Elderly Parents getting Ripped Off

Robin9

xlnc99 said:

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i want to switch and ile do it right now but how do i now if im getting a good deal? (not saying i do not trust your judgement at all) but is it not better that i know what exactly i am doing or looking for when making a big decision like this? I am sure you are correct and your advice is 99% perfect but i still dont know what i am doing to be honest. And its good for me to learn so i dont have to rely on other people who may not always be there to help me

That's where all the comparison sites come into play - they do all the sums for you  -you just need to know annual consumptions

Look at MSE's Cheap Energy Club, Switch with Which, CAB .......................................... 


PS What do do back at your own property ??????????????????


   

matelodave

The problem with on-line accounts is that you dont end up with drawers full of bills that you can refer to, they all sit on a server somewhere which mean that they aren't under your control anymore - it's a good idea to try and download bills every month (or when they are issued) and save your own copy - I've still got PDF copies of my bills going back nearly 10 years.

Just a thought and I dont really know what is possible with your meters or In Home Device (assuming that your parents still have it and that it still works) but I can still access up to 13 months worth of monthly consumption history from my meter using my IHD.

It's a different meter to yours, so I don't know what is possible - perhaps someone else knows. Mines an Elster meter, supplied by SSE but it's been"dumb" for nearly three years and I've had four different suppliers. - I've just checked I used 244kwh in June 2019 which compares with 249 on my own spreadsheet). If yours still has that capability it might be possible to cross check consumption against monthly bills.

Gerry1

xlnc99 said:

I dont mind the extra payment for a few lights on at night. Although - i will try get some energy saving bulbs

The equivalent of a 60w incandescent (806 lumens) need not consume more than 6W.  Look for the filamentary ones.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6W-LED-Vintage-Retro-Filament-GLS-Light-Bulbs-BC-B22-Lamps-Ultra-Bright-806lm/333139614193

https://www.mygreenlighting.co.uk/replacement_bulbs/round_bulbs/bayonet_bc_b22/8664.html

https://www.buyledsonline.co.uk/product/led-filament-gls-e27-non-dimmable-6w-806lm-2700k-warm-white-60w-alternative/

Gerry1

xlnc99 said:

Gerry1 said:

xlnc99 said:

Once i figured this out i can move on to gas and finally switch supplier!

As repeatedly mentioned, it would take about all of 10 minutes to switch gas right now, the fixed tariff for which which is about to end so you'll have to do it soon anyway.

The gas usage is almost certainly correct: I use more in a detached 2.5. bedroom house occupied during the day.

The RHE/Ebico gas-only deal is likely to save hundreds of pounds, if it's still available.

By doing nothing you're just making a rod for your parents' back.  You'll have 14 days to cancel, so there's nothing to lose.

i want to switch and ile do it right now but how do i now if im getting a good deal? (not saying i do not trust your judgement at all) but is it not better that i know what exactly i am doing or looking for when making a big decision like this? I am sure you are correct and your advice is 99% perfect but i still dont know what i am doing to be honest. And its good for me to learn so i dont have to rely on other people who may not always be there to help me

I mean, car insurance, banks, cars, sports etc - ask me anything i can answer. Energy - i have no idea. So when switching how do i know the cheapest supplier? What  do i look out for? Some guidance on these issues would be nice so i can make an informed decision

Agreed, you need to learn the ropes yourself so you understand what's involved.  You MUST compare annual kWh usage from actual meter readings, and you MUST ignore all claims, projections and savings.  Thanks to Ofgem's crazy formula, you won't get them.  Never go with Look After My bills or similar, DIY is far better.

Many sites default to showing only the expensive suppliers who pay commission, which is why Citizens Advice and 'Switch with Which?' are two good places to start.  MSE's CEC is quite good but doesn't show Neon Reef which is one of the cheapest for electricity, so that's naughty.

You can always post the results here and ask what people think, but do get going very PDQ for gas.

bsms1147

The latest meter readings match the bills so I think you'll have to move on from January's figures. Why the big jump might never be known, but you won't be able to claim anything back.

Head to a comparison site, I suggest using 5500kwh electricity and 30000kwh gas as the figures, and taking it from there. Run dual and single fuel searches. And moving forwards try and get consumption down through as many means as possible. At the very least do it for gas.

RelievedSheff

Talldave said:

Things won't work out if the meter readings switched from one register to another, the offset will be permanent. But I can't think how you could prove or disprove it unless someone did a read of all registers when it was installed? Presumably at some point it was "smart"??

I know elderly people can be a bit wacky but can anyone explain how they went from 13kWh a day to 130kWh a day???

Use of electric heaters perhaps rather than the central heating?

We have this conversation every year with the OHs father. He insists on using a electric fan heater all day to heat one room because he believes it is more economical than heating the whole house with the gas boiler!

We can't explain it to him. So just leave him too it and then listen to him complain about his bills.

Gerry1

The daytime background usage for electricity when nothing much is being used should be around 150W - 300W or so, basically fridge, freezer and a few things on standby.

Tell your parents to keep and eye of the meter's red flashing light: 3200 flashes means it's used 1kWh, so expect to see 8 - 16 flashes per minute.  If it's flashing far more than this then you can switch off invidual circuits to find which one is using all that power.

Also get your parents to take daily or weekly meter readings to make sure they are staying reasonable.

matelodave

Gerry1 said:

The daytime background usage for electricity when nothing much is being used should be around 150W - 300W or so, basically fridge, freezer and a few things on standby.

Tell your parents to keep and eye of the meter's red flashing light: 3200 flashes means it's used 1kWh, so expect to see 8 - 16 flashes per minute.  If it's flashing far more than this then you can switch off invidual circuits to find which one is using all that power.

Also get your parents to take daily or weekly meter readings to make sure they are staying reasonable.

Flash rate depends on the meter, my previous one was 1000 flashes per kwh, the present one is 4000 per kwh but it's usually got it written on the front. (You do have to be a bit dedicated to check a low level consumption and it helps if you've got a stopwatch). If they've still got the IHD and it still works then its even easier to work out what is being used.

RelievedSheff

xlnc99 said:

GunJack said:

the negative £500-odd will be from their running total from bills prior to June 2019 - maybe they hadn't really been keeping on top of things and built up a big debit amount?

Yes it does build in with the figures that i have calculated today which is fine. But my issue is where this £500 deficit
 came from. IF i know my mum she never goes behind on any bill so its strange for it to be £-500. Scottish power will not allow me to access any of the old bills so i cant see anything. Is this worth investigating more or leaving it as its probably correct? £500 is a big sum of money

bsms1147 said:

Who has been supplying the monthly readings by the way?

my mum

The £500 debt will come from previous billing. Your parents direct debits were not covering their use no doubt compounded by estimated readings. 

This is why it is important that people submit regular readings and check that what they are paying is covering what they are using.

Your parents consumption is astronomical. They really need to look at where they can make savings. Light bulbs are one cheap and easy fix.

click86

Has the OP provided figures prior to January?

Without seeing the December bill, its hard to say what happened in January.

What if, the December bill (and earlier) were under estimated by the supplier...

It could explain the huge jump in January when actual readings were logged.

If the original poster could share those bills, we can get a clearer picture of what happened before January's jump.