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Original poster

Direct debit going up to £600pm?

255 replies

nogella · 02/09/2022 15:16

It's just me, DS and DD.

I don't even own a telly. They just get broken. Lights rarely on. I mostly just use the microwave for food, and oven a max of 15 mins a time. During the day none of that is in use really

What on earth am I spending £600 a month on exactly?! Charging phones and the shower? ConfusedSad

I don't know what to do. What will I do! I don't really use my energy anyway. So I can't cut back either and I can't afford £600 a month. I don't have that. It doesn't exist even if I stopped eating

OP posts:
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8
Dragonskin · 02/09/2022 16:09

nogella · 02/09/2022 15:19

My current bill is £360

That's both has and electric

There are two of us and we use a lot more energy than you, and ours is £100 a month - there seems to be something very wrong with your bills

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 02/09/2022 16:09

Take a meter reading now and give it to them! You might find out you are in credit

JOFFCV · 02/09/2022 16:11

Cheeselog · 02/09/2022 16:06

It’s the summer! It’s not crazy - theres no need for heating or tumble dryer, and it was hot enough in August not to want the shower on max heat or the oven on. My August bill was £42.

Show quote history

I thought they meant it was their average DD amount.

I don't have a tumble dryer and heating not on. I'm not sure I know anybody who has their heating on in Summer.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Cost of living
Mybeautifulfriend22 · 02/09/2022 16:11

Midpmcoffee · 02/09/2022 15:23

Likewise that figure is pretty insane

are you the person on the other thread not flushing toilets, 2 min showers one after other, reusing shower water to mop floors?

Show quote history

Mine was £65! Two of us in a 3 bed Semi. One WFH. I work 3/4 long days out in a hospital. Just low electric users…. Our whole years bill was basically op quote direct debit. Before our fix ended tho…..

BMW6 · 02/09/2022 16:13

JOFFCV · 02/09/2022 15:39

It's not just on here though.

How many people live in your house?

I'm very jealous of your bills.

Show quote history

Well only 2 of us true, but both retired so heating on all day in winter. Thermostat set to 20 or 21 normally but that will be going down to 18 or 19 this winter.

Biggest gas bill we ever got was just over £100 for January (we pay monthly by variable dd).

We're in a 2 bed Victorian terrace, south facing so get free heat from neighbours (but they get ours) and sun (not reliable)😏

Stangerthings · 02/09/2022 16:13

AmandaHoldensLips · 02/09/2022 15:20

Microwave is a huge drain on electric. I discovered this when on a canal boat, tried to microwave something and the whole boat lost power.

Electricity use on a canal boat is totally different. Your inaccurate comment was not helpful.

Zeus44 · 02/09/2022 16:15

Just switch your payment to pay on demand, then you will only pay what you owe not what you are estimated to pay.

AxoFreefall · 02/09/2022 16:17

My current D/D is about £190.00 per month for gas and electricity combined. My account is about £200.00 credit. I too have recently been informed that my D/D will be increasing to over £600.00 in October. I think we are in for a very cold Christmas.

Midpmcoffee · 02/09/2022 16:18

MinervaTerrathorn · 02/09/2022 15:40

Two in ours, gas £15, electric £40 last month. Most electric is household use though (including fridge/freezer) and increases with household size but wouldn't double for double the number of people.

Show quote history

You wouldn’t

but quite possible depending on age and working arrangements ie if some are on night shifts and some on day.

ApolloandDaphne · 02/09/2022 16:19

Go online and submit a current reading. You can see all your usage online too.

DogInATent · 02/09/2022 16:19

AmandaHoldensLips · 02/09/2022 15:20

Microwave is a huge drain on electric. I discovered this when on a canal boat, tried to microwave something and the whole boat lost power.

Don't confuse amps with kWh.

A microwave draws a lot of current (amps) which is why it trips shore-power hook-ups and causes problems with leisure batteries and inverters when the maximum current draw is exceeded.

But you use a microwave for a much shorter period of time than a conventional oven. Overall it uses less energy (kWh).

Milkand2sugarsplease · 02/09/2022 16:20

Always submit meter readings. It's your best bet for 1. Paying for what you use and 2. Negotiating direct debit prices when they try to hike it up so they have a buffer.

SwishSwishBisch · 02/09/2022 16:22

AmandaHoldensLips · 02/09/2022 15:20

Microwave is a huge drain on electric. I discovered this when on a canal boat, tried to microwave something and the whole boat lost power.

