Huge gas bill

Rumman

Hi,

Were on scottish power online and were charged 42 pounds fixed a month for both gas and electricity. So this quarterly i entered my meter readings gas from 7037 to 7435, this amounted to 324 pounds inc vat!!! The electricity was at 97 pounds inc vat. I dont get how the gas can be so expensive? Incorrect billing? We just recetly moved to them as it was the cheapest according to uswitch etc..

Cardew

Rumman wrote: »

Hi,

Were on scottish power online and were charged 42 pounds fixed a month for both gas and electricity. So this quarterly i entered my meter readings gas from 7037 to 7435, this amounted to 324 pounds inc vat!!! The electricity was at 97 pounds inc vat. I dont get how the gas can be so expensive? Incorrect billing? We just recetly moved to them as it was the cheapest according to uswitch etc..

Almost certainly they are charging you for an Imperial gas meter and not a Metric meter.

With a Metric meter the 398 units you have used would be approx 4,500kWh

With an Imperial Meter 398 units would be 2.83 times higher at approx 12,700kWh.

to check which type of meter you have look at this:

http://www.uniongas.com/home/youraccount/meterread.asp

Although that is a US link the principle is the same. The older Imperial meter measures in cubic ft and the newer Metric meter in cubic metres(shown often as M3)

Rumman

Hi,

Thanks for that, on the meter it says cubic feet and i have 4 digits plus one in red on the meter itself, so it must be an imperial meter? that must mean the billing is correct.

Teterow

Hi there,

I have had the same problem recently. The amount used in units for gas was huge. When I rang Swalec (part of Scottish Power I think), to give them the meter reading they were very surprised and said that the amount can not be right unless I had a leakage. They were very helpful and said I should submit another meter reading exactly a week later and they will then work out the overall usage on the base of what was used during that week.

Give them a ring and see what they say.

Anon

Teterow wrote: »

Hi there,

They were very helpful and said I should submit another meter reading exactly a week later and they will then work out the overall usage on the base of what was used during that week.

... so as a true MSE did you put on extra layers of clothing and cut your usage for that week :rotfl:

Anon

Rikki

£42 a month for both gas and electric seems very low.

Do you think you were fooled into paying a lower direct debit to get you to transfer but in reality you were using more gas than you realized.

matman

Hello, sorry to interupt but how do you know if you are being charged for an imperial meter when you have a metric one? I've just had a look at the link above and have a metric meter but am desperate to lower my gas bill, currently £76 per month, and yes i change annually to the cheapest i just can't get it under £50 per month. I have had huge bills for over 5 years and just put it down to having an expensive very old heating system. Thankyou

Cardew

matman wrote: »

Hello, sorry to interupt but how do you know if you are being charged for an imperial meter when you have a metric one? I've just had a look at the link above and have a metric meter but am desperate to lower my gas bill, currently £76 per month, and yes i change annually to the cheapest i just can't get it under £50 per month. I have had huge bills for over 5 years and just put it down to having an expensive very old heating system. Thankyou

Welcome to the forum

Look at your last bill.

It will give the meter readings, units and kWhs

If you have a metric meter they should multiply the units by approx 11.

e.g. 100 units = 1,100kWh

if it is an Imperial meter they will multiply the units by approx 31

e.g. 100 units = 3,100kWh

If you haven't got a bill ring the company and ask them.

Teterow

No I didn't put an extra layer on. But my boyfriend lived in the flat on his own...so it should aybe be cheaper than if I had been there, cooked etc.