My electricity bill has just tripled: how about yours? Alternative suppliers?

[MrCurry]

Little wonder all the suppliers want to ramp up the DDs to get everyone into credit with them

 

[alex_]

Little wonder all the suppliers want to ramp up the DDs to get everyone into credit with them

You have to wonder if this will make a load more fold - as it’ll force them to reveal they’ve been dipping the client account.

 

[High Voltage]

Well, in mind of the above posts - I've been onto Bulb this morning. I initially wanted a refund of my credit balance leaving only £70 to pay for this months usage AND to alter my DD down to £1 for one month

Seems I'm not allowed to do that - but what I am allowed to do is have a full refund of my credit balance, some £200+ and then to switch to a variable DD which only takes out the amount of that months bill - so this is what I've done

Be interesting to see what happens to bulb on the 30th of this month and if the variable DD is still an option

 

[magneze]

Well, in mind of the above posts - I've been onto Bulb this morning. I initially wanted a refund of my credit balance leaving only £70 to pay for this months usage AND to alter my DD down to £1 for one month

Seems I'm not allowed to do that - but what I am allowed to do is have a full refund of my credit balance, some £200+ and then to switch to a variable DD which only takes out the amount of that months bill - so this is what I've done

Be interesting to see what happens to bulb on the 30th of this month and if the variable DD is still an option

Sounds like a good idea. Will also do this later.

 

[CH1]

When a supplier fails, customers are moved to a new energy supplier with their credit balances intact. However, under the existing rules, the new supplier does not get the customer credit balances from the failed supplier, so the cost of replacing them is spread across all consumer bills.

This is fucking outrageous I'm with Ofgen and (to my surprise) British Gas on this.

If you are ever involved in an insolvency you will find that the insolvency practitioners make a lot of money out of it - and most others involved in any way lose.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

If you are ever involved in an insolvency you will find that the insolvency practitioners make a lot of money out of it - and most others involved in any way lose.

Noooooo
what a shocker
sorry, shouldn't sarcasm on this thread

So:
I can get a fixed deal from Eon for a year, it is currently cheaper than the DD they have me on but higher than the "best tariff" they are offering me (when I looked today).
I am electricity only (heating and hot water come from a separately billed central plant on the estate) and my usage is pretty low (£22 p/m prior to march increase)
I can't work out if I should (I missed moving to another fixed rate last May (2021) due to distractions)

Anyone here who can/could do the maths for me?

e2a: it feels very suburban on this thread now

 

[cybershot]

Noooooo
what a shocker
sorry, shouldn't sarcasm on this thread

So:
I can get a fixed deal from Eon for a year, it is currently cheaper than the DD they have me on but higher than the "best tariff" they are offering me (when I looked today).
I am electricity only (heating and hot water come from a separately billed central plant on the estate) and my usage is pretty low (£22 p/m prior to march increase)
I can't work out if I should (I missed moving to another fixed rate last May (2021) due to distractions)

Anyone here who can/could do the maths for me?

e2a: it feels very suburban on this thread now

Without knowing your annual consumption and what your current rates and offered rates are it’s impossible to do the maths.

There’s also some assumptions that have to be made especially as the price cap moving forward will change every 3 months instead of 6 from October.

According to Mr Lewis on Twitter yesterday wholesale prices rose sharply last week and the ‘projected’ increase in October is now a whopping 51%. That could come down but who knows! Then a further 1% price projected in January. There is no forecast for April so that’s when fixing for 12 months now sort of becomes a bit of a long term gamble.

I fixed with Eon for 30% above the current price cap last week. So from Monday until October I’m paying 30% more than I could be. But it’s also the point of the year where I’m using a lot less energy than I would at any other point. When winter comes I’m locked into that tariff. So if prices go up 51% again then I’ll be paying 21% less than what the price cap is for that time. And 22% less in January. Some short term over paying for long term price certainty over winter. My maths worked out at a £200ish annual saving that sticking with price capped tariffs.

Of course prices could drastically drop and I’ll be paying well above average. Possible but unlikely imo.

