Utility bills, am I paying too much? Gas/electric bill's are crippling me.

[liarliarliar]

We pay £158 a month for gas/elec combined in a 4 bed, admittedly we are a bit wasteful and could cut down massively. Heating on most of the time, lights on etc. So yours is definitely extortionate

I've never tried it but could you perhaps look into that lookaftermybills.com in future once you're sorted with British Gas? Saves you searching around yourself and ensures you're getting a good deal etc

 

[it’s not been changed?!]

Sorry, this is an old thread, but I’m looking for some advice. My tariff with British Gas was due to end at the end of 2020. I’d had a letter from them telling me that my agreement ends on 13th December 2020, how ever when I looked at my emails when I renewed, it said 1st jan 2021. I’d used Uswitch to go onto the tariff I was on and they were also emailing me telling me that my renewal was approaching and offering me new suppliers but I instead renewed to a new tariff British Gas that they had emailed me about. I pressed the button on 7th December to renew but then I got an email on 13th December from Uswitch to tell me this was the last day to change and e on were incredibly cheaper! So in a panic, I rang u switch and switched to e on as I read British gas’ terms and conditions and you have a 14 day cooling off period.
Uswitch told me e on would notify British Gas that I was leaving but to also call them myself. So I rang them the next day (14th dec) which was a week after i renewed with them and I told the chap I was leaving. He tried to offer me a better deal but it was still more than eon. He told me he'd put my back on my old tariff and I didn’t think too much about it.
I looked on my British Gas app at the weekend and they’re charging me exit fees! But I notified them 7 days after I was renewing that I was completely leaving. Obviously there was no answer when I called them on Sunday and had to try and chat to someone on live chat!
This is the conversation

I’m not sure why the tariff was changed on 12th? I renewed on the 7th but then switched supplier with Uswitch on 13th. I’ve not had my final bill yet, but they have already taken payment off me for what would have been my new agreement if I stayed! She told me that had happened because the bank had already been notified but that amount would come off the balance I owe-fair enough, great.
I tried calling again today and yesterday and I either get someone with kids screaming in the background who don’t seem to know what they’re doing or they answer and hang up on you!! Now their lines are closed due to boiler repairs.
I’ve been researching and ofgem says you shouldn’t get charged exit fees in your 49 days within your fixed contract ends.
can someone advise or explain for me why I’m being charged. Is it because I renewed and them left the supplied?! Which I did within 7 days. Arghhh

 

[Dot_Cotton]

You renewed on 12 Dec as that is when your previous agreement ended so it didn’t come into affect until then even though you registered the renewal on 7 Dec. Do you have the renewals letter, what are the terms about cooling off on there? If it is 14 days it would surely be from 7 Dec? But I imagine you would have to have contacted BG within 14 days rather than just transfer. Hope that makes sense.

 

[it’s not been changed?!]

You renewed on 12 Dec as that is when your previous agreement ended so it didn’t come into affect until then even though you registered the renewal on 7 Dec. Do you have the renewals letter, what are the terms about cooling off on there? If it is 14 days it would surely be from 7 Dec? But I imagine you would have to have contacted BG within 14 days rather than just transfer. Hope that makes sense.

Yeh, I was expecting it to be 14 days from the 7th. So when I called them on the 14th, I was well within my 14 days.
There isn’t anything on the back of my letter about cooling off but I just looked back through my emails and this is what it says. The second image is after I renewed with b.gas. Doesn’t say anything about cooling off and leaving the supplier.

 

[Dot_Cotton]

So from that you have 14 calendar days from 8/12 (as it starts the day after you renewed) if you cancelled this with BG within this time then they shouldn’t be applying exit fees. I would put a complaint in writng by email. Just simply say the date you renewed and the date you cancelled and you want the exit fees removed. I will have a quick look for the appropriate licence condition for you to chuck in too.

SLC
0.3 The Standards of Conduct are that the licensee and any Representative:
a) b)
behave and carry out any actions in a Fair, honest, transparent, appropriate and professional manner;
provide information (whether in Writing or orally) to each Domestic Customer which:
i. is complete, accurate and not misleading (in terms of the information provided or
omitted);
ii. is communicated (and, if provided in Writing, drafted) in plain and intelligible
language with more important information being given appropriate prominence;

BG aren’t treating you fairly by not adhering to their own terms stated on their renewal letter.

 

[Scorpihoe]

@F the dust. did you manage to sort it?

 

[F the dust.]

@F the dust. did you manage to sort it?

Not really. We should leave bg we have a smart meter now and make payments weekly to avoid the big bill...we're planning on moving...for sure I will change then!!

 

[it’s not been changed?!]

@Dot_Cotton marvellous. Thank you! I’m worried they might try and tie me up in knots and tell me I tried to leave to early or something. Can you tell I’m a first time homeowner in my 30s

 

[caterday28]

We live in a two bedroom new-build flat and pay £50 per month for gas and electric with one of the "green" gas and electricity suppliers. We are in credit from that. Your bill sounds extortionate!

