Unexpectedly high gas and electricity bills

System

This discussion was created from comments split from: British Gas charging unbelievable monthly price.

hairyles

I also have had a horrific energy bill due to an updated reading of both gas/electric meters. They want me to pay£566 for gas and£166 for electric!!! On disability benefits, priority customer, needed extra warmth having lost 3 stone due to the illness. How can I afford that? I've spoken to the company who have put a hold on the bill for 3 weeks while I have to contact the CAB, don't know how I can pay so much in one go !!! Any advice please???

Robin9

@hairyles It's better if you start your own thread otherwise advice might get mixed up with that intended for Lisley

Do you get the Warm Home Discount and the Winter Fuel Allowance and Cold Weather Payments ?
Who is your supplier, what tariff are you on and when did you last change suppliers ?

MSE_ForumTeam5

We've moved this into a separate thread

jbuchanangb

The normal advice when you have built up arrears like this is to make sure you are on the cheapest available tariff with the current supplier (because they can prevent you switching supplier while you are in arrears) and then to calculate a monthly payment over the next 12 months which will pay for your forecast energy usage and pay off the arrears. At the end of the 12 months you can then switch to alternative better value supplier or suppliers. You should also investigate the cause of the high enery usage, and see whether there is anything you can do to reduce your consumption.

Neil_Jones

jbuchanangb said:

The normal advice when you have built up arrears like this is to make sure you are on the cheapest available tariff with the current supplier (because they can prevent you switching supplier while you are in arrears) and then to calculate a monthly payment over the next 12 months which will pay for your forecast energy usage and pay off the arrears. At the end of the 12 months you can then switch to alternative better value supplier or suppliers. You should also investigate the cause of the high enery usage, and see whether there is anything you can do to reduce your consumption.

Yes, that and assuming the OP has been billed on actual readings, not estimated ones.  The situation of "my supplier thinks I owe them an arm and a leg" usually occurs because meters have not been read and all previous billing is guesstimates.  Which is fine, until an actual reading comes along and oh yeah, you do owe us an arm and a leg.

Hasbeen

hairyles said:

I also have had a horrific energy bill due to an updated reading of both gas/electric meters. They want me to pay£566 for gas and£166 for electric!!! On disability benefits, priority customer, needed extra warmth having lost 3 stone due to the illness. How can I afford that? I've spoken to the company who have put a hold on the bill for 3 weeks while I have to contact the CAB, don't know how I can pay so much in one go !!! Any advice please???

It looks like you are getting an updated bill because you fell into debt by failing to provide regular actual meter readings? Relying on estimated bills?

This is a catch up bill that you now owe.

Explain your circumstances and ask for a payment plan where a part of your debt is taken off monthly. CAB will assist to ensure that you need not pay it all in one go.

Do you get any discounts etc towards your usage?

Have you compared your usage recently, to see if there are any other providers with better rates? That you may be able to switch  once all is settled?