I can't get my head around my energy bill, can you explain it?

[splatfrog]

So, I live in a small flat.

Direct debit normally £79
Correct gas & electric amount used £52
Gov subsidy £66
I was actually debited £13

BUT, my amount on credit with them went UP by £79 in the same month..🤔It's making my brain hurt trying to work it out. I must be missing something. I don't get:

1. how my credit went up by exactly £79
2. If I only used £52 of energy, surely the gov subsidy covers it all, so why was I charged £13?

I feel like I'm having a senior moment here...

My normal direct debit was reduced by the amount of the government subsidy, so £79-£66 = £13 charge. You pay the same direct debit amount each month regardless of how much you use. The idea is that it averages out over the year. So, this month you use less, next month you might use more but in a year your total payments = the amount used in a year.

Presumably you pay by fixed DD and not on receipt of bill? In which case, your payment each month is still £79. Your DD is reduced by the £66 and you pay £13. So you should be in credit on your account now.

You are both correct so far, but what doesn't make sense is that the amount I have on credit with the energy company has increased by £79 in the same month too..

Has your bill only just come in? Sometimes my transactions don't add up properly until a few days after. How much credit were you in last month?

Have you checked the balance online or had the proper bill?

I'm with utilita and they refunded the £66 into my bank. When I looked on the app it also showed the £66 being added to my account so I thought I'd had it twice.

But on the proper bill it has even added and taken away again. So you have had £66 plus £13 credited to your account but they will take £66 back off.

I assume it is just because your bill is required to show it in some way.

The details above are from my latest bill. My credit was £259 and is now £338.

I'm still no clearer...

You need to look back at previous bills to see when your dd payments went in. Sometimes, my six monthly bill has seven payments, other months only six, depending on when the meter was read or estimated.

So the bill you just had might have been credited by your dd if it went in just before the bill date, next month you should find your credit balance will be lower as one less dd payment t will go in.

it really depends on bill date - what was credit before the gov subsidy and your dd was paid - add this up then take away full bill. You say 13 quid but could it be nearer 14. 66 subsidy and 52 used would be the 14 profit you made this month.

I've got it now - many thanks! There's so much information on a bill it's pages & pages of breakdown that's why I got confused. I read the account credit as being the current state but it isn't. It's where I was before the bill was subtracted. Thank you all!