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Shell energy say im in arrears (first post)

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sandymitch
sandymitch Posts: 9 Forumite
First Post
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.
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Comments

  • MWT
    MWT Posts: 10,210 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper
    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
    Gerry1 Posts: 10,848 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 26 May 2020 at 4:19PM
    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
    sandymitch Posts: 9 Forumite
    First Post
    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
    sandymitch Posts: 9 Forumite
    First Post
    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
    Gerry1 Posts: 10,848 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 26 May 2020 at 4:27PM
    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
    sandymitch Posts: 9 Forumite
    First Post
    That is the billing number I believe
  • sandymitch
    sandymitch Posts: 9 Forumite
    First Post
    I have a gas meter and an electric meter
  • Gerry1
    Gerry1 Posts: 10,848 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I have a gas meter and an electric meter
    How come your electricity meter is today reading 68885805 AND 42836 ? 
  • Hasbeen
    Hasbeen Posts: 4,404 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 26 May 2020 at 5:33PM
    Gerry1 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?
    The world is not ruined by the wickedness of the wicked, but by the weakness of the good. Napoleon
  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,776 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    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





    Never pay on an estimated bill. Always read and understand your bill
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