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

[F the dust.]

Thankyou everyone. We always seem to cop it. In our last property the previous tenants as it was rented out left over a grand debt. They flitted and I doubt they found them. I still believe somehow we inherit this debt. I always have paid our final bills. I can't believe we aren't paying less in a smaller house. Less rooms and smaller by far.

 

[F the dust.]

You could always try going to the Ombudsman but that is a daunting prospect when things feel too much already. But the Ombudsman would be able to look into why they are so high, why they wont provide you with answers and why you cant leave. It is all very unfair on you.

I would really like clarification that we are only paying what we owe. Wading through bills and looking to find answers is very daunting too. I also need an explanation of why they wouldn't let us move after paying out final bills. Seems fishy to me. I suppose I don't feel capable of providing anything x

 

[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.

 

[F the dust.]

Looks like we might have gotten somewhere on why my electric bill is so high (128pm) when I live alone in a tiny one bed flat...

turns out part of the electricity for the communal hallway is being run off my flat!! They’re now going to do an investigation into what I’m actually paying for out there as there are all sorts of sockets with things plugged in!

Hope you get sorted out!

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[F the dust.]

There's no way this can be correct I live in a three bed semi with 3 kids and I use the washer and dryer daily for 180 combined a month .

I agree. There is 6 of us. But still its expensive. Teas made at the same time. Heatings heating one house. Washer is on daily but other than charging phones and we aren't running baths..as we only have 2 showers. I cant fathom it. I'm going to be extra vigilant with switching lights off etc. But I don't know what else to try. Especially if I try to leave again and they block it.

 

[BettyCrocker]

Sorry to bump this threat but my energy bills have gone mad in the lock down. Family of 4 but 3 of us are in all day. Ive recently got a smart meter were using £3.50 electric (we have solar pannels) and £4 gas per day.

Any else experiencing this Might tell the kids to go and pop a scarf on or something to reduce the gas

have you got your heating on all day?? What’s bumping the gas up??

 

[F the dust.]

Go on Moneysupermarket.com and set it up through there. If you are genuinely being blocked by BG - you are probably paying for the last tennant. I'm in Leccy sales so know this

So glad you've confirmed this...its drove me mad but I knew it. I will thankyou.

Jesus wept! Just change providers!!! I bet you are with one of the Top 6 ie British Gas etc


How? How do they block it?

No idea, the new company sent a letter saying bg had blocked it they didn't elaborate...they can do this when you owe money. I had paid my final Bill's...

 

[Mitchymoo]

I agree. There is 6 of us. But still its expensive. Teas made at the same time. Heatings heating one house. Washer is on daily but other than charging phones and we aren't running baths..as we only have 2 showers. I cant fathom it. I'm going to be extra vigilant with switching lights off etc. But I don't know what else to try. Especially if I try to leave again and they block it.

I'd get a smart meter then u can see exactly what u are spending

 

[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

 

[JodieGreen123]

Just need some advice, When we moved in our current house the vendor owed £300 on gas/electic. We rang the provider up explaining we were now in the property. We downsized due to our last house being too expensive to run. Still we seem to be receiving large bills. May I ask what some of you're paying quarterly. It seems looking since moving in.19/10/19 we have paid £3400 in gas/electric. We're in a small semi. The boiler is served no leaks or anything. It's actually the same if not higher than our last home. Have we paid off the debt left behind? Or is this average? We're a single income family due to your son having autism and I don't work. It's crippling us to be honest. Any advice welcome.

That’s £37 per day, that definitely can’t be right!

 

[SunshineDreamer]

something is not right there. Send your meter readings to your supplier ASAP. USwitch is really good, we review ours every year without fail as have been stung in the past

No, mine is correct. We are in a large house and we run a pool filter/heater pretty much 24/7.

 

[F the dust.]

What kind of heating have you got?
Do you have the heating on a lot?
Do you use the oven/tumble dryer a lot?
Do you run hot water for baths or showers a lot?

Try turning the heaters on each room off unless desperately needed - we don’t have any of the bathroom heaters on in our house and rarely have the kitchen one on. We don’t have a tumble dryer and don’t have baths very often.

We have a combi boiler, heating is set for morning and evening. I may pop it on in the afternoon for an hour if cold.
We only have showers. No bath on the property.
My oven is used but not excessively. Just to cook dinner.
Yes my washer is on daily. My dryer is only used in winter mnths. But my other house was much later. Makes no sense.

 

[F the dust.]

That’s £37 per day, that definitely can’t be right!

If we hadn't if paid £200 off with our payment cards it would have been £800 a quarter

 

[F the dust.]

we live in a 4 bed detached house theres 4 of us we pay £50 gas a month and £51 electric a month I'm home most days so have heating on when I feel cold and heating is set for a morning before kids get up and a few hours at night for bath time and bed.
we have a gas cooker electric oven,kids have phone chargers and TVs on and xbox.
we are with British gas I send readings for gas every month and electric meter is a smart meter.
in summer it's cheaper as we are out more and dont need the heating on.
definitely something not right hope you get to bottom of it x

Thankyou, that's exactly like the house we left. I just don't know how to fight it. If they insist it's correct ( again) x

 

[Titntat]

have you got your heating on all day?? What’s bumping the gas up??

I've tried to have it on for about 5 hours a day. I used to turn it on at 6.30pm and turn it off about 8.30pm (maybe turn it off for a couple of hours in-between. Ive had it on for 4.5/5 hours today but its still at £3.50. Ive had a quick Google says people are paying upto 40% more on their energy bills.

I need to start utilising my solar pannels, I always put my dishwasher on after tea where I'd be better off popping it on in the morning and put the washer on when the dishwashers finished. Luckily were in £220 credit on the gas so should cover the extra usage untill April time when we don't have the heating on.

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[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.