Bonus with the Eon one for me is there’s no exit fees so if it all does change then I can leave with no penalty at any point (not all providers are offering this and in fact exit penalties are higher than ever) or be moved to another tariff.

It seemed a safe bet from my seat but people need to do the maths and be sure they can afford the short term price jump now and what if any exit penalties are if you need to get out of it.

People are really going to struggle. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if there’s riots.

 

[Elpenor]

Without knowing your annual consumption and what your current rates and offered rates are it’s impossible to do the maths.

There’s also some assumptions that have to be made especially as the price cap moving forward will change every 3 months instead of 6 from October.

According to Mr Lewis on Twitter yesterday wholesale prices rose sharply last week and the ‘projected’ increase in October is now a whopping 51%. That could come down but who knows! Then a further 1% price projected in January. There is no forecast for April so that’s when fixing for 12 months now sort of becomes a bit of a long term gamble.

I fixed with Eon for 30% above the current price cap last week. So from Monday until October I’m paying 30% more than I could be. But it’s also the point of the year where I’m using a lot less energy than I would at any other point. When winter comes I’m locked into that tariff. So if prices go up 51% again then I’ll be paying 21% less than what the price cap is for that time. And 22% less in January. Some short term over paying for long term price certainty over winter. My maths worked out at a £200ish annual saving that sticking with price capped tariffs.

Of course prices could drastically drop and I’ll be paying well above average. Possible but unlikely imo.

Bonus with the Eon one for me is there’s no exit fees so if it all does change then I can leave with no penalty at any point (not all providers are offering this and in fact exit penalties are higher than ever) or be moved to another tariff.

It seemed a safe bet from my seat but people need to do the maths and be sure they can afford the short term price jump now and what if any exit penalties are if you need to get out of it.

People are really going to struggle. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if there’s riots.

I will have to make a decision about tariffs when I move house next week. I currently pay £61 for economy 7 on a fix from April 2021, will have to move to a dual fuel tariff for a slightly larger house

Wondering whether I’m better off going for a lower unit cost or standing charge, I tend to not have the heating on much or use the oven.

I feel like I’m going to have to opt for a fix to get the certainty. I can get overtime quite regularly at work which I hope can absorb the higher cost

 

[JoeyBoy]

Are you HMOs or flats occupied by solo people/couples/families? If you're in an HMO the landlord can't get the money (legally, anyway, and they probably would notice). As the tenant you have to apply for a discretionary payment - don't know how likely it is to be paid.

Sorry for late reply not had access to the computer for a bit. I live in a flat, it's one of eight in a 2 storey block that used to belong to the council but are now all owned by private landlords. My landlord who is a bit of a local property baron owns five of them and the other three belong to separate landlords. I've lived here for three years and I've never paid council tax it's always been rolled up into my rent. I know the other four who're tenants of the same landlord as me do the same. Don't know about flats 2, 3 and 7. They're only 1 bedroom about half are couples and about half are someone on my own like me with no families but they're all self-contained flats though.
I was told that since the council tax rebate was paid to the council tax payer the landlord would get it.
As I mentioned before I know he has about 30 houses besides these flats but I don't know anyone who lives in one of them or even where they are so I don't know if the people that live in them pay the same way.

 

[JoeyBoy]

If anyone is interested I'm still taking a shower at work. The site management were angry about the lock being drilled out and there was a lot of talk of replacing it and installing a camera so they could watch it. The higher ups vetoed it on the grounds that a couple of women out of the office also use the shower and the company might be leaving themselves open to all sorts of accusations of peeping tommery if they stuck a camera there.
They wouldn't be able to see in unless they used an X-Ray camera or something and there is a privacy lock on the inside of the door but they must have been worried about it might look.
The bosses know who did the drilling we all do but they can't prove it was him.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Sorry for late reply not had access to the computer for a bit. I live in a flat, it's one of eight in a 2 storey block that used to belong to the council but are now all owned by private landlords. My landlord who is a bit of a local property baron owns five of them and the other three belong to separate landlords. I've lived here for three years and I've never paid council tax it's always been rolled up into my rent. I know the other four who're tenants of the same landlord as me do the same. Don't know about flats 2, 3 and 7. They're only 1 bedroom about half are couples and about half are someone on my own like me with no families but they're all self-contained flats though.
I was told that since the council tax rebate was paid to the council tax payer the landlord would get it.
As I mentioned before I know he has about 30 houses besides these flats but I don't know anyone who lives in one of them or even where they are so I don't know if the people that live in them pay the same way.

