British gas sent huge bill

EssexHebridean

*Gently, and from a place of caring not judgement*

Those raising concerns about your general finances have a good point. If no DD's have been taken for 12 months, then as already said the money for the "missing" payments should be sitting there waiting IF all your other budgeting is on-point and working well. That it isn't sounds like you do probably need to pay a bit more attention to your monthly budgeting to be honest.  £400 a month is a massive amount not to be going out, and to then simply be being spent on other things, for a start - going forwards, and if that money IS taken each month, as things stand, that's going to leave you short for the expenditure that has been covered by it since the end of 2023. 

You might find it helpful to go through either the MSE budget planner tool, or the Statement of Affairs calculator linked to in my signature below, in order to ensure that things like the "big annual" spends of insurances etc are all budgeted for spread across the year, and childrens activities are factored in to monthly costs. As things stand, once that £400 starts going out again, you are quicky going to find that you either go into unauthorised overdraft (painfully expensive!) or get payments - potentially for priority bills - bounced. 

Please don't see this as some form of attack - it's not - it's pure logic. Your family finances have been supplemented to quite a large extent each month, and that is about to change - you need to be sure that your budget is robust enough to stand what is effectively a "pay cut!" 

*Edit* - did you ever sort out the issue with the crazily high billing from 2022? 

Tucosalamanca

EssexHebridean said:

*Gently, and from a place of caring not judgement*

Those raising concerns about your general finances have a good point. If no DD's have been taken for 12 months, then as already said the money for the "missing" payments should be sitting there waiting IF all your other budgeting is on-point and working well. That it isn't sounds like you do probably need to pay a bit more attention to your monthly budgeting to be honest.  £400 a month is a massive amount not to be going out, and to then simply be being spent on other things, for a start - going forwards, and if that money IS taken each month, as things stand, that's going to leave you short for the expenditure that has been covered by it since the end of 2023. 

You might find it helpful to go through either the MSE budget planner tool, or the Statement of Affairs calculator linked to in my signature below, in order to ensure that things like the "big annual" spends of insurances etc are all budgeted for spread across the year, and childrens activities are factored in to monthly costs. As things stand, once that £400 starts going out again, you are quicky going to find that you either go into unauthorised overdraft (painfully expensive!) or get payments - potentially for priority bills - bounced. 

Please don't see this as some form of attack - it's not - it's pure logic. Your family finances have been supplemented to quite a large extent each month, and that is about to change - you need to be sure that your budget is robust enough to stand what is effectively a "pay cut!" 

*Edit* - did you ever sort out the issue with the crazily high billing from 2022? 

Thank you - you've worded it in a much better way than I did...

witchwood

Tucosalamanca said:

witchwood said:

Tucosalamanca said:

If BG haven't been taking payments each month, then your current account should have be increasing in value.

If you've ended up with a £4k bill and there's nothing in the current account to pay it, that might be an indicator of other financial issues.

BG will now restart taking monthly payments, that's going to be a noticeable drain on your finances.
Maybe time to sit down and do a SOA to check that you're living within your means, or at least establish how much you're overspending each month. Although not ideal, this bill might be a blessing...

Do YOU have 4k sitting in your current account? I am very unsure anyone just has 4k in their current account. 

Yes and if my BG direct debit wasn't going out each month it would very quickly increase...

Not necessarily would it. Especially if like ours it fluctuates month to month. It just meant that some things I thought I was going to have to transfer from a different account I was pleasantly surprised I didn't have to... A big vet bill for instance, which I managed to pay out of the current account, thinking hadn't spent so much on other things and assuming the DD's had all gone out as they should have. When the insurance cough up for this vet bill it will bring it up to more than usual. I seriously doubt you have 4k hanging around a current account anyway. It sounds like you know where every penny is going, and keeping 4k in your current account would be a strange place to keep it rather than a savings account or emergency fund account. And 4k in any 'normal' families currant account, especially around xmas and towards the end of the month is pretty unusual. 

witchwood

ButterCheese said:

Ring them and explain, it's their mistake and they should be able to fofer you a repayment plan i.e. add the 4k balance and increase your DD to start paying off the 4k

Yes. They are going to do a payment plan to pay it off. 

TheMilkmansDad

EssexHebridean said:

*Gently, and from a place of caring not judgement*

Those raising concerns about your general finances have a good point. If no DD's have been taken for 12 months, then as already said the money for the "missing" payments should be sitting there waiting IF all your other budgeting is on-point and working well. That it isn't sounds like you do probably need to pay a bit more attention to your monthly budgeting to be honest.  £400 a month is a massive amount not to be going out, and to then simply be being spent on other things, for a start - going forwards, and if that money IS taken each month, as things stand, that's going to leave you short for the expenditure that has been covered by it since the end of 2023. 

You might find it helpful to go through either the MSE budget planner tool, or the Statement of Affairs calculator linked to in my signature below, in order to ensure that things like the "big annual" spends of insurances etc are all budgeted for spread across the year, and childrens activities are factored in to monthly costs. As things stand, once that £400 starts going out again, you are quicky going to find that you either go into unauthorised overdraft (painfully expensive!) or get payments - potentially for priority bills - bounced. 

