Gas & Leccy Bill

noman

Submitted readings for both this morning and was expecting around £200 because the heating has been on a lot this month.

To my surprise the charges are £120 for both.....Happy days...

66Mustang

Nice one, happy days indeed.

If you were expecting £200 and had the money ready why not pay £200 anyway and be in credit?

We did this and now if we go over some months we don't have to worry.

Not trying to tell you what to do just a suggestion!

noman

I pay £150 per month regardless and am now £220 in credit

Last years december bill was around £190.

66Mustang

Oh nice that's a nice bonus then

Hannah_Alumni

Very nice @noman

Kimmy87

I pay by variable DD so recieve the DD discount but only ever pay for what I use. I make sure to budget more in the winter. 
I know some like to build up credit but I prefer not to do it that way. 

After 18 months in my new home I have finally got to grips with budgeting for my energy use! With the previous Government subsidy and changing supplier in April, December's g&e bill of £97 means I finally know what figures to put into my budget for winter- I've gone for £125 over the coldest months.

This means I won't have to touch the last CoL payment I'd been saving for energy, and can buy a new mattess instead. 

Biblioklept

I rarely if ever have heating on and mine is far more than £120 a month   

poppy123456

My energy bills are about £40/month less than what they were the same time last year. 

I still pay the same DD each month but I have a considerable amount of credit. That may change when I move house middle of next month 😬

Autism_at_40

I've had mine on a lot too, mine just used up all the credit I had been in, so I feel ok about it.  NO doubt they will up the direct debit now though.

woodbine

Our leccy is £57 a month and we are a month in credit, gas hard to compare as we are off the grid and use LPG cylinders at £67 each, in winter they last around 2-3 weeks which is painful but in summer can last 4 months which evens the year out.

2oldcodgers

I still pay the same as I have always done - £181 a month. Our monthly usage only generally exceeds that amount in February. Up to now our credit balance is just under £1000.

OverlyAnxious

All electric here.  December 2023 bill cost 25% less than December 2022 bill.  

Kimmy87

2oldcodgers said:

I still pay the same as I have always done - £181 a month. Our monthly usage only generally exceeds that amount in February. Up to now our credit balance is just under £1000.

I understand why you'd want to be in credit for winter months, but why do you need to be £1k in credit which you admit will never get used up?

Effectively you are giving a wealthy company an interest free loan funded by your money. When it could be sat in your bank account earning you interest. 

I am always in a small amount of credit when my water bills are generated (twice a year), last time their system asked for my payments to go up by £24 per year, for absolutely no good reason.
I refused! They can keep getting £14pm and if the July bill isn't in credit due to April price rises, I'll increase it by £1-2 pounds monthly and review the credit balance in December. 

noman

It’s 2oldcodgers!

Enough said!

Kimmy87

noman said:

It’s 2oldcodgers!

Enough said!

True, but the reply might be helpful to someone else. 

poppy123456

Kimmy87 said:

2oldcodgers said:

I still pay the same as I have always done - £181 a month. Our monthly usage only generally exceeds that amount in February. Up to now our credit balance is just under £1000.

I understand why you'd want to be in credit for winter months, but why do you need to be £1k in credit which you admit will never get used up?

Effectively you are giving a wealthy company an interest free loan funded by your money. When it could be sat in your bank account earning you interest. 

I am always in a small amount of credit when my water bills are generated (twice a year), last time their system asked for my payments to go up by £24 per year, for absolutely no good reason.
I refused! They can keep getting £14pm and if the July bill isn't in credit due to April price rises, I'll increase it by £1-2 pounds monthly and review the credit balance in December. 

You can see a previous thread from him here about energy bills/accounts. https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/107701/duel-fuel-bills-post-1-7-23#latest

2oldcodgers

Kimmy87 said:

2oldcodgers said:

I still pay the same as I have always done - £181 a month. Our monthly usage only generally exceeds that amount in February. Up to now our credit balance is just under £1000.

I understand why you'd want to be in credit for winter months, but why do you need to be £1k in credit which you admit will never get used up?

Effectively you are giving a wealthy company an interest free loan funded by your money. When it could be sat in your bank account earning you interest. 

I know but they have in the past refused to give me the money back.
Also I tried to reduce the DD but the website tells me that it can only go down by a max of 10%. I wanted the credit balance to be used first before I paid them anymore money.

Autism_at_40

I don't know how that could be lawful to allow such a balance.

My supplier, last year, just automatically gave me refunds (including the £67 the government gave them).  They also adjust my DD to reflect the usage, so last winter I was paying £75 a month I think it was and in the summer it went down to £51 a month.  I'm sure I will be looking at an increase again now that I have eaten up the credit I had.

There has to be something you can do about it.

woodbine

2oldcodgers said:

I still pay the same as I have always done - £181 a month. Our monthly usage only generally exceeds that amount in February. Up to now our credit balance is just under £1000.

Why would you allow your supplier to keep £1000 of your money, at best you need to be 2 months in credit so on your figures around £360 so were I you I would be asking for around £600 refund