Gas & Electricity up by 200%

peardrops_2

I've have notification today from nPower that as their estimates were far too low I am now over £700 in debt.

My repayments have been upped by 200% from £45.00 per month to £135.00 per month. I just can't afford this and I've been in tears all day.

I've spoken to nPower and I agree with the meter reading and they admit their initial estimates were way out. I've explained that to pay this would mean not paying another bill or my kids having no food.

I really don't know what to do.

My salary has increased by 3% and I am now in a position where I can't live. My council tax is up 7%, my gas/elec up 200%, my rent up 5% etc. I now near enough have less salary than my bills.

I don't smoke or drink or have money for any luxuries. What can I do?

frugallass

so sorry to hear of your predicament - my direct debits have recently increased from £59 to £138 a month for gas and electric

Speak to your provider again and explain that you simply cannot afford what they are asking you to pay and ask if they can offer you any payment options. If they seem unsympathetic and unwilling to help then contact Citizen's Advice

Good luck, try not to worry and take care

peardrops_2

Thank you Frug

I rang them and whilst she was sympathetic and agreed I was going to struggle there wasn't anything she could offer except installing card meters. I asked what happens when at the end of the month and I have no cash left and the meter runs out what happens, do I sit in the dark and can't cook food - she couldn't/wouldn't answer that.

I am really in a pickle here, I can't really stop paying anything as they are all vital bills, it isn't like I have catalogues or anything like that.

frugallass

I wouldn't expect any sympathy from your power supplier, but I would have thought that they'd have offered you a payment plan.

Anyway, don't get stressed out talking to them, try to see your CAB as soon as possible. Make sure you gather all the necessary paperwork with a list of your income and outgoings.

For the future, try to think of ways of cutting down those bills - it's not easy though I know.

frugallass

try to get this sorted without a pre-payment meter, you get less power for your money on those things.

peardrops_2

frugallass wrote: »

try to get this sorted without a pre-payment meter, you get less power for your money on those things.

We were on one before and found we were paying the last tenants debts! I was putting £60 per month of gas and £50 per month of electricity. They had to send us a cheque int he end but only after 8 months of arguing with them.

They are such bullies I think, they can just up your payments by 200% and to hell with the consequences.

frugallass

yep you're right - I wonder how many people are now resorting to paying their bills on credit cards

Woby_Tide

peardrops wrote: »

They are such bullies I think, they can just up your payments by 200% and to hell with the consequences.

Whilst situations are very unfortunate pretty much ever energy supplier sends out bills every 3 months, likewise pretty much everyone has access to their meter to be able to read it themselves if needed. The whole estimation process has always been a bad idea working it out against other peoples usage or previous occupiers. There is very little reason that the majority of people can't have an understanding of roughly how much energy they are usin and the cost, let alone running up £100's of debt before realising it is wrong. It's very easy to blame the suppliers but very few people seem prepared to take some responsibility themselves in some cases to check what they are and aren't using. People monitor their bank accounts and the like for 'dodgy' activity and for what money we have but seem to have little desire to monitor what is going to eat into that money when within reason we can keep a check on most utilities quite easily.

peardrops_2

nPower only send bills every 6 months (twice a year) not as you say and their last bill was NOT an estimate, they took a reading and it did not state we were in arrears.

Please don't make me out to be an idiot, I am extremely sensible when it comes to my bills, this was as they said today "an extreme example of getting the estimate completely wrong" - their words not mine.

frugallass

same, I always thought I was on top of my bills but the last bill was enormous (included the recent price increases) thus increasing the direct debit payments

Woby_Tide

peardrops wrote: »

nPower only send bills every 6 months (twice a year) not as you say and their last bill was NOT an estimate, they took a reading and it did not state we were in arrears.

Please don't make me out to be an idiot, I am extremely sensible when it comes to my bills, this was as they said today "an extreme example of getting the estimate completely wrong" - their words not mine.

sorry if you think I was making you out to be an idiot I wasn't.

Out of curiousity what did the previous bill have on it though, the only details they can normally have is amount of energy used - amount of direct debit paid = outstanding amount? Were these incorrect then giving you potentially something to argue back with?