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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be on the verge of tears at our monster electricity bill

111 replies

pollyspantry · 07/01/2013 14:17

I was only saying to DH last night, "I expect that we'll get an electricity bill soon as we've been paying estimated bills since we moved into new house with new provider"

It just arrived.

  • We provided a reading when we moved in in May 2012
  • The reading that this new bill was based on was taken at the very end of Nov 2012, so this is for 7 months of electricity mostly over the summer
  • The house is heated by gas, and we don't have any pricey electric heaters or anything

I think we've been paying around £80 a month estimated and I expected an outstanding bill to reach £300ish, maybe a little more.

The bill is £1000 - £1200 with VAT. For 7 mths. Not including the estimated bills already paid.

I want to cry. I'm on maternity leave and not due back at work until May (not that I'll earn anything at all as I'll be paying entire salary into childcare)

Can this be right??? I have a horrible feeling it must be, as they don't often get it wrong, do they?

Is this really how much it costs to run 1 x TV, 1 x dishwasher, 1 x washing machine, charging phones & laptops and light for 8 hours a day in a 4-bed house? (but the bedroom lights must only be on for about 3 hours a day!?!)

OP posts:
valiumredhead · 07/01/2013 14:19

That sounds mad! Flipping heck! Ring them up asap.

MrsHuxtable · 07/01/2013 14:21

Sounds an awful lot to me. I can't imagine that would be right, especially not if it doesn't even include your heating.

5dcsinneedofacleaner · 07/01/2013 14:21

Ours for a 3 bed semi is £110 a month which apparently no longer covers it. YANBU to be upset it is our biggest bill next to rent (more than council tax even)

monal · 07/01/2013 14:23

They frequently get it wrong. Call them up with your current reading, your initial reading and the amounts you have paid, and don't panic yet.

PandaOnAPushBike · 07/01/2013 14:23

Are the meter readings they have based it on correct?

Original poster
pollyspantry · 07/01/2013 14:25

Who wants to be the first to call me a fool when I realise that we didn't write down the original reading. DH set up all the utilities, and I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if, when he gets home, he looks at me blankly and says "what reading? when? am I supposed to keep things like that?"

Wish me luck

OP posts:
allgoingtoshitnow · 07/01/2013 14:25

Make sure they used the figures you provided for May. If not then perhaps you are paying for electricity use by the previous occupiers.

Are there any shared or communal services that you use (say an electric gate or a lift or something?). Its not beyond landlords to sneakily put the power for that sort of thing through a tenants home.

1000 is a lot for 7 summer months....

Original poster
pollyspantry · 07/01/2013 14:26

I've just popped out and the Nov reading was 65528 and today reads 68568 - so that's about 6 weeks on.
I have no idea if that's realistic.

I will also have to pray I can find the original reading

OP posts:
nightshade · 07/01/2013 14:28

Extortionate. Definitely wrong. We pay approx. £140 a quarter for 3 bed semi.

OwlLady · 07/01/2013 14:28

are you with eon by any chance?

I live ina 3 bed semi and they charge me £250 for electricity alone (we have no gas) but I went online and they are trying to charge me for electricity that was used before I moved in (over 2 years ago now) The trouble is it's been going on for months and I am getting nowhere with them

Spatsky · 07/01/2013 14:28

That's loads and surely can't be right. We are crap at conserving energy and run similar appliances etc and we pay about 200 a quarter, maybe 250 so I would have thought your bill should be half that is you hadn't paid anything at all I. That 7 months. I would look into it.

mummywithnosleep · 07/01/2013 14:29

Ok, First DON´T Panic

Second have you checked the meter readings, both when you moved in and now against the bill and the meter?

Second according to their figures and if I understood your OP correctly that means an bill of 222.80 plus vat per month, which is I feel rediculous.

What part of that is standing charge?

Next which electric company is it?

You need to phone them and explain that that bill is beyond afforability and you don´t see how is can be correct.

