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Original poster

British gas and meter readings!

37 replies

helpsm · 08/12/2021 17:09

British gas has asked for meter readings again, I'm on a fixed plan until March.

I moved house is April and since then they keep putting my monthly payment up, at my last house I was paying £60 a month now I'm paying £94! And they have said my readings seem high meaning they will put the price up again!

What can I do? I don't have the heating on through the night, any plug socket not in use is switched of I'm so confused!

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dementedpixie · 08/12/2021 17:13

I'm with Octopus and get asked for monthly meter readings. It helps keep your account up to date and stops you running up a large debt

Fixed plan means your unit price is fixed. If you use more energy you pay more for it.

What is your monthly usage like?

arethereanyleftatall · 08/12/2021 17:14

Monthly meter readings are normal.

PinkAndPurpleClouds · 08/12/2021 17:16

They only ask for mine every 6 months. Every month seems OTT. I am with BG too.

Original poster
helpsm · 08/12/2021 17:17

@dementedpixie but it doesn't make sense that the meters keep going up when I'm using the same amount, if anything I used more electric through the summer I had fans on, air con and electrics heaters as I was drying plaster but yet the meters have gone up since October!

This is the readings

British gas and meter readings!
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dementedpixie · 08/12/2021 17:18

I like doing monthly readings. They give an up to date balance of my account and how much I have used in gas and electricity over the month. I can adjust my payment up and down online too depending on whether I'm in credit or debit

Original poster
helpsm · 08/12/2021 17:18

😄☺️*@PinkAndPurpleClouds* they last asked in October, actually they sent someone out!

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Original poster
helpsm · 08/12/2021 17:21

@dementedpixie I can't afford more than what I'm paying now thats my problem I'm already at capacity, I don't understand how it can keep going up when my use of electric has actually gone down a lot now the house is plastered

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dementedpixie · 08/12/2021 17:21

[quote helpsm]@dementedpixie but it doesn't make sense that the meters keep going up when I'm using the same amount, if anything I used more electric through the summer I had fans on, air con and electrics heaters as I was drying plaster but yet the meters have gone up since October!

This is the readings [/quote]
Readings in isolation don't mean much. How much have you used since your last readings?

Maybe the payment you are making isn't enough to cover your usage which is why the payment is increasing. Do you have a credit or debit balance?

dementedpixie · 08/12/2021 17:22

Check whether you are in credit or debit. Sometimes the utility companies try to increase your payment but if you're in credit you could ask for it to stay as it is.

Original poster
helpsm · 08/12/2021 17:23

@dementedpixie at the minute it says I will be £12 in credit in April but now iv give them readings again it said "are you sure, those readings seem high" which it said last time and it went up £14 a month to keep me on track Sad

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MuttsNutts · 08/12/2021 17:25

If you only moved house in April you can’t compare your usage now with that of the same time last year.

You say you don’t have heating on through the night but for most of the time you’ve been in the house you probably haven’t had the heating on much at all until now.

Your overall usage is bound to be higher during the winter.

dementedpixie · 08/12/2021 17:25

If you have gas central heating is it on a thermostat and timer. Is it a combi boiler or do you have a hot water cylinder?
Do you use a tumble dryer as anything that cools or heats will use up electricity?

dementedpixie · 08/12/2021 17:27

Do you have a digital meter or one with dials?
If dials are you reading it correctly?

Original poster
helpsm · 08/12/2021 17:27

@MuttsNutts I had the heating on in summer to dry the plaster out Blush I can understand the gas part going up but its actually the electric part that they said seemed high

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Original poster
helpsm · 08/12/2021 17:31

@dementedpixie its a new boiler with a portable bluetooth controller, new radiators the house stays really warm so I don't need to keep the heating on or put it on a timer

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dementedpixie · 08/12/2021 17:31

This was my usage last month. We use a lot of electricity and not so much gas. Gas will increase as it gets colder

British gas and meter readings!
AKAanothername · 08/12/2021 17:32

Unless I'm reading it wrong, you've input your electricity reading incorrectly. Check your readings.

Original poster
helpsm · 08/12/2021 17:32

@dementedpixie digital meter and yes I use a dryer but iv used it all year the same

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dementedpixie · 08/12/2021 17:32

[quote helpsm]@dementedpixie its a new boiler with a portable bluetooth controller, new radiators the house stays really warm so I don't need to keep the heating on or put it on a timer [/quote]
Do you have a hot water cylinder though and is it a combi?

Original poster
helpsm · 08/12/2021 17:33

@dementedpixie I'm not sure what that is I just have a boiler nothing else

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Original poster
helpsm · 08/12/2021 17:34

Electric

British gas and meter readings!
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Original poster
helpsm · 08/12/2021 17:35

Gas

British gas and meter readings!
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dementedpixie · 08/12/2021 17:35

I think you're right about the electricity reading @AKAanothername as the original reading had 5 digits and the one OP has input only has 4 digits so

MuttsNutts · 08/12/2021 17:36

Can you post a photo of your electricity meter (including reading) so that we can see what kind it is? Mine only has 5 digits plus two that aren’t used.

Original poster
helpsm · 08/12/2021 17:36

@dementedpixie @AKAanothername this confused me also

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