Gas and leccy bill rant (1 Viewer)

[Minxy]

Even better! I think I'll increase my monthly DD - that's better interest than a savings account.

Just check the limit as some only permit a certain amount of credit on which to receive interest.

 

[maxi77]

How things have changed!

In 1977, (I know, prehistoric times), we moved into an apartment and set up with a supplier. At the end of three months our electricity bill was ............zero.

We left it a week then queried it with the supplier. They checked the meter and found that, when we had moved in and stored things in the cupboard where the meter was, we had broken the glass on the front. A glass particle had stopped the meter revolving.

We asked the engineer what would happen next and he said a new meter would be necessary, waiting time about a month. We asked what we should do in the meantime. His reply...

"Turn of your gas and use as much electricity as you can".

There was no charge to swap the meter. Would that happen now I wonder?

We had something similar recently. We had an old fashioned spinning disc meter and our solar power started to force it backwards. No extra charge and effectively 6 months free leccy and being paid full whack for the solar.

 

[tofo]

True, I have this situation every single year. I have emailed saying that I am looking to change supplier. Hopefully they will just leave it alone.

Don't tell em let your new supplier tell them

Personally I wouldn't trade with them for any product
There is a personal reason

Customers don't count profit does

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[rangi]

We had that rigmarole with DD s, always asking for more when every month your credit goes up and up.
We told em to shove it, and moved. Our new supplier tried to get us to DD, but we chose the Internet billing instead which we find easier, although some will disagree, just get the bill, pay the total, job sorted.

 

[Ex-caravantugger]

You do not NEED a smart meter to check your daily usage.. it is just easier with one thats all.
Read the meter at say 11am.. Read the meter the following day at about the same time and see what the difference is ..
For instance, I am with SSE and the current unit cost is 11.9p
Lets say we use 25 units.. Cost would be 11.9p x 25 PLUS standing charge of ( in our case ) 16.5p per day = £4.91 per day

This is just an example as we have a SO of £40 per month and at the moment have a worthwhile credit built up

You say that you use approx 30 x £4.90 a month which is approx £150 but only pay £40 SO. Is your electric connected to the lamppost outside ?

 

[Minxy]

You say that you use approx 30 x £4.90 a month which is approx £150 but only pay £40 SO. Is your electric connected to the lamppost outside ?

His usage was just an example so I don't think you should assume that's his ACTUAL use per day. It appears he's only paying £40 a month because of the credit he's got built up, if he didn't he'd likely be paying quite a bit more per month.

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[GeriatricWanderer]

Up to 2015/2016 we were with British Gas and EON, paying by DD and would have paid, assuming no increase, £1659 for the year ending March 31 2017.
On April 1 2016 we switched to OVO through our local authority arrangement.

Just received our final bill from OVO for the year which totals £875 actual usage.

That's a saving of £784 - that's a lot of saving.

I well expect an increase in cost from OVO for the coming year but we'll still be squids in.

 

[maison]

We have just reached the end of a fixed price, one year, deal. Our energy supplier wrote to say that, if we didn't choose a tariff, we would go onto their standard tariff which would increase our costs by about £286 per year.

Using the various switching websites we found the cheapest available deal for us would save us about £235 on that.

Before agreeing we went back to our original supplier and asked them what would be their cheapest tariff available to us. It would only cost us £28 more than last year. So we are staying with them this time.

 

[mike mcglynn]

Just an aside as we are with Ovo and had a smart meter fitted and when it was fitted an inspector came about 2hours after it had been installed and declared that it had been fitted too close to the electric meter and I would have to have the electric meter moved I opened the front door and told him where to go the numpty .

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[deleted-member02]

We have just reached the end of a fixed price, one year, deal. Our energy supplier wrote to say that, if we didn't choose a tariff, we would go onto their standard tariff which would increase our costs by about £286 per year.

Using the various switching websites we found the cheapest available deal for us would save us about £235 on that.

Before agreeing we went back to our original supplier and asked them what would be their cheapest tariff available to us. It would only cost us £28 more than last year. So we are staying with them this time.

My contract finishes in about six weeks, I'm already researching prices and have been quite taken back at the quotes so far...
All are at least 10% higher, most have been nearly 20% more.
I'm hoping my current supplier, Gnergy will offer something acceptable, although I'm now resigned to an increase

 

[mitzimad]

True, I have this situation every single year. I have emailed saying that I am looking to change supplier. Hopefully they will just leave it alone.

if your with BG i would definitley change suppliers

 

[Speve]

We have just reached the end of a fixed price, one year, deal. Our energy supplier wrote to say that, if we didn't choose a tariff, we would go onto their standard tariff which would increase our costs by about £286 per year.

Using the various switching websites we found the cheapest available deal for us would save us about £235 on that.

Before agreeing we went back to our original supplier and asked them what would be their cheapest tariff available to us. It would only cost us £28 more than last year. So we are staying with them this time.

Yes our Ovo prices have gone up but they are still worth staying with its such an easy way that you pay and keep check of your usage with them and they give 3% interest on any credit you have

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[JockandRita]

Just signed up for another 12 x months again with OVO, which will be our 4th year with them. It's a no brainer, especially when you read stories like this one from above.

Up to 2015/2016 we were with British Gas and EON, paying by DD and would have paid, assuming no increase, £1659 for the year ending March 31 2017.
On April 1 2016 we switched to OVO through our local authority arrangement.

Just received our final bill from OVO for the year which totals £875 actual usage.

That's a saving of £784 - that's a lot of saving.

I well expect an increase in cost from OVO for the coming year but we'll still be squids in.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[mikebeaches]

We don't have any gas in the house (oil-fired central heating), and most of the worthwhile savings are mainly on dual-fuel agreements.

We've had a smart meter for some years now and it is useful to help keep an eye on electricity consumption. Currently pay £28 per month on BG standard tariff, which is not too bad for a 4-bed house I guess.

 

[Emmit]

Geriatric Wanderer wrote,
"I know we all have different circumstances and different power usage but difficult to understand how my current supplier can charge half of what my previous suppliers were charging - and still make a profit."

Simply put, if your present supplier is making a profit ,and they are, then the previous suppliers greed is eye watering. If the present one is charging half of the old one then the old one is making the same profit as the present one plus the extra half they charged.
I was watching Martin Lewis last night. It never ceases to amaze me how some people, many of whom must have IQ's well in excess of mine allow themselves to be skinned alive by Corporate greed. If a stranger knocked on the door and asked for hundreds of Pounds, you'd tell them to Bog Off. Put him/her into a Gas/Electricity Company uniform and the public hand over the dosh, hand over fist.

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[rangi]

We never DD for any of our utilities for the very reason expressed in the OP
They have tried countless times to get us on it, each time we have ignored them.
The same with their Smart Metres, they actually had the cheek to phone us and tell us when the engineer will arrive to fit one, luckily Maureen answered the phone she is more diplomatic than I.
We send in a reading every time we receive a bill, they send us a revised bill, we pay via the net.