British Gas "Essential Tariff" discounts for folk on benefits...

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Seems to be on this tariff the customer has to be in receipt of DLA if not over 60.

Also, new customers can't automatically start on the essentials tariff.

So looks like I'll be staying with n power spreading warmth.

savemoney

I am a customer and not on dla but my daughter is

I cant figure out my unit costs now for some bizarre reason the bills always show same rate per kWh. I get billed monthly as I am on energy smart billing

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

Seems to be on this tariff the customer has to be in receipt of DLA if not over 60.

Also, new customers can't automatically start on the essentials tariff.

So looks like I'll be staying with n power spreading warmth.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I can only go on what British Gas told me when I telephoned them yesterday.

One of the criteria was DLA.

savemoney

I am sure you did, maybe criteria changed. They never did any checks for me

cing0

According to the BG website, you have to be 70 years old + to be eligible so that's not changed for some time. One anomaly in the criteria is DLA which is for those under 65. That’s unless I'm mis-interpreting the or's and commas on BG's page entitled Essentials Programme.
It also says you have to be a BG customer. There is nothing to stop someone who fits the bill switching using a comparison website and then on day 1 of supply (or upto day 5 for some other suppliers) contacting BG and asking to be put on the essentials tariff.

Cardew

savemoney wrote: »

I am a customer and not on dla but my daughter is

I cant figure out my unit costs now for some bizarre reason the bills always show same rate per kWh. I get billed monthly as I am on energy smart billing

This bill is incorrect!

From 27 Jan to 25th Feb you have used 2,552.86kWh

You have correctly been charged for 220kWh @ 4.511p = £9.92

However you should have been charged for 2,332 kWh at the tier 2 rate(which is presumably 2.98p)

If it is 2.98p then they have reached the correct total but the format is a nonsense.

savemoney

Yes you are right thats why I cant figure it out based on there figures they dont make any sense. They changed billing in November

I appear to be getting3 tiers on that bill

26 Oct 2010 - actual 18654
25 Nov 2010 - actual 18812

= 158 metric units over 31 days (actual)
Gas

Gas units converted = 1808.76 kWh used over 31 days
First 228.00 kWh x 4.511p = £10.29
Next 160.00 kWh x 4.511p = £7.22
Third 1420.76 kWh x 2.736p = £38.87

Total cost of gas used £56.38

Cardew wrote: »

This bill is incorrect!

From 27 Jan to 25th Feb you have used 2,552.86kWh

You have correctly been charged for 220kWh @ 4.511p = £9.92

However you should have been charged for 2,332 kWh at the tier 2 rate(which is presumably 2.98p)

If it is 2.98p then they have reached the correct total but the format is a nonsense.

savemoney

On top of that the £50 credit I suppose to get I got £47.62 credit on electric

Barneysmom

When I phoned they said you have to be on certain benefits - DLA is one of them - plus your total household income has to be below £15,000.