Gas and elec bill :0(

hi all

im normally in the gardening section but would like to ask anyone about there gas and elec bills

i am with scottishpower and from the 29th sept - 26th dec i have had a bill for £490

now i check my meter every week without fail due to been handed a bill for £805 3 yrs back with the price rises and all

but i think its just nuts these prices we are using an average a week £40-£50

i mean we are only in a 3 bed bungalow im not running a chippy here

i do think that some peeps will be in for a shock when they get there bill this yr

i just think what im paying a week is nuts anyone in the same boat ?

 

With you all the way-We live in a four bed-yes it`s a good sized house but we don`t live in Balmoral, and we have had a figure of £170 per month given to us for our monthly direct debit.

 

I live in a 2 bedroom house 02 and i was paying £52 per month, when the gas went up they wanted £104 per month even tho i was £70 ahead, so i came off the scheme and pay what i like using the same card, I have to pay in full when the bill comes in, I now pay £60 a month and with the £70 i reckon that will cover the bill, and of course the bills will be less in spring summer....£490 seems a lot to me....

 

We have been with British Gas for years and after moving here in 2007, transferred the account. Since then, every single bill has been estimated and for around £85 which I made a point of paying. In July last after paying yet another, I wrote and told them I Refuse to pay another bill until a Meter Reader comes out and actually reads it. Then before they could answer, they upped their prices 35-40% and very soon afterwards, Demanded I read it for them, which I point blankly refused to do. They then sent Another estimated bill, I refused to pay, so they kept adding money on to it. Eventually they did arrange for a meter reader to call out, but we stipulated the time he was to call by due to another appointment we had. Nobody called, so we went for our appointment, but when th meter reader did eventually turn up and 3 hours after we got back, he was refused entry.

A new appointment was made, and we waited in All day for him to call, but to no avail, no apology, telephone call, or a kiss of my rear. Three days beforehand however, we had a Bogus meter reader try his luck, who also got rather aggressive towards me and all because I refused him entry and so the police were called. I got his vehicle details, a partial photograph of his face, he tried it on at four other addresses, yet still got away. As I told the police, No ID, and No appointent, or even Late for it, means NO entry.

As for our meter being read, we are still waiting and because of my age and health, we are on the Priority Service Register and they are supposed to Read our meter on a Quarterly basis, whether they like it or not. So, no reading taken, No money gets paid over.

British Gas have threatened me with a locksmith to gain access to our home and charge us £361.00 for it, PLUS a deposit on new keys, plus the cost of what is owed for electricity supplied. I have also had a letter from them dated 10th December 2008, apologising for the trouble we've had and a promise I would have an answer to my complaint Within 14 days. I was given a phone number should I not hear anything, so allowing for busy postal period, I left it until this week. When I phoned, the letter writer is on Annual Leave until the middle of the month.

 

Hi Mikkel, terrible about the bogus meter reader, must of been a conman or burglar! but im just wondering if the first meter reader was genuine, why wouldn't you let him in? or take a meter reading yourself, at least you would know it was the right reading

 

I'm not sure what your all saying, but I only pay for what I use and always in arrears.

Never liked the idea of Direct Debit, everyone I know has had theirs increased unless they protest against it.

They are using their customer base as credit as far as I'm concerned, totally wrong and should be outlawed.
If it means I have to read the meter OK, I never, ever, pay an estimated bill either.

 

Totally agree, Pete, the only DD we have is for the telly license. The utilities? No chance.

 

What's even more sickening is the fact that the price of gas/oil has been steadily dropping since late last year, but at the time of the year when we all need the heating on, has this drop in price been passed on to us consumers? Has it heck!

 

Hello Youngdaisydee, because of a local crime prevention scheme where we live, we have stickers issued by the local council on each door stipulating Callers by appointment only, and so we keep to it, plus as I believe I put above, we made specific time for meter reader to be here by due to us having another appointment at a specific time and expected to keep to, not wait for him to turn up just when it suited him. About reading the meter myself, we are on the Priority Service Register where they are required to read it themselves and every quarter.
In the past, we have had a number of distraction burglaries, plus bogus meter readers, so when the bogus one even refused to show ID, I warned him off and fast.

 

Ahhhhh Mickel, Thanks for explaining, its Now Crystal Clear, I Thought you were just being Awkward hahahahaha (only Kidding) Good Luck with gettin'g your Meter read and i hope its not too expensive... Dee..

 

I'm with a scheme called Staywarm which is for us old age pensioners! We pay a fixed monthly tarrif and use as much power as we need to. It's rated on house size, occupancy and post code and at present I pay £90 a month which, whilst it seems a lot, I'm at home nearly every day, all day long and can have my heating on around 15-16 hrs a day without fearing an "adjustment" bill at the end of the year. I've been on it since I turned 60 and am more than happy with it.

 

Is that £90 a month every month, summer and winter Daisees?

I'm a bit confused how you post code alters your energy consumption.

 

Sorry, but what I forgot to say was that at our previous address, we were on Pre-Payment meter and in one period of just 7 weeks, British Gas sent round 4 meter-readers, until I so Very nearly hoisted the 4th one out physically, but for my Partner stopping me. After that, I refused any of them entry unless they got British Gas to advise us in advance and the reason WHY they needed to read a Pre-Payment meter so often. Upon moving here, we went on to quarterly and I will go back to Pre-Payment again if I get one more bit of trouble, Or I will be changing Supplier and Very fast.

We used to pay for our water via direct debit, until we used a couple of pounds more than we had paid for over 6 months and they wanted to increase our payments by almost double. I told them: "If you increase it just 1p per month, I Will cancel the direct debit." When the next bill came in, we were in Credit and to this day, we still are, but they wont reduce the payments, or give it back, so when the next one comes in and we are still in credit, I will cancel the dd, until such times they reduce the payment required. I am determined their staff are NOT going to hide behind the company name and try Ordering me about, or demand more than what we need to pay.

 

Was it one of those blue key meters?

There was a bit of thing going round at one point where you could buy them at a quarter of the price black market, they would have been checking them.

How can they refuse to hand over money that`s yours? I`d get Martin Lewis on the case if I were you Mikkel. I reckon there are a few companies that have a price out on his head these days.