Can you check your latest energy bill increase?

FiestaRed

Using the calculator on this site indicated my energy bill should increase by 25%. Martin Lewis on TV last night indicated the average increase should be around 27%. My mail from British Gas this morning shows my bill has gone up by 39%, is there any way I can check these figures at all please?

TheMilkmansDad

Just to confirm - Bill or DD?

FiestaRed

TheMilkmansDad said:

Just to confirm - Bill or DD?

Apologies, it's my DD

[Deleted User]

FiestaRed said:

Using the calculator on this site indicated my energy bill should increase by 25%. Martin Lewis on TV last night indicated the average increase should be around 27%. My mail from British Gas this morning shows my bill has gone up by 39%, is there any way I can check these figures at all please?

Ignore averages, ignore percentages, ignore pounds.

Look at unit rates,  standing charge, and actual usage and only these things.

FiestaRed

[Deleted User] said:

FiestaRed said:

Using the calculator on this site indicated my energy bill should increase by 25%. Martin Lewis on TV last night indicated the average increase should be around 27%. My mail from British Gas this morning shows my bill has gone up by 39%, is there any way I can check these figures at all please?

Ignore averages, ignore percentages, ignore pounds.

Look at unit rates,  standing charge, and actual usage and only these things.

Thanks for the reply.

So basically checking with the MSE 'calculator' and reading what Martin Lewis said on TV last night seems to have been a pretty much useless exercise on my part.

dunstonh

So basically checking with the MSE 'calculator' and reading what Martin Lewis said on TV last night seems to have been a pretty much useless exercise on my part.

Yes.  Unless your payments are correctly aligned with your annual usage, then any playing around with duff figures using averages will just lead to duff outcomes. i.e. garbage in, garbage out

You need to look at your annual usage.  Get an actual meter reading at the start and at the end covering a whole year.   Then multiple that by the correct calculation (easier with electric but may need two calculations with gas).

For example, if you use 8932kWh of electricity over the year and your electric unit price is 42.5p a unit then 8932x0.425 = £3796.10 of electric used.   Add in the daily standing charge and divide the total by 12 to give you the monthly cost.

EssexHebridean

FiestaRed said:

[Deleted User] said:

FiestaRed said:

Using the calculator on this site indicated my energy bill should increase by 25%. Martin Lewis on TV last night indicated the average increase should be around 27%. My mail from British Gas this morning shows my bill has gone up by 39%, is there any way I can check these figures at all please?

Ignore averages, ignore percentages, ignore pounds.

Look at unit rates,  standing charge, and actual usage and only these things.

Thanks for the reply.

So basically checking with the MSE 'calculator' and reading what Martin Lewis said on TV last night seems to have been a pretty much useless exercise on my part.

If you used your actual annual usage figures to work out your increase, then no, it’s BG who have it wrong by over estimating when they’ve revised your DD. If you used estimated figures, or assumed you were a typical user for a size of property etc however, then probably yes, that’s a couple of hours of your life you’re never getting back.  

FiestaRed

dunstonh said:

So basically checking with the MSE 'calculator' and reading what Martin Lewis said on TV last night seems to have been a pretty much useless exercise on my part.

Yes.  Unless your payments are correctly aligned with your annual usage, then any playing around with duff figures using averages will just lead to duff outcomes. i.e. garbage in, garbage out

You need to look at your annual usage.  Get an actual meter reading at the start and at the end covering a whole year.   Then multiple that by the correct calculation (easier with electric but may need two calculations with gas).

For example, if you use 8932kWh of electricity over the year and your electric unit price is 42.5p a unit then 8932x0.425 = £3796.10 of electric used.   Add in the daily standing charge and divide the total by 12 to give you the monthly cost.

Thanks for the help, really appreciated.