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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

93 years old- fuel bill

82 replies

catchingzzzeds · 03/04/2022 22:11

How on earth am I going to deal with this? I've been paying my grandmother's bills through my account for years because she didn't have a bank account, she would then give me the cash the following month.

She is with British Gas and her bill is going up from £86 per month to £214.
She receives help with her rent and a state pension, I really don't know how I'm going to have this conversation with her without upsetting her. I wish I could just pay it for her but I just don't have the money.
I feel sick.

OP posts:

Birdy272 · 03/04/2022 22:12

That's a fucking disgrace.

FTMFML · 03/04/2022 22:14

I’m sure Martin Lewis said the energy company should not be going above 60% your grans bill has over doubled!!
I’d be putting in a phone call… not that we have yet ours has also doubled.
It’s scandalous 😞

SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 03/04/2022 22:15

It's awful.

As well as help with her rent, she/you should be claiming Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance and Council Tax discount if you aren't already.

TwoDaysOff · 03/04/2022 22:23

Thats terrible!

missymayhemsmum · 03/04/2022 22:55

Agree with above, see if you can persuade her to do a benefits check with age concern/ citizens advice, make sure she is getting everything she is entitled to. People over 90 are usually entitled to Attendance Allowance, which would be better called Independence Allowance as it helps people afford care or help they need like taxi, hairdresser, cleaner, extra heating. There may also be help with energy efficiency and insulation. Also see if British Gas will lower the direct debit. If your gran watches TV/listens to radio/reads papers she will have heard about bills going up, she is probably worrying about it already.

LittleOwl153 · 03/04/2022 23:17

Energy bills are a nightmare there must be alot of older folks in this situation who just don't believe it has gone up that much as it is such a lot of money compared to their earnings.

It is worth you looking at getting your gran a basic bank account which she can give you access over and maybe power of attorneys set up OP so that you can continue to sort all this for her.

BluebellsGreenbells · 03/04/2022 23:18

Can you claim caters allowance for her?

LardyDee · 03/04/2022 23:34

Attendance Allowance, even at the lower daytime rate, is about £250 a month, it would cover her gas bill. You might have to be "creative" on the form (which is terrifyingly long) and emphasise how bad things could be for her on a very bad day rather than how they usually are. But I get the sense that for anyone of her age there is a presumption that she qualifies, and they are very unlikely to check.

And I agree with getting power of attorney for her and dealing with her finances through her own bank account, not yours. The power might come in useful if she loses capacity at some point, and it makes sense to keep her finances entirely separate from yours.

jimmyhill · 04/04/2022 01:08

They have calculated her direct debit incorrectly then, prices have gone up about 50%, so £86 per month to £214 per month is not right.

She's a vulnerable customer. Get on to British Gas and make that point. Should be easy enough to show from previous meter readings how much energy she typically uses.

dipdye · 04/04/2022 01:11

As if you don't have enough on your plate op!

LBFseBrom · 04/04/2022 01:21

How big is your grandmother's house? That seems an awful lot for one to pay every month. I live alone in a three bedroomed semi detached house and my monthly bill for gas and electricity is £87. I have the heating on all the time unless we have a heat wave and use hot water, dishwasher etc.

I think there must have been a mistake somewhere and the bill should be queried. Maybe your grandmother doesn't submit meter readings and it's assessed. Do find out as soon as possible.

Cheesecakeandwineinasuitcase · 04/04/2022 01:58

@FTMFML

I’m sure Martin Lewis said the energy company should not be going above 60% your grans bill has over doubled!! I’d be putting in a phone call… not that we have yet ours has also doubled. It’s scandalous 😞

I’ve been following an energy support group on Facebook and I’ve read countless posts on there from people saying their bills have been increased by crazy amounts. Someone on this site posted that it cost them £1.50 today just to use the oven for 20 minutes. The energy companies are taking it in and taking advantage of the situation 😡

Cheesecakeandwineinasuitcase · 04/04/2022 01:58

raking not taking

HelenMirrensWeightedBlanket · 04/04/2022 02:06

@jimmyhill

They have calculated her direct debit incorrectly then, prices have gone up about 50%, so £86 per month to £214 per month is not right.

She's a vulnerable customer. Get on to British Gas and make that point. Should be easy enough to show from previous meter readings how much energy she typically uses.

Is that true? My bill’s gone up 70%, from £130 per month to £220. I live alone in a 2-bed flat.

