Shell energy say im in arrears (first post)

sandymitch

I had a call today from Shell energy saying that I am in arrears of £471 from Jan 2020 until now. This was based on an estimated reading. When I gave the actual readings for both my gas and electric today there was only a small amount of £15 credited to the arrears. What I have tried to do is query this as I do not believe that I have used as much as they say I have as one of the months was over £150 for just electric and the rest of the months under £60. I pay £43 monthly so I am aware that some months it may have been more but I cannot understand such a high amount of arrears in just 5 months.  It doesn't really make sense to me so really just wondering if anyone else has been through the same and what the outcome was? Do I just pay or look further into it?
Sorry its not very clear I just find it all confusing when it comes to energy billing.

MWT

If you can post the meter readings and the billed amounts for the last few months that would help us to help you.

Please be clear with the meter readings and show which were actual readings by you or Shell and which were just estimated readings...

Gerry1

It's no more difficult than checking your bills from Tesco and Sainsbury's.  Your big mistake has been not to send readings every month !

Read the meters on the wall today and subtract the opening readings.  That will show you how much you have used.  For electricity, just multiply the cost of all the kWhs by the price per kWh, just as if they were tins of baked beans.  Then multiply the number of days you've been with them by the daily standing charge.  Add the two sums together and that's what your electricity has cost to date.

Then do the same for gas, but adding an extra step.  Gas meters measure volume, so you need to convert it to kWh.  Just note whether the meter is imperial (cubic feet, ft3) or metric (cubic metres, m3) then convert it to kWh here.  Add the electricity and gas amounts together to find the total cost, then add up all the direct debit payments you have made. It will then be clear whether you owe them or they owe you.

Remember that you must always think in kWh not DD amounts, and that the DD is merely a kitty that may or may not have enough in it to pay your bills. It's not an All You Can Eat tariff. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/lower-energy-direct-debits/#whatyoupay

£43 per month (£516 p.a.) is a very low DD for both gas and electricity, unless you're in a well insulated studio flat, so it's probably not surprising that you're now in arrears after the winter.

sandymitch

26 May 20	68885805	£-1.70
22 May 20	68741806	£71.37
22 Apr 20	67754154	£85.91
22 Mar 20	66867828	£96.85
23 Feb 20	65956740	£108.95
22 Jan 20	65035337	£201.32
22 Dec 19	64108298	£93.68
22 Nov 19	63158232	£89.19
22 Oct 19	62225780	£64.29
22 Sep 19	61155769	£161.55

My previous electricity readings

Date	Reading	Source	Status	Type
26 May 2020	42836	Customer	billed
09 Jan 2020	41034	Customer	billed	Regular
14 Apr 2019	37854	Industry	billed	Opening

sandymitch

My previous gas readings

Date	Reading	Source	Status	Type
26 May 2020	07214	Customer	billed
09 Jan 2020	06956	Customer	billed	Regular
14 Apr 2019	06594	Industry	billed	Opening

Gerry1

You've missed the decimal point on the electricity readings.  Ignore the three rightmost digits, e.g. today's reading of 68885.805 becomes 68885.

Do you have two electricity meters?

sandymitch

That is the billing number I believe

sandymitch

I have a gas meter and an electric meter

Gerry1

sandymitch said:

I have a gas meter and an electric meter

How come your electricity meter is today reading 68885805 AND 42836 ? 

Hasbeen

Gerry1 said:

sandymitch said:

I have a gas meter and an electric meter

How come your electricity meter is today reading 68885805 AND 42836 ? 

Think the op has confused things by putting in billing number and amount in £ charged?

£43 DD a month for both???  Against what was charged?

Robin9

For Electricity From April 2019 to May 2020 you used 4982 Kwh -  above average but not a lot particularly if you are using electric showers and is approx. £750

For the gas the reading are 07214 less 06594 = 620 meter units = 6944 Kwh  approx. £208

Add in standing charges and VAT and this is approx. £1000   . This ties up with the sum of the bills.

The cause a very low DD of £43 and the OP not keeping their eye on the bills