Help needed on extremely high electricity bill

[Deleted User]

Gentlegiant said:

 And when they say "Fixed direct debit" Does that mean the amount stays the same regardless of the usuage?

Hi,

no, it means that the price per unit stays the same, but your DD can vary depending on usage, thus the need to give regular monthly readings, which you now know to do.

From your photies;

Entry rdg: 61944,

Now rdg:76714.

so 14770 units used @ 0.16956p = £2504,

you now have to add about 700+ daily standing charges (2 yrs),

then you need to add 5% vat, (only dsc if already on unit price), to get the total.

Deduct what you have already paid and see how that compares to your bill now.

Can you dig out the very first bill you got from BG, it will show what readings were used as the 'start' readings, for rates 1 and 2 and should also give price per unit.

Can you stick up photies of bills please, blanking out personal details,

Your photies show rate 2 readings which is normally night rate, and should be at a cheaper rate, but how come you use so much at night when you have gas central heating?

Start taking readings of both rates each day, about the same time, to spot any spike.

Gentlegiant

[Deleted User] said:

Gentlegiant said:

 And when they say "Fixed direct debit" Does that mean the amount stays the same regardless of the usuage?

Hi,

no, it means that the price per unit stays the same, but your DD can vary depending on usage, thus the need to give regular monthly readings, which you now know to do.

From your photies;

Entry rdg: 61944,

Now rdg:76714.

so 14770 units used @ 0.16956p = £2504,

you now have to add about 700+ daily standing charges (2 yrs),

then you need to add 5% vat, (only dsc if already on unit price), to get the total.

Deduct what you have already paid and see how that compares to your bill now.

Can you dig out the very first bill you got from BG, it will show what readings were used as the 'start' readings, for rates 1 and 2 and should also give price per unit.

Can you stick up photies of bills please, blanking out personal details,

Your photies show rate 2 readings which is normally night rate, and should be at a cheaper rate, but how come you use so much at night when you have gas central heating?

Start taking readings of both rates each day, about the same time, to spot any spike.

I dont have the Rate 1 readings from when I moved in. However the rate 1 reading I took yesterday was 25883.38. Is it possible to use the same estimated amount of usage to calculate the usage as well? So I can have an idea of how much have been used. I will look for the first bill. Also, where do I go from here? Since there is an issue with the meter or at least massive money to be paid. How do I take readings every month to ensure I don’t receive a massive bill next month as I fear this could occur again. 

coffeehound

Gentlegiant said:

Penelopa.Pitstop said:

If you have hot water tank, it could be electric heater in it, switched on all the time.

The hot water tank runs off of the gas meter which is seperate. 

Can you check whether the electric immersion heater is off --  It's usually one or two big switches near the tank.  Both switches should be OFF.

It's possible for the immersion heater to be on even though the tank is mainly heated by the gas boiler.

MWT

[Deleted User] said:

Your photies show rate 2 readings which is normally night rate, and should be at a cheaper rate, but how come you use so much at night when you have gas central heating?

Rate 2 has always been the day rate for me on E7...

It is easy to confirm though, even if the meter doesn't make it clear, just take two readings after say 10am about 30 mins apart and your should see a change in rate two but rate one should not have moved.

Also check Rate one again tomorrow and that should have gone up if the meter is switching between the rates.

What we really need to see now is the first bill from BG and the most recent one to see if they have always been billing for both rates on an E7 tariff, or if the meter reader has just added the two together and is billing for both as one on a single rate tariff...?

Penelopa.Pitstop

And you have to start looking what is using all that electricity. Do daily readings and start switching off things.

Immersion heater is usual suspect. My neighbour had it switched on non stop, even though she had gas. She just didn't know. Only started investigation after getting first high bill.

Gentlegiant

MWT said:

[Deleted User] said:

Your photies show rate 2 readings which is normally night rate, and should be at a cheaper rate, but how come you use so much at night when you have gas central heating?

