Another energy price moan

[Angelswithflirtyfaces]

I know everyone sick of this but AIBU to be fed up with getting an email from British Gas today 'warning me' of the price hike which given my current use is totally scaremongering and grabby.
I moved house in October, the previous owners supplier went bust so after contacting several energy companies including British gas, noone knew the supplier here.
I carried on using, putting money aside for when they needed paying.
In Feb British gas got in contact saying we owed £615 since Oct.
After correct meter readings given they agreed I was being overcharged and so we paid in full £510 for gas and elec from Oct to beg Feb.
Turns out there is a smart meter and found the display tracker in the loft.
Now it would have been high from Oct to Feb as it was winter. I was off sick until end of Nov. Plus house needed lots of building work the whole if this period.
According to tracker ( our daily useage for both is average of £3.70 as frugal with it and trying to cut down in readiness for it exploding in price this year.
So why have they emailed saying it is going to be £1393 for gas and £797 for electric! In total £ 2200!! I worked out in winter its about £80 a month so a max of £120 with rise for 5 months of year then about £80 for the other 7. So a max of £1020 even with massive rise in April. How can they claim its going to be double that. Is it because I payed my bill ( now DD) and know I good to pay?
I barely have heating on now sat here with hooded blanket thing. Use airer instead of tumble dryer. Shower at gym, use pressure cooker/ slow cooker. To think I have to pay 2k a year to sit here in the cold is really upsetting.
Tried to call/ web chat kept getting cut off what now? Anyone else got unfair and scary projections based on fiction??

It's really hard to comment because you haven't mentioned any actual usage in kWh at all. And what they've estimated for the next year doesn't mean you will have to pay that, it's a guide based on your current use. If there's all these factors that means during the period they based the calculations on, you were using way more than usual, then it's not really scaremongering is it? They wouldn't know those things, that you were off sick and building work was being done etc. What else do they have to go off? And I'm sure they already take into account energy use is higher in winter.

If they are going on previous year, previous owners worked from home during pandemic throughout.
We are both out from 8 to 5 except weekends.
Only 2 adults in small house. Kw used last month 77.7kwh elec
686 kwh gas last month?

Just refuse to set up a direct debit and pay what you use each month. They are certainly being extremely grabby with their projections and I would rather the money was in my account than theirs.

You said you're using £3.70 per day on average, which works out to £1350.50 a year. With a 53% increase, as will be the average increase on SVR in April, then that makes it out to £2066.27 so doesn't seem so far off? But I have no idea at all what you're paying per unit now and what you will be paying per unit after the increase, nor your standing charge etc. Lots of factors that we don't know from your OP. You can adjust your direct debit to what you want, mine was cheeky and set it much higher than what it should be so I lowered it. Energy is cheaper paid by direct debit, so if you want to cancel it and pay monthly based on use go for it but there will be additional cost for that as well. If you overpay on direct debit it will be credited to your account anyway.

You said you're using £3.70 per day on average, which works out to £1350.50 a year. With a 53% increase, as will be the average increase on SVR in April, then that makes it out to £2066.27 so doesn't seem so far off?

^ this, unfortunately. We were paying £85 a month in August, from April our estimate is £180... it's shit.

You need to know your yearly KWH for electricity and gas.

Saying what you pay doesn't mean much as we all pay different amounts for energy.

Also check the standing charge costs. Mine are almost doubling, so regardless of how much I cut down my usage my bill will still be increasing

Mine is going from £85pm to £185pm with the same usage

@PositiveLife

Also check the standing charge costs. Mine are almost doubling, so regardless of how much I cut down my usage my bill will still be increasing

Absolutely. It's like they knew everyone would cut energy use to try and claw back some of the costs, so they went and doubled standing costs on top. I know it's Ofgem who set it and not the energy companies, but it genuinely feels criminal.

It does feel criminal! Yes looking at it that way it isnt far off. I looked on a website and according to my average useage we are considered a low user, yet it still going to be over 2k a year!! I dread to think how much for people with large families, babies clothes to wash and dry/ cook for.
I think if it carries on like this crime will go through the roof and people will riot...

I managed to cap the direct debit to £90 a month but now they are saying I will be £1187 in debt for the year. Absolutely stupid for all they know I might live abroad half the year. So sick of these greedy companies. I dont think I will see prosperity in my lifetime again.

