MSE Poll: How much has your energy direct debit increased by in the last two months?

MSE_Chris_O

Poll started 12 April 2022

The energy price cap rose by an average 54% on 1 April, with millions seeing their energy bills skyrocket. But many are reporting higher percentage rises, so we want to know how much firms are increasing direct debits by.

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

I've added £35 to my monthly DD but I don't think it's going to be enough. I wish they'd hurry up and send me that £150 I've been promised!!

TimSynths

MalMonroe said:

I've added £35 to my monthly DD but I don't think it's going to be enough. I wish they'd hurry up and send me that £150 I've been promised!!

Just spent mine on a VR headset. Will set it to a sunny beach whilst sitting in the cold.

polymaff

This  percentage rise in your DD payments is a very woolly measure.  My two DDs since April 2nd are one for exactly the same as I've been paying since May 2019 - then a second, five days later, for 22% of that long-term payment.

So, Martin, what the heck can you deduce from *that?

Certainly not that my costs for 12 months at the pre-April rates for gas and electricity compared with the same consumptions at the subsequent rates show a 63% rise.  I've explained why in my response to Martin's previous spiel on this subject, where, IIRC, he pointed out that making decisions based on DD amounts would only confuse the issue!

The second DD for April, btw, is due to me, on the third attempt, getting Octopus to just use variable DDs to pay each bill in toto.

To get this arrangement - the common method 50 years ago - I had to listen to a litany of warnings about how I could come acropper.  As I retorted: "I come of the generation that could be trusted to open and close railway carriage doors!"

Today's wholesale electricity and gas kWh prices?  19.22p and 7.3p respectively. In times like these, what do you make of that?

*EDIT: Yes, I know about averaging.

dazandemma

Early last year I was paying £114 whilst on a fix with Avro. 

This subsequently increased to £168 when I was switched to Octopus when Avro went bust - and I moved to the standard variable rate. 

As a result of the April ‘22 price cap increase my DD went up to £240. 

Depending on how far back I’m looking my increases have been.

£114 ~ 240 = 110% increase
£168 ~ 240 = 45% increase 

Freehiker

I was paying a DD of £26 a month with green and I set a new DD  at the minimum amount of £20 a month when I was switched to Shell but I only paid once in December as I then had a smart meter fitted and switched to pay for what I use by DD.  My bill date is about 12th of each month and I pay by DD on the 1st of next month the amount I used.  I don't feel the need to pay a regular fixed monthly payment. As I was in credit of about £120 in December I have not paid anything else since (today's date 12 April 2022). 
Over the last year and a bit I have been growing my DIY solar panels and battery set up at home and since 6th March 2022 I have not used any grid electric, all my electric has come from solar power (I don't have gas, oil ect).  I still have a £56.32 credit at my last bill.  I will be paying some from July as my credit will run out until I get the £200 credit in October which I did not want.  I have had the £150 off my council tax bill for this year.

jenniewb

I am really confused by my bill increase. I was with Bulb but then saw Martin Lewis talk about fixing bills down because of potential increases. At the time the best quote I could find was British Gas who met my Bulb charge (£55 a month dual tarriff) and promised to fix this til December 2023. I moved in April 2021 and thought nothing of it until I submitted a reading in October 2021 and....it turns out my bills should have been closer to £120 per month.

£120 Per month?!

My mum doesn't pay that and she has 2 bedrooms, 4 cats and there are two of them. She/they use more electric than me by far and don't seem as miserly as me -and they don't even use gas and now all of a sudden their bills match mine! I am blown over- not just by the massive increase, but also because this was supposed to be fixed so I didn't see a price hike- let alone one more than double! I tried talking to BG only for them to suggest I leave the tariff and try another. I asked what the potential saving would be if I did that, baring in mind my latest reading and the answer? "dunno. You could try it could be less...." I asked if I could be switched back if it was more "no" I was told; the tariff you're on isn't available any more. Too much of a risk or I'd try and see what else was available. Instead I'm left for the first time in my adult life; I owe money to my utility provider despite it being warmer months, despite having the warmer homes discount added, despite being as frugal as I can. I am now not sure what went wrong, but I've never had monthly bills this large. I am paying, but not the right amount and I've no idea what happens if I one day can't afford the bill.

I wish there were more useful rules over this. 

dazandemma

jenniewb said:

 I am blown over- not just by the massive increase, but also because this was supposed to be fixed so I didn't see a price hike

I’ve seen quite a few other people post similar stories recently in response to their DD increasing. 

Maybe energy suppliers should be doing more to help customers understand that a fixed rate only applies to the kWh charge, and that more usage equals more cost. It also highlights the importance of understanding your yearly usage figures to get more accurate quotes when looking to switch suppliers. 

allstontowers

My DD has tripled and I've stil got loads of credit.  Also is anyone doing abything about getting an increase for those of us supplying the national grid?  

powerful_Rogue

Was £94 a month, now £204 a month with British Gas for both electric and gas.

MovingForwards

£0 as I pay on receipt of bill.
Even before the price increases my supplier wanted £90 a month on a DD, which would have led to a massive overpayment each year as my combined gas and electric was under £600pa.