Have you asked your landlord for the £150? Because it should go to you.

This is from North Kesteven District Council's website -

In most cases, in legislation, where there is a tenant/s in the property, the tenant/s should be liable for the council tax. (see Exceptions below) Including your council tax in your rent is an agreement between you and your landlord, BUT you should still be named on the council tax account.

The Council is not going to be aware of some of these arrangements and we cannot pay out more than one payment per domestic dwelling. Therefore you urgently need to contact the Council and register for council tax.

We may ask for a copy of your lease to ensure that you are who you say you are which will help to prevent a third party claiming your rebate. We may also need this evidence to discuss the account with your landlord.

There are some exceptions where the landlord would still be the liable person for the council tax - House in multiple occupation (see question regarding HIMO below) Residential Care Homes Those occupied by minister of religion or a religious community Residential staff or asylum seekers

LINK (it downloads a PDF).

 

[Pickman's model]

was handed a leaflet for this lot on saturday at the tuc march Don’t Pay looks like an interesting idea




dontpay.uk

 

[two sheds]

Have you asked your landlord for the £150? Because it should go to you.

This is from North Kesteven District Council's website -



LINK (it downloads a PDF).

And although the council tax is included in the rent JoeyBoy you're still paying it (as I'm sure you realize).

 

[Cat Fan]

People are really going to struggle. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if there’s riots.

There was already that big demo last weekend.

Government handing out £1k to poorer households should help a bit, but feels a bit limited and short term.

 

[JoeyBoy]

Have you asked your landlord for the £150? Because it should go to you.

This is from North Kesteven District Council's website -



LINK (it downloads a PDF).

OK can't hurt to ask I suppose. I will talk to the tenants in 4, 5, 6 and 8 when I get home. If all five of us bring it up it will be harder for him to try and wriggle out of it.

 

[JoeyBoy]

was handed a leaflet for this lot on saturday at the tuc march Don’t Pay looks like an interesting idea

View attachment 328286

View attachment 328287
dontpay.uk

How is this going to work then? If I go in the Co-Op with my meter key and say put £10 on it but I'm not going to give you the tenner, I'm sure they will just laugh at me.

 

[Pickman's model]

How is this going to work then? If I go in the Co-Op with my meter key and say put £10 on it but I'm not going to give you the tenner, I'm sure they will just laugh at me.

if you read the website they specifically say that this won't include people with pre-payment meters, for obvious reasons as you note.

 

[WouldBe]

if you read the website they specifically say that this won't include people with pre-payment meters, for obvious reasons as you note.

Even if you're on a DD how long will it be before you get cut off?
Then you won't have to worry about paying bills.

 

[Pickman's model]

Even if you're on a DD how long will it be before you get cut off?
Then you won't have to worry about paying bills.

they address this too:

Don’t Pay

Millions of us won’t be able to afford food and bills this winter. We can’t let that happen.

dontpay.uk

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

new rules should also stop companies increasing direct debts by more than is required. And, about time, this should have been in place long before.

Even Octopus keep raising mine more than they need. They say I can stop the rises by losing into my account and changing them, but my requests to reduce or contest payments fall on deaf ears (I literally get no reply whatsoever). The FAQ say it's because you pay more in the winter and it balances things out, but if the price hikes had not arrived I wouldn't have used up the surplus at all (and now they have raised it again). Bit annoying.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Bit ironic, but I've just had a electric meter reader pay a visit.

Meanwhile, despite my complaint to the ombudsman changing status to 'investigate' on 12th June, still no case handler/investigator has been assigned.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Looks like rice along with pasta going up in price soon.