Rate 2 has always been the day rate for me on E7...

It is easy to confirm though, even if the meter doesn't make it clear, just take two readings after say 10am about 30 mins apart and your should see a change in rate two but rate one should not have moved.

Also check Rate one again tomorrow and that should have gone up if the meter is switching between the rates.

What we really need to see now is the first bill from BG and the most recent one to see if they have always been billing for both rates on an E7 tariff, or if the meter reader has just added the two together and is billing for both as one on a single rate tariff...?

Okay as soon as I get back from work, I will check the rate one and compare it from yesterday. Also is it possible that my bills is calculated using only one rate? I have the BG app but I can only see bills history for the last 6months. I will try to dig up the first bill. And post my findings. 

MWT

Gentlegiant said:

Okay as soon as I get back from work, I will check the rate one and compare it from yesterday. Also is it possible that my bills is calculated using only one rate? I have the BG app but I can only see bills history for the last 6months. I will try to dig up the first bill. And post my findings. 

Even just the most recent bill would help as that will show if they are using two rates and an E7 tariff or not and will also confirm the meter reading or readings they have used for that bill.

It is possible that you have a 2-rate meter but are being billed on a single rate tariff, but that would usually require you to report both readings, or at least the total of the two readings.

If I recall correctly Gerry has his electricity billed that way so he will probably add his experience shortly.

Gerry1

MWT said:

Gentlegiant said:

Okay as soon as I get back from work, I will check the rate one and compare it from yesterday. Also is it possible that my bills is calculated using only one rate? I have the BG app but I can only see bills history for the last 6months. I will try to dig up the first bill. And post my findings. 

If I recall correctly Gerry has his electricity billed that way so he will probably add his experience shortly.

Well recalled !

Yes, I have an E7 meter but no storage heaters so I choose single rate or E7, whichever is cheaper, when I change suppliers.  I just give both readings and if I'm on E7 the company still shows the separate Day Rate and Night Rate readings but applies the same kWh rate for each.  A few awkward companies (e.g. Bulb) won't play ball, but I never had a refusal from a company that I wanted to use.

When this BG problem has been sorted the OP should start comparing with Citizens Advice and 'Switch with Which?', checking both E7 and single rate (and separate suppliers as well), but let's not try to run before we can walk !

The immediate task is to establish the cause of the problem (e.g. whether the usage has been correctly recorded and whether there's a local problem causing excessive usage).

If a rabbit doesn't pop out of the hat in a day or two then the OP may wish to ask for a payment plan if it's not possible to pay the debt in one go, but let's first see whether we can solve the problem together.

Gerry1

Tonight's Homework

The meter will display the rate it's charging at the present time together with reading for that rate.  Around midnight it should change over to displaying the other rate and reading, and then go back again around 7am.Look at the bill and check that the day rate units are billed at the higher rate and that the night units are billed at the lower rate.
The meter may be controlled by a radio teleswitch; the red indicator on the right (under '80A') will drop down with a clunk when the night rate begins.

Gentlegiant

MWT said:

Gentlegiant said:

Okay as soon as I get back from work, I will check the rate one and compare it from yesterday. Also is it possible that my bills is calculated using only one rate? I have the BG app but I can only see bills history for the last 6months. I will try to dig up the first bill. And post my findings. 

Even just the most recent bill would help as that will show if they are using two rates and an E7 tariff or not and will also confirm the meter reading or readings they have used for that bill.

It is possible that you have a 2-rate meter but are being billed on a single rate tariff, but that would usually require you to report both readings, or at least the total of the two readings.

If I recall correctly Gerry has his electricity billed that way so he will probably add his experience shortly.

Gerry and everyone else has been extremely helpful and I have learned alot in this short space if time. I will have my latest bill and the new meter reading uploaded as soon as I get home. I just hope they are using one meter ready but again someone said its E7 so it could be that they are using both