Help needed on extremely high electricity bill

Gentlegiant

comeandgo said:

Gentlegiant said:

jack_pott said:

Gentlegiant said:

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.

I have learned a lot in this short space if time. 

The moral of the tale is that you need to keep all your bills, check all the readings against your meter, and watch for any unusual changes in consumption (gas & water too).
There are quite a few coming on here querying outlandish bills, and I've noticed that almost all of them have electronic smart meters. It leaves me deeply sceptical that they are as reliable as the old electromechanical ones, which is the main reason I have resisted changing thus far.

At the moment I have decided to switch off everything and use only my gas for cooking and heating which has always been the case anyway. The electricity is only for bulbs, tv and and very very basic things

Do you have fridge, freezers, kettle, toaster, hair dryer, washing machine that heats the water, tumble dryer, spot lights, radio, laptop.  You may find you have lots of things using electricity.

Water tank yes but it doesn’t get hit if the gas is out so I know it doesnt use the electricity as a result. Kettle, water heater etc. But arent these basic things? Are these responsible for 130000kwh 6months? 

Gentlegiant

Gerry1 said:

After adding 5% VAT, you're paying 17.80065p/kWh and a daily charge of 23.7783p which is crazy beyond belief. 

You need to switch today to the cheapest BG tariffs you can find, which won't be shown on the BG website.  Start using a few comparison sites starting with Citizens Advice and 'Switch with Which?'.

I will definitely as soon as I am home. What would u advice is the best standard plan I should go for? Considering I have central heating which runs in gas meter. And do u think their calculations are correct? 

couriervanman

Gentlegiant said:

Gerry1 said:

After adding 5% VAT, you're paying 17.80065p/kWh and a daily charge of 23.7783p which is crazy beyond belief. 

You need to switch today to the cheapest BG tariffs you can find, which won't be shown on the BG website.  Start using a few comparison sites starting with Citizens Advice and 'Switch with Which?'.

I will definitely as soon as I am home. What would u advice is the best standard plan I should go for? Considering I have central heating which runs in gas meter. And do u think their calculations are correct? 

Uswitch
MSE
Moneysupermarket
Citizens Advice

Compare with all 3 for cheapest tariff 

Robin9

If the info going to the billing dept is correct the bill will be correct - otherwise several million bills will be wrong.
You don't go for a standard plan you go for the one with the lowest cost - that's what the comparison sites like Which are for.
.................. and you put your actual consumptions in three times - once each for gas and electric and a third time for dual fuel. You'll probably find different suppliers for gas and electric is cheaper.

cattie

Gentlegiant said:

comeandgo said:

Gentlegiant said:

jack_pott said:

Gentlegiant said:

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.

I have learned a lot in this short space if time. 

The moral of the tale is that you need to keep all your bills, check all the readings against your meter, and watch for any unusual changes in consumption (gas & water too).
There are quite a few coming on here querying outlandish bills, and I've noticed that almost all of them have electronic smart meters. It leaves me deeply sceptical that they are as reliable as the old electromechanical ones, which is the main reason I have resisted changing thus far.

At the moment I have decided to switch off everything and use only my gas for cooking and heating which has always been the case anyway. The electricity is only for bulbs, tv and and very very basic things

Do you have fridge, freezers, kettle, toaster, hair dryer, washing machine that heats the water, tumble dryer, spot lights, radio, laptop.  You may find you have lots of things using electricity.

Water tank yes but it doesn’t get hit if the gas is out so I know it doesnt use the electricity as a result. Kettle, water heater etc. But arent these basic things? Are these responsible for 130000kwh 6months? 

Anything that uses heat, such as kettles, hairdryers, water heater etc. are high energy, so definitely not  basic items in terms of energy when used each day. 

Robin9

Looking at the photo's the meter is nearly 20 years old and Rate 1 is averaging about 3000 kWh and Rate 2 about 3900 kwh over its life. Nothing extraordinary there  - gives about £500 / year for on peak (if Rate 1 is onpeak) and £400  for off peak.

Gerry1

Robin9 said:

... and you put your actual consumptions in three times - once each for gas and electric and a third time for dual fuel. You'll probably find different suppliers for gas and electric is cheaper.

The OP already has separate suppliers.

Best to get the best BG rate available PDQ - he won't be able to leave with that amount of debt.  BG Evolve would probably be the cheapest, but it's probably run at arms length so a switch could be blocked, and the megabill would probably have to be paid in one go.

MWT

Gentlegiant said:

Here is the most recent bill. I am not sure if it shows both rate being used but you can see i have been judged to have u more than 13000kwh between May-Dec which seems ridiculous. 

Oddly I can't see the bill, so can't comment, but for those who can see a bill posted how does the most recent meter reading shown compare to the photos of the meters posted earlier?

[Deleted User]

MWT said:

Oddly I can't see the bill, so can't comment, but for those who can see a bill posted how does the most recent meter reading shown compare to the photos of the meters posted earlier?

Hi,

I saw them when he first posted them, but they've 'disappeared'.

Hasbeen

MWT said:

Gentlegiant said:

Here is the most recent bill. I am not sure if it shows both rate being used but you can see i have been judged to have u more than 13000kwh between May-Dec which seems ridiculous. 

Oddly I can't see the bill, so can't comment, but for those who can see a bill posted how does the most recent meter reading shown compare to the photos of the meters posted earlier?

Would assume OP has deleted as perhaps did not take out personal info?

But has been asked a few times if immersion heater is switched on? but reply is "hot water tank heated by gas meter."
Would still check though.