electricity bill

[scottsblue]

so i get a bill today for my electricity and they`ve said i have to start paying a extra 20 pounds a month ontop of the 25 pounds i was paying, 45 pounds a month for a person living on ther own in a flat seems a bit a expensive. am i paying to much? i`m worried now becuase i need the heater on in winter.

 

[*Sapphire*]

That does sound excessive to me Scotts, when I was living on my own I was only paying about £5 a week. However I didn't have a computer or mobile then. And I always switch things off rather than leaving them on standby. But still...

Do you have electric heaters then? They really do burn up electricity. Can your landlord not change it to gas that is far more economical and less costly to you?

Did they give you a reason like rising fuel prices, or anything like that?

 

[scottsblue]

it seems becuase i went into arrears ther putting my monthly bill up to pay it off.

 

[*Sapphire*]

Ahh that will be it then. It should go back down to a more reasonable bill when you pay off your arrears though. Or they may keep it at that and reimburse you the difference at the end of the year.

 

[shaun3210]

Same happened to me Scott a month or so ago I went 18 months without my meter being read

With not sleeping much and lights on all night most nights and having 2 computers running 24/7 and loads of things on standby, I went from 131 quid in credit on my last bill ... to owing them £468.02 after the meter was read I’m now paying 64 quid a month!

So I’m now down to 1 comp and make sure I turn everything off at night, unplug stuff on standby I don’t use that often and sleeping at night I guess will help as well.

P.S. Do you use energy saving light bulbs???

 

[scottsblue]

yeh i use all energy saveing light bulbs shaun, i got them all turned off tonight tho

 

[*Sapphire*]

That's a good idea Shaun, it wasn't until I was on an electricity metre that I realised how much you can save by switching off all the lights of rooms that you are not in, and not leaving things on standby, it all adds up. Now I'm not on one, I still religiously turn them off, it drives me crazy if a light is on in a room that is empty!

 

[ramboghettouk]

I think i'm paying 56 pounds a month, that is with the immersion heater off and boiling water to wash up in kettles, also cold showers and most of my hot showers and washing hair at the leisure centre

My flat is totally electric, put on one storage heater in winter but when i first moved in and didn't worry i had a thousand pound bill paid off at 100 a month, i asked them if i was paying the previous tenants bill but they will say anything at a call centre, could have done with a social wanker but not a priority

 

[TabbyToes]

I'm paying £40 a month for a one-bedroomed, end terrace house ~ all electric and no double-glazing or anything. My bill came in and they told me that they were going to put it up to £47 a month.

It turns out that my meter has stopped working. I made arrangements for them to come out next week to replace it and they've agreed to keep it at the £40 a month.

I'm not sure what's going to happen with things given the meter hasn't really worked since January. Do they make up a charge and I have to pay it, or do I get 6 months of free electricity?

 

[*Sapphire*]

If your metre hasn't worked for a long time TT and they haven't replaced it then I don't know on what grounds they can charge you for electicity you have used, apart from going by an estimate (if they can do that). It may well work in your favour, you may actually pay less than you have actually used this year, or more, but who knows?

My estimates have mostly exceeded what I have actually used, but I have lived in properties where it has been less.

It might be worth getting out last years statements (if you feel you have used the same amount of electricity, this time last year, this year) and asking that they charge you the rate of electricity that you used then? However the cost of electricty per unit may have gone up since then. I would go through your bills and see if what they are charging you now would be less/more than what you have paid last year and make a judgement based on what costs you less for this year, if that makes sense?! It might be worth checkign with the CAB to see what your rights are. You might be in a position to save a few pennies based on their error?

 

[TabbyToes]

My estimates have mostly exceeded what I have actually used, but I have lived in properties where it has been less.

My estimates are always higher ~ and I call them in. This year (first time) the company decided to send bills out 2x a year, instead of 4x, which is why the meter problem wasn't picked up earlier.

Going back to the topic ~ it's perhaps worth phoning and finding out if there is anyone who can help with the amount of arrears you pay off each month. I found out by chance (well, emotional phone call!) that there was a woman who worked with people on benefits. She arranged for me to go on their 'care plan' which gave me 10% (I think) cheaper units than normal because I was (and am) on incapacity benefit. I didn't lie to her ~ but I did point out that I was wearing gloves inside the house amongst other things.