Please don't see this as some form of attack - it's not - it's pure logic. Your family finances have been supplemented to quite a large extent each month, and that is about to change - you need to be sure that your budget is robust enough to stand what is effectively a "pay cut!" 

*Edit* - did you ever sort out the issue with the crazily high billing from 2022? 

Maybe I'm misreading, but i thought they had a monthly variable DD going out but those we're (we assume) based on estimate bills which has caused the issue.

To jump to offering help in financial budgeting is a bit of a step when that is no issue.

Stand to be corrected.

Robin9

witchwood said:

........... That was taken away and replaced. I still wonder why they have to take readings from a smart meter? Surely that is the whole point of them?

There is still a safety /  meter fiddling aspect

EssexHebridean

TheMilkmansDad said:

EssexHebridean said:

*Gently, and from a place of caring not judgement*

Those raising concerns about your general finances have a good point. If no DD's have been taken for 12 months, then as already said the money for the "missing" payments should be sitting there waiting IF all your other budgeting is on-point and working well. That it isn't sounds like you do probably need to pay a bit more attention to your monthly budgeting to be honest.  £400 a month is a massive amount not to be going out, and to then simply be being spent on other things, for a start - going forwards, and if that money IS taken each month, as things stand, that's going to leave you short for the expenditure that has been covered by it since the end of 2023. 

You might find it helpful to go through either the MSE budget planner tool, or the Statement of Affairs calculator linked to in my signature below, in order to ensure that things like the "big annual" spends of insurances etc are all budgeted for spread across the year, and childrens activities are factored in to monthly costs. As things stand, once that £400 starts going out again, you are quicky going to find that you either go into unauthorised overdraft (painfully expensive!) or get payments - potentially for priority bills - bounced. 

Please don't see this as some form of attack - it's not - it's pure logic. Your family finances have been supplemented to quite a large extent each month, and that is about to change - you need to be sure that your budget is robust enough to stand what is effectively a "pay cut!" 

*Edit* - did you ever sort out the issue with the crazily high billing from 2022? 

Maybe I'm misreading, but i thought they had a monthly variable DD going out but those we're (we assume) based on estimate bills which has caused the issue.

To jump to offering help in financial budgeting is a bit of a step when that is no issue.

Stand to be corrected.

The OP has said that BG have failed to take their DD since November 2023, if I was reading the thread correctly?

witchwood said:

<snip>

We have been on variable DD with BG for 3 years. They used our smart meter for readings and all was fine. 
I have just checked bank statements etc and found they haven't been taking our DD since last November 2023!!!!
<snip>

Tucosalamanca

witchwood said:

Tucosalamanca said:

witchwood said:

Tucosalamanca said:

If BG haven't been taking payments each month, then your current account should have be increasing in value.

If you've ended up with a £4k bill and there's nothing in the current account to pay it, that might be an indicator of other financial issues.

BG will now restart taking monthly payments, that's going to be a noticeable drain on your finances.
Maybe time to sit down and do a SOA to check that you're living within your means, or at least establish how much you're overspending each month. Although not ideal, this bill might be a blessing...

Do YOU have 4k sitting in your current account? I am very unsure anyone just has 4k in their current account. 

Yes and if my BG direct debit wasn't going out each month it would very quickly increase...

Not necessarily would it. Especially if like ours it fluctuates month to month. It just meant that some things I thought I was going to have to transfer from a different account I was pleasantly surprised I didn't have to... A big vet bill for instance, which I managed to pay out of the current account, thinking hadn't spent so much on other things and assuming the DD's had all gone out as they should have. When the insurance cough up for this vet bill it will bring it up to more than usual. I seriously doubt you have 4k hanging around a current account anyway. It sounds like you know where every penny is going, and keeping 4k in your current account would be a strange place to keep it rather than a savings account or emergency fund account. And 4k in any 'normal' families currant account, especially around xmas and towards the end of the month is pretty unusual. 

Since you seem determined to drag this out.

My outgoings average around £1,000 per week, if I didn't have more than £4k in the bank, I would frequently be moving money or hitting my overdraft.

Yes, I do know where every penny is going, this is MSE after all.
I'm a net saver and would very quickly identify an extra £400pcm, it would make a nice extra contribution to my pension each month.

I don't understand why you're surprised.

A typically 4 bed house in my area is over £2,000pcm to rent, a 75% mortgage would be around £2,500pcm.
You need approaching £4,000 a month just to get by, keeping one months money in a current account isn't unreasonable.

Also worth bearing in mind that a couple on full time minimum wage are taking home around £3,500 per month.
A couple working full time on average wage are taking home around £5,000 per month.

£4,000 a month is completely normal for a lot of people...

