Energy bill forecast incorrect now im in debt

DizzyLizzy_3

Hi.
I was with Shell energy for the previous 2 years, I got a new deal with them when Martin said to switch so I have a great deal until September 2023. However they quoted me £58 a month, i was previously paying £110 with them and over paid by 400 at the end of term, which is why I thought my quote was very low, but now they have billed me £1000 todate from September.
I have arranged to pay them back 200 a month from now on, to see if I can catch up but I don't think this is fair they have put me in this situation. I only found out about this by having to log into my account to retrieve a utility statement for a job interview, I dread to think what my debt would have been by next Sept 2023 - will teach me to check on these bills in the future.
I have logged this as a complaint which they will look into... my question is will they do anything about this or do I just pay it all back as we have used the energy stated? 
I think they have put me in this situation by quoting £58 a month - thought it was too good to be true.

Sorry for the long post
Thanks 
Liz 

[Deleted User]

You'll just need to pay for the energy used. 

QrizB

As zx81 says, you'll need to pay for the energy yuou've used.

Do you still have the estimate they provided when you signed up for the fix in September last year? Can you share details of your tariff, and of the estimated annual consumption fogures they used to come up with the £58/month figure?

theoretica

To have any complaint you would need to work out exactly what went wrong - and where. You will need to pay for the energy used, but might get a goodwill token.  Was the quote for the same kWh you had used in the previous year, or some random figure? Are you being charged the pence per unit and standing charge they quoted?  If they didn't use the kWh from your previous usage can you work out why it differed?  How does your use this year compare to last year?

HampshireH

Was your account now showing a debt each month when they payment was made?

Check your readings and work out the true value of what you have spent / owe them first based on accurate meter readings.

theoretica

Also take into account your presumably heavier use in winter than in summer - some catch up before next September is expected.

[Deleted User]

A hard-learned lesson. If you thought that £58 a month was too low, why didn’t you challenge it? Presumably, since September 2021, you have been providing the supplier with monthly meter readings - or possibly not? If accurate readings were provided and used, then you would have seen an increasing debit balance on your statements and corrective action could have been taken much earlier.

In truth, you have to take some responsibility for the situation that you now find yourself in. Energy contracts are are not fix and forget. 

DizzyLizzy_3

[Deleted User] said:

A hard-learned lesson. If you thought that £58 a month was too low, why didn’t you challenge it? Presumably, since September 2021, you have been providing the supplier with monthly meter readings - or possibly not? If accurate readings were provided and used, then you would have seen an increasing debit balance on your statements and corrective action could have been taken much earlier.

In truth, you have to take some responsibility for the situation that you now find yourself in. Energy contracts are are not fix and forget. 

I just thought I had a really good deal plus I was in credit. Yes I should have checked statements in hindsight.

DizzyLizzy_3

theoretica said:

To have any complaint you would need to work out exactly what went wrong - and where. You will need to pay for the energy used, but might get a goodwill token.  Was the quote for the same kWh you had used in the previous year, or some random figure? Are you being charged the pence per unit and standing charge they quoted?  If they didn't use the kWh from your previous usage can you work out why it differed?  How does your use this year compare to last year?

Yes I need to figure out what they used, I thought it was based on my previous usage.

DizzyLizzy_3

QrizB said:

As zx81 says, you'll need to pay for the energy yuou've used.

Do you still have the estimate they provided when you signed up for the fix in September last year? Can you share details of your tariff, and of the estimated annual consumption fogures they used to come up with the £58/month figure?

Yes, the site is actually down now, but il try get my details up soon

DizzyLizzy_3

DizzyLizzy_3 said:

QrizB said:

As zx81 says, you'll need to pay for the energy yuou've used.

Do you still have the estimate they provided when you signed up for the fix in September last year? Can you share details of your tariff, and of the estimated annual consumption fogures they used to come up with the £58/month figure? 

Ive managed to log in. They estimated 798 735 for both, even with my surplus I figured it out to 102 a month not 58!