‘People are ripping up contracts’: price of rice boils over into new territory in UK

The pressures faced by one Yorkshire rice importer illustrate how costs feed through to consumers

www.theguardian.com

 

[cupid_stunt]

For the monthly billing period up to 21st June, I used 140kwh of electric, cost £39.31 before VAT & standing charge, look what the OVO's glue sniffers are billing me for!





My total bill, with gas, standing charges, and VAT should be £72.64, they are billing me a whopping £257.73, over charging by £185.09.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I've just added that to my ombudsman compliant, together with this just taken screenshot of what they are estimating I've used so far in June, a whopping 675kwh, compared to their estimate for June 2021 of just 132.14kwh.



Hopefully this information will help my case for £200 compensation on top of a sizeable refund, rather than the £100 I've already been offered.

This latest bill is showing a meter reading of 19015 on 21st June, when I submitted a reading of 14557 online, so it's over estimated by 4458kwh, that respects around two & half years of my actual usage, and £1000+ over billed.

 

[not a trot]

Just received my British Gas statement. DD gone from £73 a month to £194 a month. Less than I feared. Pensioner household, myself, my wife and her elderly Aunt who moved in with us last year.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Just received my British Gas statement. DD gone from £73 a month to £194 a month. Less than I feared. Pensioner household, myself, my wife and her elderly Aunt who moved in with us last year.

Have you just come of a fixed price deal?

If you are just on the usual price cap rates, DDs should only be going up by 54%, but many companies are taking the piss.

At least 30% of British Gas, Octopus Energy and Shell Energy customers who were in credit and on price-capped tariffs told the UK's biggest consumer website, MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE), that they've seen their direct debits double – even though the price cap rise is half that, at 54%. Across all firms, 25% of customers in this situation reported direct debits doubling or more.

MSE analysed the responses of the over 41,000 people who chose to reply to its investigative survey. Almost half (46%) of those whose payments had doubled said they hadn't challenged the increase with their supplier because they didn't know they could (see MSE's tips on how to challenge your direct debit).

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2022/05/energy-direct-debit-hikes-mse-survey/

 

[two sheds]

I've just added that to my ombudsman compliant, together with this just taken screenshot of what they are estimating I've used so far in June, a whopping 675kwh, compared to their estimate for June 2021 of just 132.14kwh.

View attachment 328556

Hopefully this information will help my case for £200 compensation on top of a sizeable refund, rather than the £100 I've already been offered.

This latest bill is showing a meter reading of 19015 on 21st June, when I submitted a reading of 14557 online, so it's over estimated by 4458kwh, that respects around two & half years of my actual usage, and £1000+ over billed.

Is it worth telling them that they've involved you in so much work that you'll be billing them for any further work you have to do at your normal hourly rate? Even better would be the rate charged by "Trainee solicitors, paralegals and other fee earners": £126 an hour.

 

[prunus]

Is it worth telling them that they've involved you in so much work that you'll be billing them for any further work you have to do at your normal hourly rate? Even better would be the rate charged by "Trainee solicitors, paralegals and other fee earners": £126 an hour.

I think a better press of their buttons would be to say something like Ovo’s continuing ignoring of your pleas and egregious calculations are beginning to feel like a personal attack, which is negatively affecting your mental health.

If you like

 

[High Voltage]

Hopefully this information will help my case for £200 compensation on top of a sizeable refund, rather than the £100 I've already been offered.

To be honest, I don't really see why you're having this much trouble . . . it begs the question are you doing something wrong??

I've had my full credit WITHIN the 5-7 working days that Bulb have as a target (a company, by the way, in the hands of the receivers or whatever they're called), in LESS than 4 working days - pretty impressive

 

[MickiQ]

Just received my British Gas statement. DD gone from £73 a month to £194 a month. Less than I feared. Pensioner household, myself, my wife and her elderly Aunt who moved in with us last year.

Jesus Christ you running the local power station? mine went up from £67 to £95, there's only me and Mrs Q at home now (and Youngest Q outside term time) but up until the final quarter of last year there were 5 adults in the house which no doubt factored into their calculations. What were you fearing if you think that's not a blind rip off?