TheMilkmansDad

EssexHebridean said:

TheMilkmansDad said:

EssexHebridean said:

*Gently, and from a place of caring not judgement*

Those raising concerns about your general finances have a good point. If no DD's have been taken for 12 months, then as already said the money for the "missing" payments should be sitting there waiting IF all your other budgeting is on-point and working well. That it isn't sounds like you do probably need to pay a bit more attention to your monthly budgeting to be honest.  £400 a month is a massive amount not to be going out, and to then simply be being spent on other things, for a start - going forwards, and if that money IS taken each month, as things stand, that's going to leave you short for the expenditure that has been covered by it since the end of 2023. 

You might find it helpful to go through either the MSE budget planner tool, or the Statement of Affairs calculator linked to in my signature below, in order to ensure that things like the "big annual" spends of insurances etc are all budgeted for spread across the year, and childrens activities are factored in to monthly costs. As things stand, once that £400 starts going out again, you are quicky going to find that you either go into unauthorised overdraft (painfully expensive!) or get payments - potentially for priority bills - bounced. 

Please don't see this as some form of attack - it's not - it's pure logic. Your family finances have been supplemented to quite a large extent each month, and that is about to change - you need to be sure that your budget is robust enough to stand what is effectively a "pay cut!" 

*Edit* - did you ever sort out the issue with the crazily high billing from 2022? 

Maybe I'm misreading, but i thought they had a monthly variable DD going out but those we're (we assume) based on estimate bills which has caused the issue.

To jump to offering help in financial budgeting is a bit of a step when that is no issue.

Stand to be corrected.

The OP has said that BG have failed to take their DD since November 2023, if I was reading the thread correctly?

witchwood said:

<snip>

We have been on variable DD with BG for 3 years. They used our smart meter for readings and all was fine. 
I have just checked bank statements etc and found they haven't been taking our DD since last November 2023!!!!
<snip>

I stand corrected! Missed that bit.

witchwood

Tucosalamanca said:

witchwood said:

Tucosalamanca said:

witchwood said:

Tucosalamanca said:

If BG haven't been taking payments each month, then your current account should have be increasing in value.

If you've ended up with a £4k bill and there's nothing in the current account to pay it, that might be an indicator of other financial issues.

BG will now restart taking monthly payments, that's going to be a noticeable drain on your finances.
Maybe time to sit down and do a SOA to check that you're living within your means, or at least establish how much you're overspending each month. Although not ideal, this bill might be a blessing...

Do YOU have 4k sitting in your current account? I am very unsure anyone just has 4k in their current account. 

Yes and if my BG direct debit wasn't going out each month it would very quickly increase...

Not necessarily would it. Especially if like ours it fluctuates month to month. It just meant that some things I thought I was going to have to transfer from a different account I was pleasantly surprised I didn't have to... A big vet bill for instance, which I managed to pay out of the current account, thinking hadn't spent so much on other things and assuming the DD's had all gone out as they should have. When the insurance cough up for this vet bill it will bring it up to more than usual. I seriously doubt you have 4k hanging around a current account anyway. It sounds like you know where every penny is going, and keeping 4k in your current account would be a strange place to keep it rather than a savings account or emergency fund account. And 4k in any 'normal' families currant account, especially around xmas and towards the end of the month is pretty unusual. 

Since you seem determined to drag this out.

My outgoings average around £1,000 per week, if I didn't have more than £4k in the bank, I would frequently be moving money or hitting my overdraft.

Yes, I do know where every penny is going, this is MSE after all.
I'm a net saver and would very quickly identify an extra £400pcm, it would make a nice extra contribution to my pension each month.

I don't understand why you're surprised.

A typically 4 bed house in my area is over £2,000pcm to rent, a 75% mortgage would be around £2,500pcm.
You need approaching £4,000 a month just to get by, keeping one months money in a current account isn't unreasonable.

Also worth bearing in mind that a couple on full time minimum wage are taking home around £3,500 per month.
A couple working full time on average wage are taking home around £5,000 per month.

£4,000 a month is completely normal for a lot of people...

So. We are on a variable DD. As said some months 150, other 500. The 400 was just an average (based on this bill for 4k and to make it easier) Yes. It is MSE and I expect most of you know every penny etc. That is not how we work as a family (rightly or wrongly, but its right for us). So many things in and out, completely different each month. We also have other accounts which are easily available to transfer over if we need to. We have no mortgage, and own our property and land ( 3 acres, stables, barn in a very sought after area) outright. So no rent involved either. Both under 50 and so have done alright I think! We both own our own business' and do well enough out of them. Not rich either! Just we have enough to do what we want. Never go on holiday, drive cars bought outright... always 2nd hand never new. As I said I was surprised when I didn't have to transfer for an unexpected vet bill, but didn't for one minute think its because a DD that was supposed to go out didn't. This query IS NOT about my general finances, which are all fine. If I wanted to pay this bill off in one go I could very easily from another account... just not my current as we only keep what we need in there. The query was about BG not taking the DD, or informing us and then all of a sudden re starting the DD with a very unexpected 4K (ish it was actually 3765.88) bill.