Energy Bills - Price Hike.

EssexHebridean

tamsin1cats said:

Robin9 said:

pochase said:

One other point, nothing to do with the energy part.

The rent increase on the letter is over 11%, but there is a cap for the rent increase for social housing of 7% in place for 2023/2024.

This has been even mentioned on their own homepage

https://www.stonewater.org/news/press-releases/autumn-statement-2022/

@tamsin1c    Re the above from pochase - I suggest you write -  don't phone, don't email -  the Chief Exec Nicholas Harris

Thanks for this, I didn't realise. I am dyslexic with numbers so cannot do much more than I am with my finances. 

Hi Tamsin, sorry to hear that things are so stressful for you financially right now. 

Do you have a trusted friend or family member who can go through your bills etc with you and make sure that everything looks in order to them? it might be a good idea to have something like that in place if possible.

ariarnia

if you havent been able to get in touch with citizen advice by phone is there a drop in locally that you could get to? we have one near by one day a week at the health centre then theres the full time one in town at the library if i catch the bus. maybe you have something similar and could go in one day with your paperwork?

_Sam_

EssexHebridean said:

Is the issue with the smart meter that it's just not sending readings to the supplier? 

When we were with Eon-next, they took the electricity smart meter readings couple if times and then the message went on the account page that they cannot read the meter, so we had to submit manually. Funnily they could read the gas smart meter just fine! (Both SMETS2)

That lasted few months until I changed supplier to Octopus, they read the meters with no issues and have been ever since. So it seems the fault was with E-on next, for whatever reason they could not read it.

tamsin1cats

EssexHebridean said:

tamsin1cats said:

Robin9 said:

pochase said:

One other point, nothing to do with the energy part.

The rent increase on the letter is over 11%, but there is a cap for the rent increase for social housing of 7% in place for 2023/2024.

This has been even mentioned on their own homepage

https://www.stonewater.org/news/press-releases/autumn-statement-2022/

@tamsin1c    Re the above from pochase - I suggest you write -  don't phone, don't email -  the Chief Exec Nicholas Harris

Thanks for this, I didn't realise. I am dyslexic with numbers so cannot do much more than I am with my finances. 

Hi Tamsin, sorry to hear that things are so stressful for you financially right now. 

Do you have a trusted friend or family member who can go through your bills etc with you and make sure that everything looks in order to them? it might be a good idea to have something like that in place if possible.

Hi..no I haven't, the family I am close to live in Vancouver. 

KxMx

Gerry1 said:

KxMx said:

OP have you thought of changing to payment on demand for electricity, rather than a monthly payment. 
You will be sent a bill for your usage monthly which you pay on receipt. 
Technically it is around 10% more expensive when not paying by DD, but if the DD is set at an inflated level it is debatable how much more expensive it actually is, in my opinion. 

Telling the OP to choose to pay 10% more than necessary is definitely not good advice !

The OP may wish to consider paying by Variable Direct Debit, i.e. the exact amount used since the previous meter reading.  This avoids build up of an excessive credit balance although it does mean lower bills in summer but higher bills in winter.

Variable DD is a good suggestion, I never remember because my supplier (BG) don't offer this. 

And I wasn't telling the OP to pay 10% more.
In theory payment on demand is more expensive, but personally I'm not convinced in reality that is always correct. Especially as OP like me is a low user.

tamsin1cats

EssexHebridean said:

Is the issue with the smart meter that it's just not sending readings to the supplier? 

no, the issue is the cost..my Housing Association have hiked prices up from 4. pounds per week, to 43.pounds per week, and gas too. It is because i lived in sheltered accommodation and have communal areas. I have posted photos of the rise. 

EssexHebridean

KxMx said:

Gerry1 said:

KxMx said:

OP have you thought of changing to payment on demand for electricity, rather than a monthly payment. 
You will be sent a bill for your usage monthly which you pay on receipt. 
Technically it is around 10% more expensive when not paying by DD, but if the DD is set at an inflated level it is debatable how much more expensive it actually is, in my opinion. 