Friend who also lives in a 2-bed flat is seeing exactly the same rise, as is another friend who lives alone in a 3-bed house.

Umbellypico · 04/04/2022 03:06

I paid £26pm (live without heating) and my bill has gone up to £86. More than 3 times as much.

M0nica44 · 04/04/2022 03:58

My mum's electric company tried to increase hers by a similar amount (all electric flat). I phoned them and said it was ridiculously high and asked them to relook, they reduced it significantly. I have a nasty feeling we are just postponing the inevitable, but for now it is doable. Worth a try i think. I do believe they are increasing over what is needed in order to get as much money up front iykwim.
Good luck, its so worrying

ivykaty44 · 04/04/2022 04:44

Have you actually read the meter at your grandmothers house? Have her bills been estimated? Or are you giving monthly readings if your grandmother doesn’t have a smart meter?

The direct debit monthly payment is an estimate of usage over 12 month, not an actual bill

Original poster

catchingzzzeds · 04/04/2022 05:39

Thank you all, I will look into all your suggestions.

To answer a few questions, it's a 3 bed house that she has lived in for over 60 years.
I send monthly meter readings so the usage calculation should be correct.
I don't think she receives Attendance Allowance so I'll look into that.
She does now have a bank account as they recently changed the way pensions are received.
She will be aware of this being discussed on the news but she gets very confused about money, confuses a 20 pence coin with £20 for example.

OP posts:

Original poster

catchingzzzeds · 04/04/2022 06:56

I'm off work next week so I'll call British Gss, I have to wait until I can be with her so she can verify that I can speak on her behalf. I'll come back to the thread and let you know what they say.
I'll apply for the Allowance benefit online tonight.
I'm really grateful for all your advice and shared outrage.

OP posts:

camelfinger · 04/04/2022 07:02

I understand that quite a lot of energy companies are increasing the direct debits by over 100% to ensure their customers remain well in credit. I heard some had theirs put up by a similar amount, even though they are one a fixed rate until next year, and use very little energy. Although the standing charge has gone up, the biggest expense in terms of absolute cost and increase is electricity. So if you don’t use excess amounts it shouldn’t be as high as what they’ve put the direct debit up to. It’s really unfair that they are doing this, especially to vulnerable people, but you do ultimately pay for what you use so hopefully a call to the supplier (if you can get through!) will help to soften the blow.

BarbaraofSeville · 04/04/2022 07:06

You first need to help her apply for everything she is entitled to. She will at least be entitled to some extra money such that she should have sufficient income to heat her house and eat properly, and pay her other bills even with the price rises.

You then also need to talk to her energy company but first look at her bills. Don't assume they're correct or that what she's been paying has been enough. If her DD hasn't increased recently, she might have a big debt to repay from the winter just gone.

On the matter of 'why has my DD gone up by more than 54%' then yes, some companies have been sneaky, but in a lot of cases, people are only now coming off cheap fixes from a year ago that were cheaper than the April 21 price cap, so they need to incorporate increases in April and October 21 and April 22 and pay off debt, and that could quite easily translate into a 250% increase or even slightly more if their use has also increased.

There may also be special tariffs for vulnerable customers and extra grants so ask about those too, depending on her financial circumstances.

Look on the dedicated section on the BG website or Moneysaving Expert has a link to Cost of Living Crisis help on it's home page.

Original poster

catchingzzzeds · 04/04/2022 07:18

Even if she hadn't been paying enough she was £700 in credit a couple of weeks ago, that's now down to £70. I'm really hoping there has been a mistake somewhere.

She can't leave the house so the heating is on 24/7 and the tv is on 6-8 everyday. But she can't shower or bath, doesn't use the gas oven and the washing machine is in once a week. I'll let you know what they say.

OP posts:

BarbaraofSeville · 04/04/2022 07:34

How long was the £630 bill she's received over? If that was 2/3 months over winter, for a house with the heating on 24/7 that could well be correct even before the price rises.

What's her heating system and insulation like? If she's housebound so therefore not getting out and about in the local area, would she be open to moving somewhere smaller and cheaper to heat?

BarbaraofSeville · 04/04/2022 07:35

Sorry, forgot to add that if it's a council property, they often have incentives for people willing to move to free up underoccupied properties.

Original poster

catchingzzzeds · 04/04/2022 07:51

It's not a council property, I've tried several times to get her to move in with me but she won't.
The bill is for October-April

OP posts:

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