Pls help - in debit to Scottish Gas

scurr

hi everyone, advice please if you can!
I'm on Scottish Gas Fix & Fall tariff, whatever that is.
Last quarter I was £670 in debit - didn't get in touch with them to amend the monthly payment as I thought, well, is interest free, would rather have the money working for me if they're not asking for it.
Just had new statement and am now £950 in debit! The statement says they haven't amended my DD as they'll 'keep an eye on your payments over the coming 3 months to ensure they still reflect how much gas you use'.
So, I have 2 questions niggling at me:

1. How can they have my payments so wrong? I'm paying £39 a month so £117 a quarter - and according to this statement (actual reading) I'm using £390 a quarter, so should be £130 a month (and that'sbefore I even think about clearing the debit!) Isn't £130 a month for gas central heating 10 radiators, gas fire and combiboiler so hot water included quite a lot?

2. Can I switch to another provider or would I have to clear the debit first?

I don't want to phone Scottish Gas if I can avoid it as I don't want to have to start paying them lots of money till I absolutely have to!

SwanJon

Firstly it might be worth checking if you are better off on the fix and fall tariff -it'll probably depend on where you are and how much you use. If not, you might want to think about swithcing to an online plan.
Check the bills - have there been any estimated ones recently? Try to get them corrected, if they've been overestimated that might explain some of it.
You'd have to clear the balance quickly if you switch, but they'll spread it out if you stay. They might let you switch as the balance is part of the plan at the moment.
You've got 3 months before they look at the plan again. Could you make extra payments to help bring down the balance? Then when they do set a new amount, it'll be lower.
Have you had your meter exchanged recently? Check they've notriced and that they are measuring it correctly.(m3 vs ft3).

It might be worth looking at some energy efficiency measures. If you use an open gas fire, they use loads compared to the heat they give out. You'd be better off using you CH. Turn off radiators in rooms you don't use etc

espresso

Why don't you work out from your previous consumption and taking into account your current debt, what your monthly payments should be and ask them to make the change?

Cardew

Most questions answered above however:

No you cannot normally change supplier until you have cleared your debt as the losing company can block the change; and almost certainly will.

You cannot work out that your DD should be £130 a month based on a mid-winter quarterly bill of £390; you have to base a monthly DD on annual consumption - plus of course paying back what you owe.

espresso

scurr wrote: »

Just had new statement and am now £950 in debit! ..............and according to this statement (actual reading) I'm using £390 a quarter

But you are only paying £117 per quarter and you have at least £950 owing!

2. Can I switch to another provider or would I have to clear the debit first?

Don't be silly!

I don't want to phone Scottish Gas if I can avoid it as I don't want to have to start paying them lots of money till I absolutely have to!

Keep your head buried in the sand then and let your debt continue to grow month on month!

:rolleyes:

....................

scurr

Thank you so much for your amazingly helpful and supportive post, espresso. One or two points:

1. Please read the forum etiquette regarding no such thing as a stupid post. Obviously I will have to clear the balance but wondered whether it would be possible to have a separate arrangement to clear the debt, so leaving the way clear to change supplier.

2. What you might call burying my head in the sand while my debt mounts, others might call paying much less for my gas than I should be, in fact borrowing money interest free from Scottish Gas which I am using to offset my mortgage and so cutting the interest I pay to the building society. As far as I can see, Scottish Gas are the losers and I'm the winner. Yes the debt is mounting but I'd rather pay it later than sooner.

3. I don't think there is a 3 actually, except to wonder what exactly you get out of adopting such a lofty attitude towards other moneysavers - having read some of your other posts it appears to me that you have many frustrations in your personal life which you need to redress by trying to feel superior to others. Hope it works for you.

SwanJon

Scurr, you did say that you wanted to avoid paying it as long as possible.
You currently owe £950, and are underpaying by around £270, so if you wait and let them reassess you in three months, you will owe around £1200. You will then need to pay £100 a month just for the balance, as well as £130* a month for what you are using. Can you afford to pay £230 a month? If not, you need to start addressing this now, or they'll cancel the plan and ask for the full balance, maybe even force a PP meter in.
Will your mortgage allow you to under pay for a bit until you are back on track?

espresso

scurr wrote: »

Thank you so much for your amazingly helpful and supportive post, espresso. One or two points:

At least it prompted you to make the effort to reply.

1. Please read the forum etiquette regarding no such thing as a stupid post. Obviously I will have to clear the balance but wondered whether it would be possible to have a separate arrangement to clear the debt, so leaving the way clear to change supplier.

Well as you don't even want to discuss you situation with them:

scurr wrote:

I don't want to have to start paying them lots of money till I absolutely have to!

a switch to a cheaper provider is highly unlikely, so your loss.

2. What you might call burying my head in the sand while my debt mounts, others might call paying much less for my gas than I should be, in fact borrowing money interest free from Scottish Gas which I am using to offset my mortgage and so cutting the interest I pay to the building society. As far as I can see, Scottish Gas are the losers and I'm the winner. Yes the debt is mounting but I'd rather pay it later than sooner.

You are not even paying your supplier enough to cover you usage!

3. I don't think there is a 3 actually, except to wonder what exactly you get out of adopting such a lofty attitude towards other moneysavers - having read some of your other posts it appears to me that you have many frustrations in your personal life which you need to redress by trying to feel superior to others. Hope it works for you.

I do not have many frustrations in my personal life as you put it, I'm quite happy thank you. You are the one with the growing debt!

scurr wrote:

hi everyone, advice please if you can!

You don't want advice, or like the sound of the truth!

:rotfl: