MSE Poll: Has your energy direct debit been increased in the last two months?

MSE_Petar

Poll started 12 October 2021

Energy bills are rocketing, as the UK is in an energy crisis. We want to see which firms are increasing direct debits, and by how much.

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Did you vote? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below.
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Gillynot17anymore

I’m over £227 in credit with Bulb, pay £95 per month and have a smart meter. They emailed me to say they were going to increase my DD to over £135 per month as ‘I’m not paying enough to cover my current usage’.
I don’t ****** think so, I thought as I rang them. Got a very nice young man who could see not only the obvious reason for my call but also what I was going to ask. He said the email is a ‘one size fits all’ one that clearly doesn’t. ‘I’ll just put your direct debit back down’, he said. And did so immediately. My account still shows that they think I should be paying the original increased amount but I don’t care! I couldn’t believe the efficiency of the agent, well done him!

Sea_Shell

I haven't been asked to increase mine,  yet.*  However, I see two things at play here.

1) They're just trying to increase cashflow? Maybe?!

2) They are looking at your usage for the next 12 months, knowing that at some point (April 22?) tariffs (cap) will increase further or many current fixes will have come to an end.


Has anyone who's been asked to increase their DD done the maths to see how the new figure may have been arrived at, or are companies plucking figures out of thin air?

Eg.  fixed (cheap) deal until, say January22, then current capped rate until April22, then (+20%?) increased cap from then until next October.  With, say, 60-75% of gas (CH) used November to March.



*My E.on account did have a "blip" and it said they wanted (recommend) an increase, but next time I logged on it had reverted back!

podiddly

I am with Bulb for a rental property we own which is empty and being sold. Our direct debit was £42 a month. I have used no gas since June and 12 units of electricity since June. They wanted to put up my dd from £42 to £113 a month. I refused. They said I could adjust on my account on line - well I could - to £111. I was in credit by £82 from an estimated bill. When the correct meter readings were entered I was then in credit by £145. They still refused to lower my direct debit from £113. So I put in a complaint. 

I have now had my direct debit put back to £42 a month. It took me hours of online chat to get resolved. They should’ve read and understood what I was saying instead of taking the general line they’ve been told to take by Bulb. Not impressed.

frosty9081

im with shell, they wanted to go over double the amount of my direct debit that i pay and when i tried to lower the amount it was still only £10 than what they wanted to up it to.. even in winter i dont use that much more for gas etc. so had a nice online chat with them n took quite a while to get a answer out of them and i ended up cancerling my direct debit and switchign to paying monthly for what i use. i was in credit by over a months worth of credit etc. shockign that they did that n glad i'm glad im able to get on the internet and sort it out online. I feel sorry for those who dont have the option to go online etc when their bills etc are increased for no fault of their own.

Swipe

I'm with EDF on E7 and £850 in credit ready for winter. They are keeping mine the same

whirlyhead

I'm with Good Energy, a green energy company so exempt from the price cap.  My annual bill has increased by 25%.  At the moment they aren't increasing the direct debit as I have already been overpaying this year in order to bring the debit back into credit.  I will just keep an eye on my bill each month after submitting meter readings and make additional payments, but will probably be paying over £200 a month.  Joy!

JJ_Egan

No its not gone up .

Yes a bit of credit .

But provider gone bust which makes rather a nonsense of the poll .

sue16

I’m with EDF and they haven’t increased mine yet but they estimated mine at £84 pm when I renewed my contract in June 20. I had to have a smart meter fitted and on Christmas Day they increased it to £111. They next put it up to £141 in May and reckon I’ve used almost my normal annual usage in around 7-8 months! I’m dreading my next bills.

XRAT

Who knows??? My fixed energy deal collapsed with the energy company. Now I've been moved to EDF. I've had no contact from them.

tunde10

This is exactly why i choose paying on receipt of monthly bills by D/D. I'd rather not be in credit paying extortionate monthly amounts.

I just budget the expected annual cost, split by 12 and keep the difference between bill and budget separate to fund the winter months when bills go up. Basically my own credit account which i have full access to.