Occassionally you can get some problems from the previous owner. I did, I suplied my meter reading on moving in, but the previous onwer supplied a totally different one and had not let the electric board in for months / years in fact to check it. They wanted me to 3000 gbp in 2 months, but once I explained the situation and they checked their records it was definately not my fault and they chased the previous owner for the money she had owed for over several years.

You can also get faulty meters so unplug everything and see if the meter is still turning. If it is then there is a problem either there is something still plug in, or running some where else, or your meter is broken.

Check you don´t have any wires going somewhere else like into the loft etc where a light may have been left on. Also check you don´t have any wires running out side etc.

If all of this proves that you do owe the money you can set up a repayment plan. Also look at changing to a more afforable company or banding.

Why has it taken them 7month to send you an accurate bill?

If you get estimated readings you can always phone them up with the real meter reading each month.

Spatsky · 07/01/2013 14:29

*if you hadn't paid anything at all, which you have

glitch · 07/01/2013 14:31

My electricity for 2 months was only 700 units (3 bed terrace). Have you double checked your reading as you seem to have got through 3000 units there !!!!Shock

Original poster
pollyspantry · 07/01/2013 14:33

It's Utility Warehouse. We use them for electricity, gas, phone, internet, mobiles

Thanks so much for the advice - when baby settles I will start working through it as I would be stunned to learn we'd actually used so much in 7 summer months.

My children are toddlers and babies so it's not even like I have teenagers with millions of gadgets

OP posts:
mummywithnosleep · 07/01/2013 14:33

Ok, 3000units over 6 weeks.

Go and unplug everything and I mean everything. and go and look at your meter. Is it still turning?????

glitch · 07/01/2013 14:33

Good advice from mummywithnosleep. Sounds like a faulty meter. Turn everything off now to check.

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 07/01/2013 14:34

This happened to us. We receivedsn enormous bill causing a mad panic that somethin in house was malfunctioning and eating electricity. Turned out that when they had rung to take a reading they had rounded a number up instead of rounding down like they were supposed to. It's a mistake it has to be!!!

ihearsounds · 07/01/2013 14:41

3000 units in 6 weeks :o

I have a 3 bed - dishwasher, washer, drier, couple of tv's sky, games consoles. Never mind several mobiles, laptops, ds's and vitas that are constantly getting charged... I pay £32 a month. I owe them nothing.

Have you got an immersion heater for the hot water? After having some works done, mine was left on. Realized very quickly when my electricity shot up.

meah · 07/01/2013 14:41

You have my sympathy its not alot i know but i felt the exact same way a few weeks ago when i got my first 'metered' water bill through, the area i live in has now been forced to have water meters installed and my bill is just over £800 for 6months (nearly 3 x more in price) i dont use a dishwasher have Economy washing machine heating etc dont drink tap water rarely use a kettle im a messy bugger so washing up doesnt always get done every day Blush and after asking others who do have dishwashers and wash up by hand i discovered that their bill was just over £600. for my gas and elec ive always insisted on having pre payment meters

ihearsounds · 07/01/2013 14:42

Sorry the grin was a Shock

Original poster
pollyspantry · 07/01/2013 14:45

OK so I've just raided the filing cabinet in DH's office. Turns out they've only been charging us £40 a month for electricity and the big portion of the bill was us slightly over-paying on the gas bill.

So I now have a horrible feeling we may owe £1000+VAT?

But that still doesn't explain 3000 units in 6/7 weeks INCLUDING 10 days over christmas when we weren't here and everything was turned off.....

OP posts:
wannabedreams · 07/01/2013 14:45

Hope it's wrong OP and you get it sorted.

diabolo · 07/01/2013 14:48

I'm in a 4 bed detached with oil central heating, electric used only for appliances, lights etc. and I pay on average £150 a quarter.

Something is wrong somewhere OP - has someone else hacked in to your supply?

Jins · 07/01/2013 14:48

We pay between £100 and £150 a month and we're very heavy electricty users. 3000+ units is an awful lot for 6 weeks. About £400 on our tariff I think.

I think you need to get your meter checked.