Electricity bill through the roof after Smart Meter install.

LeeLeeLoo

Hi all, 

My parents were left with no choice but to have a smart meter fitted when the signal to their original meter was switched off at the end of June. They've been on Economy 7 for years, as they're both pensioners and disabled/chronically ill.

British Gas have been sent regular meter readings up to the date of switch over, which happened over a month ago. 

My parents haven't been using not a volt more electricity than they were using all the time prior to having the smart meter fitted. 

They're very frugal with electric, and also complete creatures of habit so I know there's absolutely no way they've suddenly been using any extra electric. They wouldn't even relent and put a fan on during the heat wave. 

Yet they've had a bill come in this morning which puts their electricity bill up by over £100!!!! 

It's completely unaffordable to them, and we cannot understand how it's shot up so much when... 

A) BG were getting up to date meter readings prior to the SM being installed and their direct debit had remained the same for over two years. 

no more electricity has been used day to day since the last meter reading/SM being installed. 

Just wondering if anyone has experienced a massive price jump when an SM has been fitted? 

And is there anything we can do to challenge this increase? 

£100 a month extra when they've not used anything more than they have for the best part of a decade is madness to me. 

I'm staying over with them tonight to make sure the SM is actually changing with the E7 rate and I'll be contacting BG tomorrow to see what's what, so any insight or advice would be appreciated. 
Thanks. 

Alnat1

Can you see on the bill if the units have been split into night and day rates?

MWT

LeeLeeLoo said:

Hi all, 

My parents were left with no choice but to have a smart meter fitted when the signal to their original meter was switched off at the end of June. They've been on Economy 7 for years, as they're both pensioners and disabled/chronically ill.

British Gas have been sent regular meter readings up to the date of switch over, which happened over a month ago. 

My parents haven't been using not a volt more electricity than they were using all the time prior to having the smart meter fitted. 

They're very frugal with electric, and also complete creatures of habit so I know there's absolutely no way they've suddenly been using any extra electric. They wouldn't even relent and put a fan on during the heat wave. 

Yet they've had a bill come in this morning which puts their electricity bill up by over £100!!!! 

It's completely unaffordable to them, and we cannot understand how it's shot up so much when... 

A) BG were getting up to date meter readings prior to the SM being installed and their direct debit had remained the same for over two years. 

no more electricity has been used day to day since the last meter reading/SM being installed. 

Just wondering if anyone has experienced a massive price jump when an SM has been fitted? 

And is there anything we can do to challenge this increase? 

£100 a month extra when they've not used anything more than they have for the best part of a decade is madness to me. 

I'm staying over with them tonight to make sure the SM is actually changing with the E7 rate and I'll be contacting BG tomorrow to see what's what, so any insight or advice would be appreciated. 
Thanks. 

While I fully understand all the sentiment and opinion in your post, what you really need to do to help them is to read the new meter, both day and night registers, and to take a good look at the bill they have received.

The meter readings will help you to see exactly what they have used since the meter was installed and if you read it again in a couple of weeks you can see how much they are currently using.

Check the bill as it should have the final readings for the old meter which should match the card or sticker that will have been left near the new meter. 

Ideally someone would have check the old meter readings before allowing it to be removed, but it may be too late for that.

The other importance of the old bill is to look at the opening readings on there to see if they were actual or estimates as there may have been use that was not being covered by their previous DD which has now been charged based on the actual reading taken when the meter was changed...

Brie

I wonder if the previous bills were all estimated readings despite BG getting properly readings regularly.  

bagand96

Start with examining the old and new bills to see why the bill has shot up so much.....

debitcardmayhem

Is it case of the bill being high, or has the direct debit been raised by 100, and / or is it a catch up bill.
Sharing the bill and previous ones will help.

Robin9

Please have a good look at their last bill.   Meter changes have the potential for errors.

Does it show the old meter being removed and the readings on that meter -  they should be the same as those on sticker on the new meter. ?

Does it show the new meter and starting readings as 00000 ?     Is the serial number on the meter itself (not the IHD)  the same as on the bill ?

debitcardmayhem

Is the same as https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6450093/disabled-person-possibly-being-overcharged#latest

June 2023, you never replied to that one?

Robin9

A  bit confused  the 2013 post was about gas ; this one about E7.   

What form does their heating take ?    If gas then E7 isn't a good choice.

QrizB

All that writing and no meter readings

No meter readings in the 2023 thread either.

cannugec5

LeeLeeLoo said:

Hi all, 

My parents were left with no choice but to have a smart meter fitted when the signal to their original meter was switched off at the end of June. They've been on Economy 7 for years, as they're both pensioners and disabled/chronically ill.

British Gas have been sent regular meter readings up to the date of switch over, which happened over a month ago. 

My parents haven't been using not a volt more electricity than they were using all the time prior to having the smart meter fitted. 

They're very frugal with electric, and also complete creatures of habit so I know there's absolutely no way they've suddenly been using any extra electric. They wouldn't even relent and put a fan on during the heat wave. 

Yet they've had a bill come in this morning which puts their electricity bill up by over £100!!!! 

It's completely unaffordable to them, and we cannot understand how it's shot up so much when... 

A) BG were getting up to date meter readings prior to the SM being installed and their direct debit had remained the same for over two years. 

no more electricity has been used day to day since the last meter reading/SM being installed. 

Just wondering if anyone has experienced a massive price jump when an SM has been fitted? 

And is there anything we can do to challenge this increase? 

£100 a month extra when they've not used anything more than they have for the best part of a decade is madness to me. 

I'm staying over with them tonight to make sure the SM is actually changing with the E7 rate and I'll be contacting BG tomorrow to see what's what, so any insight or advice would be appreciated. 
Thanks. 

So if they have paid the same DD for 2 years I’m guessing they have accrued a debt. The increases over the past 2 years have been quite steep. Maybe they were on a fixed rate ? Maybe that has recently come to an end? Or maybe they weren’t and instead have been underpaying for the past wee while? 

Either way the answer probably lies in an examination of the past few bills. 

Not just the DD but the rate, tariffs, amount due, KWh used etc.