Electricity bill for empty house

Robin9

Sarahspangles said:

OH set up an account in his name not long after MIL died.  I know he didn’t need to do it this way but the payments are being made from the executor’s account. 

I think your OH was very wise to use an executors account and you to keep the heating on at a low level - that makes the house more inviting when you go .

I wonder if the OP is reading his bills wrongly -  assuming his father died early in the year there would only have been two bills as he is billed quarterly .  He could well have been in credit by a £1000 - perhaps he had been in hospital/care for a period. I think the £245 is a DD and not a bill - he should cancel this. 

BooJewels

I'm not quite sure what's going on @Robin9 now - there was mention of quarterly bills of £245, a large credit (now being eroded), then £250 mentioned as charged for 3 months.  The OP should have contacted the deceased's bank and this would have stopped any DDs being paid, so presumably, the credit on the account is what is being used to pay for on-going fuel usage.   But £245/£250 for a quarter wouldn't be right for an unoccupied property with a couple of lamps - although the OP said estimates on the bill were in line with the actual meter readings.  But until the OP provides more details or clarification, we can't really do much to help.

In my current case they moved the estate property energy under the umbrella of my own account with them and whilst they told me not to pay the quarterly issued bills (she'd been on cash/cheque on receipt of bill) they were for info only and to pay at the end, they've managed to send me one every month with a demand to pay it and a reminder when I don't.  So I have paid them from the estate account as I've gone along.  So they do seem to vary a little in how they handle these accounts - even at the same company.

Spendless

Is the bill definitely being paid by DD because wouldn't that be paid monthly? I'd have thought the reference to a quarterly bill was because a 'traditional one had been sent like a paper bill? If that's so then I believe that providers charge more than they do than if a DD is set up. Might this possibly be some of the reason behind the bill, likewise if you are paying via a meter where I believe you may also be charged more.
(apologies if this has been answered, I haven't got time this morning to read through all replies) 

Dave_5150

Any chance this is an estimated bill based on previous years usage for the same period?