 

[Dot_Cotton]

@Dot_Cotton marvellous. Thank you! I’m worried they might try and tie me up in knots and tell me I tried to leave to early or something. Can you tell I’m a first time homeowner in my 30s

It’s dead tricky to deal with suppliers sometimes. But fingers crossed for you. It’s about £80 isn’t it for both fuels. If you don’t get anywhere raise an official complaint and you can take it to the ombudsman if not resolved within 8 weeks.

@Dot_Cotton marvellous. Thank you! I’m worried they might try and tie me up in knots and tell me I tried to leave to early or something. Can you tell I’m a first time homeowner in my 30s

It’s dead tricky to deal with suppliers sometimes. But fingers crossed for you. It’s about £80 isn’t it for both fuels. If you don’t get anywhere raise an official complaint and you can take it to the ombudsman if not resolved within 8 weeks.

 

[it’s not been changed?!]

It’s dead tricky to deal with suppliers sometimes. But fingers crossed for you. It’s about £80 isn’t it for both fuels. If you don’t get anywhere raise an official complaint and you can take it to the ombudsman if not resolved within 8 weeks.


It’s dead tricky to deal with suppliers sometimes. But fingers crossed for you. It’s about £80 isn’t it for both fuels. If you don’t get anywhere raise an official complaint and you can take it to the ombudsman if not resolved within 8 weeks.

Hopefully eon will be really good and I’ll stay with them for the foreseeable because this has painful. I can’t face changing supplier next December!
So far all I can see on my account is a “miscellaneous document” for £30 and a “not invoiced” amount for £30. I’m guessing one is for gas and one for electric, so £60 in fees I suppose this is a learning curve but if I end up having to pay the fees, I won’t even have ended up saving much by changing supplier!! I mean, it’s only an extra £5 a month in the grand scheme of things, but still!

 

[Lauz666]

We pay 45 a month 2 bed new build 2 adults

Really interesting to see how much everyone pays

 

[JoeBloggs]

Most energy providers will have a team that can help with usage and advise how to save.

We live in a 3 bed semi and ours is about £1400 for the year.

You are probably out of contract, price comparison sites are really good and I swap nearly every year to get the best deal.

 

[ProphecyGirl]

I'm on an electric meter and with my heating on (in ONE room bc I can't afford them in all) I am spending like £120 a month maybe more, easily £10 a weekend. But I just switched over my electric to bulb, topped up yesterday and got home around 5ish... left for work 7am and spent £4 over night??? It's a lot of money!

 

[Lulu Goss]

We pay £60 - three bed terrace house. Ours is a fixed amount, we’re with British Gas.

 

[tarotbaby]

Not really. We should leave bg we have a smart meter now and make payments weekly to avoid the big bill...we're planning on moving...for sure I will change then!!

Do you have storage heaters? My bills were extortionate and I EVENTUALLY realised that I was using the storage heaters wrongly. I’d never had them before.

 

[F the dust.]

Do you have storage heaters? My bills were extortionate and I EVENTUALLY realised that I was using the storage heaters wrongly. I’d never had them before.

No not storage heaters, we buy houses needing tlc and I know for sure twice they were left in debt with utilities...I'm convinced though haven't been able to prove it that we're paying those on top of our usage?

 

[tarotbaby]

No not storage heaters, we buy houses needing tlc and I know for sure twice they were left in debt with utilities...I'm convinced though haven't been able to prove it that we're paying those on top of our usage?

Why haven’t you just phoned up to find out if you’ve been paying the previous owner’s debt? I bought my house last year and found out there was a debt from previous owners but it’s not my (or your) duty to pay it. Just phone them and find out once and for all.

 

[F the dust.]

Why haven’t you just phoned up to find out if you’ve been paying the previous owner’s debt? I bought my house last year and found out there was a debt from previous owners but it’s not my (or your) duty to pay it. Just phone them and find out once and for all.

Oh I did and had an independent electrician check my meters..couldn't find anything untoward but there were Bill's totalling £1000 on gas/electric...our first bill was high despite at the time only having electric...no heating as we ripped the house to bits and had no radiators! In one house we had pay as you go meters...I was putting £20 a day in when I rang they said we were paying off the last owners debt..so then it was sorted and meters were removed. I don't believe they're going to admit it unless I can prove it and I've tried.

 

[tarotbaby]

Oh I did and had an independent electrician check my meters..couldn't find anything untoward but there were Bill's totalling £1000 on gas/electric...our first bill was high despite at the time only having electric...no heating as we ripped the house to bits and had no radiators! In one house we had pay as you go meters...I was putting £20 a day in when I rang they said we were paying off the last owners debt..so then it was sorted and meters were removed. I don't believe they're going to admit it unless I can prove it and I've tried.

I would definitely contact the ombudsman