you sent in. Then we can go from there. Also a photo of the meter now would help

Gerry1

If she is of pensionable age she should sign up for npower's Priority Services and they will read her meter for her.

[Deleted User]

You say you are only paying £100 per month but be cautious for the same reasons as your mother getting an unexpected hike because what you pay isn't necessarily what you use unless you are providing regular meter readings. I provide mine monthly to ensure the bills are accurate - if you haven't provided a reading in the last 3 months then send one now.

If you mother is now £1048 in arrears 16 months after last meter reading then that is a shortfall of £65 a month assuming balance was zero 16 months ago (June 2018) meaning a monthly payment of £170 a month would be about right (lots of assumptions without knowing actual consumption and balance 16 months ago).

£170 is on the high end for property size you describe but hard to know whether she likes to have the heating at 24 degrees for example which would cost a lot more gas, whether the house is well insulated, the boiler is modern and whether those two light bulbs are energy saving LED's or old filament bulbs.

Just double check you have sent correct meter readings as well.

dogshome

I go with frugalmacdugall's post - If the meter is 65 years old, it's odds on that it is a dial meter.
The 5 contra-rotating pointers on these are very easily misread - it would be interesting to see the actual reading submitted to n'power