Monthly gas price? 3 bed semi, 2 adults

Talldave

As long as we have a regulator that makes comparison sites show "savings" that are not necessarily savings, confusion will reign. Why don't they outlaw quarterly billing - that seems to get a lot of people in a mess?

Nanny state civil servants regulating an industry rife with incompetence - what could possibly go wrong?

Gerry1

Talldave wrote: »

Nanny state civil servants regulating an industry rife with incompetence - what could possibly go wrong?

I agree that Ofgem are not fit for purpose, but in some respects they're not nearly nanny state enough, e.g. their crazy methodology requires comparison sites to show unrealistic 'savings' that can persuade people to switch in the middle of a fixed tariff to one that's actually more expensive. (Fortunately, the CEC has spotted this and only shows Ofgem's crazy results on request.) In fact, because the price cap may change, it's often not even possible to know what the standard tariff would be up to a year ahead.

Ofgem also condones British Gas and others giving incorrect E7 electricity quotations: they ask only for the total electricity consumption (instead of Day and Night readings) and then make an unjustified assumption about the percentage used at night. This means that the actual cost for the stated usage will be more expensive than they claim if the night percentage is lower.

The default should be variable monthly direct debit unless the customer requests otherwise and accepts a warning that fixed DDs can increase significantly if they turn out to be insufficient to keep up with actual usage.

[Deleted User]

Matelodave, yes, that's the same doc i read. After further reading though, i can't find anywhere that says they can abdicate their responsibilty to take readings themselves!

However i did find that after their application to extend the 2 year gap to 5 years, they were in fact granted 3 years, starting in 2013 running to 2016.

I can't seem to find any further concrete info, except that in 2015, the Citizens Advice Bureau didn't seem to like the extension..for obvious reasons!

I must say, its all very interesting stuff!

Robin9

I don't know Stu's age but I suspect quite young (compared to me as an OAP)

A lot of these sort of posts appear to come from youngsters and FTB who are also likely to be comparatively young. They seem to struggle with the concepts of DD and fixed in relation to utilities. Is this because they get used to phone tariffs and the like or is it that i've been there, bought the teashirt and also had to learn?

matelodave

I think you are right - an unlimited data plan, unlimited phone calls and texts and even unlimited broadband at home. Water bills are the same if you dont have a meter, just use as much as you want for the same price. The concept of paying for what you use doesn't seem to occur to them.

My daughter is a seconday school teacher and her school had a half-hearted attempt at educating the youngsters in financial matters as part of their civic education (or summat similar) but they only really got a couple of quick lessons squeezed in with all the other stuff that they are supposed to know. Whereas a bit of financial knowledge is much more useful than transgender, lgbt??? or other PC stuff that they get rammed down their throats nowadays.

[Deleted User]

Perhaps there should be a sticky, advising people to read and submit their readings on a regular basis, before posting to ask why they have received a large unexpected bill.

matelodave

DeletedUser wrote: »

Perhaps there should be a sticky, advising people to read and submit their readings on a regular basis, before posting to ask why they have received a large unexpected bill.

Do you really think that would help.

As far as I can see, most of those who get unexpected ginormous bills, don't actually read things properly so they probably wouldn't read a sticky .

They don't look at the words on bills that request meter readings and don't actually understand the difference between a bill and direct debit, nor the difference between a deemed, estimated or actual reading.

They also seem incapable of doing simple sums which would enable them to understand how much they've used and how it it should then cost them.

They also frequently don't respond anymore when the forum points out the error of their ways. They feel that it's someone else's fault that their bill is so high and can't accept that the problem is usually of their own making.

[Deleted User]

Some of your recent posts have made me chuckle matelodave, because there is certainly an element of truth in them!

However for we, the (potentially more)knowledgeable, surely it is a noble and goodly cause, to help those less knowledgeable, regardless of their eventual lack of response!

Perhaps as mentioned by a previous poster, these people are just starting out, FirstTimeBuyers, etc, learning...albeit the hard way!

Sometimes the best you can do is advise. Whether that advice is taken on board.......well, that's an entirely different matter!

Perhaps energy companies should be slightly more direct in asking for readings. Something like...(in big red letters) "WE NEED YOUR READINGS!"... (and also perhaps in big red letters, you decide!) "or else we will just make 'an educated guess' and charge you for that!"

Just a thought

Robin9

Do some of the issues also come from Estate and Letting Agents ?

What instructions do they give the buyers and renters ? I suspect none.

I've not moved house for years.

ToxicWomble

Not sure if it is still the case, but the back billing regs (?) used to state something along the lines of “you must provide meter readings when requested OR not restrict the companies agent fro taking a reading”

So whilst technically you are NOT obliged to provide meter readings the path of least resistance is usually the easiest and simplest