To think this bill cannot be correct?

[MotherOfBleach]

I recieved a letter from my gas company telling me they owe me £500.

Which is excellent.

I'm beyond skint. I've already spent every penny and was looking forward to have a coat, more than one pair of pants etc.

They asked for an updated meter reading as they estimated my last one.

Their estimated reading was 1439.

My actual reading was 1435.

I filled in their online form and sat back and waited for my money.

They say I owe them £700

They've put my gas bill upto £76 per month which is almost three times what I was paying.

I feel sick. I cannot afford this. At all.

If is this correct I will need them to turn the gas supply off.

Maybe your sister made a mistake when she called in the meter reading? Got one of the numbers wrong?

Can you cancel the DD with your bank? Buy you a bit more time anyway

Utilities are rubbish at setting DDs accurately

Really, Derelict?

They put the electric up too from £76 p/m to £124 p/m

But I didn't question that because I did buy a little electric fire when we were all freezing our arses off last time the boiler broke.

We also use a tumble dryer and have double glazing.

PuffPaw, the email they sent me thanked me for the reading I gave and the number was the same as the one I gave her.

Unless I read the meter wrong?

It's too dark in the cupboard to read it again now and I have no torch. I'll look again in the morning and then try and find a phone from somewhere.

I once gave the wrong reading by adding on the extra digit have the . geez it took ages to sort out.

I'm sure they've made a mistake and I hope it's sorted quickly.

OP i have a big tank for LPG - we aren't on the mains. We pay about that for 2-3 months in a really really cold winter. And LPG is excruciatingly expensive.

Add that to the fact that your actual reading is LESS than their estinated one, and their estimation meant a refund, this simply cannot be right. Either the calculations in the letter were wrong and there never was a refund or the new figures are wrong.

Does it go on to say minus payments already made?

Op...how old is the bill as anything older than a year you dont have to pay due to the back billing legislation. If less than a year they need to offer you a payment plan. Phone them up and talk to them with correct meter readings. Good luck.

So you're paying 29 per month gas on top of 124 per month electric?

Either you're on the world's worst tariff or somethings going wrong.

Do you have any actual bills to see the rate per kWh that you're paying?

Does your online account show the last actual reading you had (not estimated) you should be able to use this reading, the date of the reading and the latest accurate reading to work out what has been used.

I do think gas and electricity companies deliberately under charge sometimes. I was on a fixed price for one year, paying 120 per month (slightly over what they wanted). I was a little in credit at the 11 month point. They sent me a reminder that my fixed deal was ending. It clearly said my monthly payment was going to drop and they had put £50 refund into my account. The new payment was £70. Yet the bottom part of the bill said on the standard variable tariff was going to cost £1830 per annum based on my annual usage. So I would have been almost a £1000'in deficit had this continued for a year.

This was a big 6 company. I rarely use a big 6 company, and have never seen this with a smaller supplier. I had already started to switch but wonder how many get conned by the idea the new deal is great, my bill has gone down so I must be paying less.

Citizens advice and/or money saving expert websites should be able to give sensible advice.

Don't panic, it rally sounds as though they've fucked up your bill and it's completely wrong. On the very small chance they're correct a payment plan can be agreed according to what you can afford - even if it's £2/week. Deep breaths, you'll be ok. X

kWh at 3.83p for gas

kWh at 13.16p for electric.

I'm feeling calmer now you all agree something isn't quite right.

I will try to stay calmer until I get a phone and call them.

I might go to CAB tomorrow and ask them to help.

I had insane bills with British Gas. Changed and nothing like it since.

I have a prepayment meter and i put £10 in each of my meters (g & e) every week. Prepayment meters are meant to be more expensive.

I explained that pretty badly.

The bill says their 12 month projection is £914 electric and £798 gas on svr tariff. This is on the right of the bill.

Then in a larger box they mention my refund of £49 and advise my payments are decreasing (in capitals). They advise I will pay £93 a month for the next 12 months to 'keep your account generally on track'.

1712 - 1116 = 596 deficit. Generally on track my arse! Who the fuck would think that was generally on track!

This is how people run up a debt. The supplier knows how much I use per year. They know roughly what it will cost me. They tell me on the same bill. But to keep me from leaving/shopping around they decrease my direct debit 6 weeks prior to my fixed rate tariff ending.

I hope you get it sorted op. Post the figures and we will try to help.

Definitely go to CAB. The electric payment that they are asking in particular is ridiculous. If by some horrible way they are correct, get prepayment meters put in, pay off the debt then move fuel company.

Your rates are more expensive than mine so I'd say you should ask for a better tariff if you're not locked in to one now

If your meter is imperill that may well be correct. Does it have little clock faces? If it has little clock faces and the indicators is in between 2 numbers (if it's ever between 2 numbers) you always read the lower number - ensure you check you are reading the right way around with clock faces sometimes they alternate direction.

*imperial

... it really looks like the second digit in has been miss read at some point, and this could make a huge difference!

But Doughnuts they estimated and said she had overpaid, she gave them an accurate meter reading that was lower than their estimate and they have said that is 1200 quid more expensive. 1200 quid for using less gas than they thought?! How could that be right??

X posted - i see what you mean... I think...

Take your bills and readings to CAB. They can probably also help with the phone situation, too

No, it doesn't have clock faces.

They don't give me an estimated use or projection on the gas one, only the electric one.

For Gas it just says:
For the period 23 November 2016 to 25 May 2017

We owed £518.02 credit
Your payments, thank you £217 credit

The balance we owe you is £582.91

And then at the side it says

Your estimated reading 001439

Your monthly payment:

We are currently reviewing your account. We will contact you within 14 days.

On the back it says:
list of payments received (all £31, I actually thought I was paying £29 but they have me as payment received £31 every month)

Your total payment £217 credit

Gas you've used - estimated

Reading last time 1344
Reading this time 1439[e]

Your gas charges this period@

Standard enegery 3030.32 kWh at 3.83p = £116.06
Reduced standing charge at 15.66p = £28.81
VAt £7.24

Total charges £152.11

That's the bill - which I'll be honest, means nothing to me.

The email says:

We regret to inform your request for a refund has been unsuccessful as the balance you originally saw was estimated.

You kindly provided a meter reading which has corrected the bill up to a reading of 1435. You now have a catch up bill. Your debit balance is £696.78 and your direct debit has been increased from 28 June 2017 to cover this. You will be paying £76 per month.

Your corrected bill will be with you within three working days.

And then some bollocks about Being Green.