Telling the OP to choose to pay 10% more than necessary is definitely not good advice !

The OP may wish to consider paying by Variable Direct Debit, i.e. the exact amount used since the previous meter reading.  This avoids build up of an excessive credit balance although it does mean lower bills in summer but higher bills in winter.

Variable DD is a good suggestion, I never remember because my supplier (BG) don't offer this. 

And I wasn't telling the OP to pay 10% more.
In theory payment on demand is more expensive, but personally I'm not convinced in reality that is always correct. Especially as OP like me is a low user.

The extra cost for payment on receipt of bill is loaded onto the standing charge and unit cost - being a lower user makes little difference as a result. It's not a "theory" that payment on receipt of bill is more expensive - it's a fact. 

tamsin1cats said:

EssexHebridean said:

Is the issue with the smart meter that it's just not sending readings to the supplier? 

no, the issue is the cost..my Housing Association have hiked prices up from 4. pounds per week, to 43.pounds per week, and gas too. It is because i lived in sheltered accommodation and have communal areas. I have posted photos of the rise. 

No - you misunderstand me - you said that the Smart meter is broken - but the photo you have posted shows a reading on the screen, which doesn't suggest a broken meter. 

Gerry1

KxMx said:

Gerry1 said:

KxMx said:

OP have you thought of changing to payment on demand for electricity, rather than a monthly payment. 
You will be sent a bill for your usage monthly which you pay on receipt. 
Technically it is around 10% more expensive when not paying by DD, but if the DD is set at an inflated level it is debatable how much more expensive it actually is, in my opinion. 

Telling the OP to choose to pay 10% more than necessary is definitely not good advice !

The OP may wish to consider paying by Variable Direct Debit, i.e. the exact amount used since the previous meter reading.  This avoids build up of an excessive credit balance although it does mean lower bills in summer but higher bills in winter.

Variable DD is a good suggestion, I never remember because my supplier (BG) don't offer this.

Oh yes they do ! (Well, at least on their old system.)

EssexHebridean

Yes - someone said last week I believe that as soon as you get transferred to the new system though variable is no longer available. 

BG seem to be intent on making themselves less and less user friendly by the day! 

Scot_39

tamsin1cats said:

EssexHebridean said:

tamsin1cats said:

Robin9 said:

pochase said:

One other point, nothing to do with the energy part.

The rent increase on the letter is over 11%, but there is a cap for the rent increase for social housing of 7% in place for 2023/2024.

This has been even mentioned on their own homepage

https://www.stonewater.org/news/press-releases/autumn-statement-2022/

@tamsin1c    Re the above from pochase - I suggest you write -  don't phone, don't email -  the Chief Exec Nicholas Harris

Thanks for this, I didn't realise. I am dyslexic with numbers so cannot do much more than I am with my finances. 

Hi Tamsin, sorry to hear that things are so stressful for you financially right now. 

Do you have a trusted friend or family member who can go through your bills etc with you and make sure that everything looks in order to them? it might be a good idea to have something like that in place if possible.

Hi..no I haven't, the family I am close to live in Vancouver. 

You mention you are disabled and in receipt of a PIP.

Have you tried the Scope charity - energy support specifically for disabled (although they are also very busy).

See e.g.

https://www.scope.org.uk/disability-energy-support/ 

The communal charges are likely to have been more badly impacted by wholesale rates over the last year - but even then a factor of 6-7x seems high. (There was no effective cap in place - until the EPG kicked in in Oct for business unit rates)

And you also mentioned in receipt of UC and PIP - so not sure where that leaves you with future energy support (like the £900 in Apr 23- Apr24 coming) - at

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment

It's meant to be automatic - but don't honestly know if you are entitled to both or just the PIP - you might know based on past additional credits to your bank for this years payments - but worth thinking about.

Again well worth trying to discuss this is you are unsure where this leaves you with benefits office or Scope / Citizens advice.

It's horrible that such help falls to charities - especially for those with no family to help.  Good luck.