That’s an issue with the voltage not ‘electricity drain’.

DogInATent · 02/09/2022 16:26

A direct debit energy bill is averaging your usage over 12 months. They're expecting you to use a lot more than £600/month over the winter period.

You need to tell them that you can't afford this and agree a DD amount that you can afford. Then watch the meter like a hawk, and submit regular meter readings. Or refuse the direct debit, and go to paying against the meter monthly.

I wouldn't rush into agreeing anything with your energy company right now, or panic too early. The new PM is announced on Monday and they'll have just two weeks to put forward a mini-budget with details of the measures they're going to put in place for the cost of living crisis.

Bestcatmum · 02/09/2022 16:27

Hoe the hell is your bill £360? I live in a three bedroom house on my own and have the heating on pretty much when I want and mine is only £60.
The new estimate isn't even anywhere near £200!!

itsgettingweird · 02/09/2022 16:38

nogella · 02/09/2022 15:19

My current bill is £360

That's both has and electric

That's your DD.

How much physical gas and electric are you using and what's the physical cost of that per month?

IncessantNameChanger · 02/09/2022 16:40

JOFFCV · 02/09/2022 16:11

I thought they meant it was their average DD amount.

I don't have a tumble dryer and heating not on. I'm not sure I know anybody who has their heating on in Summer.

Show quote history

I don't know what adverage yearly dd is. Tbh I didn't give a hoot until saw my smart metre almost hit £10 a day last winter. It didn't cross my mind really - until it started to go up. I'm a lot more interested now for obvious reasons.

I'm more interested in the daily readings than the yearly total. I can't pay £10 a day. We just don't have the spare cash for that.

Looking at my predicted figures I'm expecting more like £300 a month come winter but who knows?

sparklecement · 02/09/2022 16:47

OP you need to take control. Do meter readings for very month without fail. They can only go by what you've given them so if you aren't keeping the readings up to date, no wonder your estimate is so high.

Get a reading today and work it out, exactly what you have used, between today and your last reading.

MercurialMonday · 02/09/2022 16:51

nogella · 02/09/2022 15:49

I submitted metre readings a month after moving in and that's it. They said they could estimate from that

Start taking readings and uploading them.

Estimates can be on high side.

Also is that a quarterly bill - ie every three months bill.

We pay monthly always have and in summer build up credit for winter - but even in past have to watch like a hawk because they can raise it to high so you end up in ridiculous amount of credit even at end of winter.

It does sound like they were offering a fixed rate deal ie fixing the unit cost of gas/electric - and those are high at the minute .

www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/what-are-the-price-cap-unit-rates-/#tool

if you find out what you actually use - or at least currently what they estimate you use - you can use calculator above to see what the cost is expected to be in next few months.

Panicmode1 · 02/09/2022 16:57

I've been paying £286 a month since the last price hike...we are a family of 6 and have a very poorly insulated 4 bed semi-d. Your energy company is either very bad as estimating or you have a cannabis farm in your loft 😉

We are currently using c 100 a month (even running the washing machine a lot), and I've built up 700 of credit. I submit readings monthly. I'm fully expecting to have to pay a huge amount more in the winter, but DH and I are planning to be militant about turning lights off having short showers, and not having heating on in rooms where we aren't....!

NotSorry · 02/09/2022 16:57

AmandaHoldensLips · 02/09/2022 15:20

Microwave is a huge drain on electric. I discovered this when on a canal boat, tried to microwave something and the whole boat lost power.

Not true - more likely that the EHU couldn't cope - we get this occasionally in our touring caravan and have to make sure we don't overload the EHU (electric hook up)

Comedycook · 02/09/2022 17:00

Surely a microwave isn't your only appliance?

Fridge freezer?
Washing machine?
Hair dryer?
Dishwasher?
Vacuum?

oldstudentmum · 02/09/2022 17:03

That’s bloody high. My energy use gas and electric for august £130ish . Got a large fridge freezer smaller freezer, tvs , oven , washing machine use for 5 people. Oh and the hot tub (when I switch on which was quite a lot).

Kezzie200 · 02/09/2022 17:04

@JOFFCV

Ours isn't much different to £77.

Last month our electric was £66 and gas I'm waiting on bill but we used 4 units so probably another £12. We are on a fix but without it, we would.probably be about £100 on current rates.

We are a 3 bed detached house. 2 residents. Decent insulation and LED lights - and it's summer!

The £360 sounds very high. More detail needed to nail what's going on exactly.