Direct debit going up to £600pm?

[nogella]

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?

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

That’s more than I pay a month for a 4 bedroom house with 4 people living in it.

You must do meter reading every month! Honestly, we live in a really drafty 1930's house, and our actual bills are £70 a month at the mo. Last month I forgot to do a reading and they charged me £120 on their estimate. This month I'll probably be charged nothing due to this over charging. Also, our predicted dd isn't too bad (£170 a month), and I think that's because I do readings each month. You really must do this, it makes a huge difference.

What is your annual gas and electric consumption in kwh?

There are a few things which send my smart meter monitor haywire and they are my kettle, my microwave, my oven and my washing machine
The latter two only go orange on the monitor when they're heating up or heating the water.

How much energy do you use?
That sounds low for the house you describe

Don't forget that a device that doesn't send a smart meter haywire can also add up as it's on for a long time - e.g a fish tank heater at 50 watts but on all the time.

Work out your kWh usage for a year (do it yourself not your suppliers estimates). Then use this to calculate your expected total costs over the next 12 months, not forgetting the standing charge and the three monthly price increases. Estimates for the price increases can be found easily online.

Once you know the total, divide by 12 to get your monthly cost and contact your supplier saying that amount so what you agree to pay by direct debit.

Or ask for a variable direct debit but be aware your monthly amount will fluctuate considerably throughout the year so keep money aside during the lower energy use months.

Was this direct debit on the variable tariff (which is price capped) or a fixed term fixed price tariff?

The latter is generally quite a bit more expensive at the moment, however as the cap increases that may change.

How about when people say my DD is so much or last month we used £x, that they also say how many kWh of gas and electricity they use, and what tariff they are on?

I’ll do mine in a bit - it’s complicated

I saw this on Facebook which gives a handy guide for the approx cost of various electric appliances at the new ofgem unit rate from Oct 1, 2022 of 52p per kWh for electricity. As we know anyone not on a fixed unit rate will see the unit rates increase by 80% come 1 st October. If anyone is coming off a fixed unit rate that started before last October the % increase will be even bigger.

British Gas standard variable rate, whatever those figures are

We have another 13 months on a fixed rate tariff of standing charge 25p/day and unit rate 22.61p.

average daily use is around 6kwh so our average month (over the last 6 months) is £40+VAT + £6ish standing charge and we’re a family of 4. Some peoples general use is sky high, we’ve always given monthly reads on the 1st every month

I assume that reading is for a quarter OP. We pay £390 per quarter DD for a 1960s 2 bed cottage flat. We have our tv on standby though, use the oven at least once a day and have a tumble dryer. We have not been told what they want to put our DD up to but are around £350 in credit at the moment however we will use that quickly from next month as we’re in Scotland and overnight temperatures are already dropping to 8 degrees.

Start taking and sending them monthly meter readings as we did this and overnight our account changed from us owing them £30 to us being £80 in credit.

To add to the above, someone last week helpfully gave the new ofgem cap unit rates beginning on October 1 for electricity and gas which I screenshot. I fixed my mum’s about ten days before that and the unit rates offered were just slightly above this, but the fixed rates now seem to have increased further and above the ofgem cap. Further rises in the ofgem cap unit rate are expected in January. The other unknown is what new help the govt may provide in the coming weeks.

So what was your useage for gas and electric in kWh in 2021?

This figures should be in the provider's letter suggesting the new fix.

I can only assume you are have massive consumption for such high projected costs.

Do you live in Buckingham Palace?

Just before someone tells me I’m lying 🤥

I'll be using my drier to finish things off once they're in from the line, nothing will get dry otherwise with the heating on so little,not in my house anyway.

My DD is £95, bill last month £55
1100kwh electric, 5100 gas pa
On a fix. 36p p/kwh, 25p p/day electric and 9.7p p/kwh and 26p p/day gas

@QforCucumber, do you know what your average monthly cost is over the winter months? I am v thankful I am on a fixed rate for one more year, similar unit prices to you. My bill between April to September is about £40 a month for duel fuel, winter £100 a month, as have to use an electric heater.

@Friars23 on this rate we were using in jan and feb (coldest months with a toddler) around £137 a month actual useage.

that was heating at 18.5 when it would click on and off as needed, lights on and a tumble drier load every few days.

we do both work ft and no one in the house between 8:45 - 4:15 most days, but otherwise the tv is never off 🤦🏽‍♀️ And we aren’t over careful but do have A rated appliances

So you don't forget to pay. Also, there's usually a small discount for DD but I can't honestly remember if that still applies.

Flushing the toilet doesn’t use gas or electric

This can't be right. Go back and read carefully.
What is your annual usage in kWh - this should be on the quote.

Are they offering you a stupidly high fixed rate in the hope you'll take it? Are you a business or a huge house?

For instance my usage on current rates is about £3000. On October rates £5700. Eon are quoting me fixed deals of £7300 and £8800 I won't be taking them up.

Thanks @QforCucumber. I should say I live alone in a small flat but am housebound due to illness so not typical use.

I know this doesn't apply to the OP but some American fridge freezers are about £1 day just being on. Having said that, saw an A rated ff today (not American style). It cost 1779:00 ☹️ But it's annual kWh was 110. Incredible. So the tech is improving.