Do you live abroad for half the year? I'm guessing you'd still have to pay the standing charge regardless unfortunately, unless you have the house disconnected (not sure how that would work!).
Unfortunately if you pay less, you are likely to build up debt. All you can do to bring it down a bit is cut down usage and give regular readings so you only pay for what you use rather than estimates.

£90 a month is really low on SVR given your usage... I use less than you and my projection for next year is lower than yours and I've set my direct debit to be £143 which is sufficient. You are going to rack up a lot of debt only paying £90. I think you are underestimating how much energy costs have actually gone up. Are you getting confused about the projection and think that you are tied into paying that amount for the year? Because I can assure you that is not the case. You will pay for what you use. If you overpay it will be credited back to you.

So why have they emailed saying it is going to be £1393 for gas and £797 for electric! In total £ 2200!! I worked out in winter its about £80 a month so a max of £120 with rise for 5 months of year then about £80 for the other 7. So a max of £1020 even with massive rise in April. How can they claim its going to be double that. Is it because I payed my bill ( now DD) and know I good to pay

What have you worked it out on?

What do you think your usage is in KWH and what do they think it is?

The daily charge works out at about £15 a month for electricity and about £8 a month for gas. So that's £23 a month just on charges.

I think we are low users and I have worked out an estimate for April 22 to April 23 with a rough guess at what the costs will be in October and a new price cap. Costs will obviously go up in October and we will be entering winter months again when gas demand goes up.

I am looking at about £120 a month - Gas about 8000 KWH per year and electricity about 1500 KWH per year.

£23 a month on charges is disgusting. No I am not going abroad but if life here carries on I will be rethinking retirement in this country. My average use is low as I worked out on actual smart tracker readings, especially as it is still (albeit mild winter) and we work in the day. Anymore cutting out will involve TV off and sitting with candles on, but kind of dont want to feel transported back to Victorian times
I am on standard variable rate, but it is what it is. I going to pay the direct debit the same and keep the rest in my account so I still get the discount, British gas been so difficult to deal with would rather owe them. I am sure they will get in touch with me then rather than me trying to contact them for hours without success. I miss th 90's when everything was cheaper and easier

@cakeorwine yes about same as me ( I also checked on old bills in old but bigger house) downsized as just the two of us.
Mobile bills gone up, petrol, most things gone up really, but alas no pay rises. We are worse off now than 2 years ago. Living abroad in a warmer country starting to look very appealing right now.

Please make sure you are putting enough aside each month if underpaying, it would be a shame if you left yourself vulnerable to building up a large debt that you can't afford.

I think that if you build up too much of a debt with an energy company, they then have the right to put in a pre-payment meter?

Personally, I have decided to pay my bill by direct debit but will pay it on receipt instead of building up debit or credit. Save money in summer for the winter months.

If you get put on a pre-payment meter it will be even costlier.

@cuno definitely will do I have (never have been) in debt, but wondering if a lot of people genuinely cant afford even basic energy use and cant pay, will it go up even higher for the rest of us?
I just cant see people keeping up with this constant price rises for everything. There is going to be a massive divide soon. Life will be pretty bleak if you work just to make basic needs. I think resentment will brew. I dont mind laying on sofa with a blanket but if you have young children it must be very hard. I hope we have an early spring. Or at least convert to double summer time for good

There's going to be a huge rise in people illegally bypassing their meters to reduce their bills.

Those occasional news stories that we see about houses exploding from dodgy gas connections are going to become a lot more frequent as people become more desperate.

My friend in southern Spain is costing up solar panels as their energy bills have nearly doubled - it's not just the UK.

@Billandben444 good idea if in a hot country. Loads of new estates being built here. Not one new build has solar panels! Surely it should be standard now.
I am going to write to MP to campaign for double summer time. It would save a lot of money in winter and summer which would be much needed. Its awful to feel so helpless at the moment

[quote Angelswithflirtyfaces]@Billandben444 good idea if in a hot country. Loads of new estates being built here. Not one new build has solar panels! Surely it should be standard now.
I am going to write to MP to campaign for double summer time. It would save a lot of money in winter and summer which would be much needed. Its awful to feel so helpless at the moment[/quote]
Doesn't need to be a hot country (though the more hours of direct sunlight the better). Hopefully developers will be forced to install solar in order to meet energy efficiency ratings for new homes.