To think I shouldn't have to put my toddlers to bed in two jumpers and have to boil the kettle to fill a warm bath?

[AmIWhatAndWhy]

I'm getting bloody fed up. Our prepayment meter is now costing us £50 a week for gas, and we rarely use it. I'm certain there's a problem with the meter but nobody comes out to see it. You can bet if they expected we were being undercharged they'd be out in a flash.

So yet again our meter has run out after topping up by £20 yesterday so I had to do a kettle bath for the DC and I'll just have to be unwashed.

I know gas prices are high but this is just shite.

OK assuming that one doesn't have arrears but does have a pre-payment meter, how can it be morally justifiable or legal to charge more? Where's the logic?

none nametaken. Even those who do have arrears are paying more per unit, alongside the debt.
I believe that the energy watchdog are trying to pass a bill to stop this, it really is a 'poor people tax'

british gas changed our electric pre-payment metre for free as we stated that was the only reason we'd move supplier- don't know if its the same for gas (and the economy has changed since then), maybe try that? we changed that because whilst you can cope without gas for a night or two, you can't without electric.

i have written to my mp about this issue, nametaken, but as he is the terminally shite tony lloyd, nothing doing.

The thing is, if you boil kettles for baths and use the hairdryer to dry clothes, you're just gonna run up your electric bill instead.

You mentioned you and 2 kids. are you 3 the only ones living there, and are you there in the daytime as well as the evening?

Electric is quite cheap, about £20 a week. It's me DP and two toddlers, we are in most days.

LOL looking back at my previous thread, you may have got the impression I'm planning to burgle you whilst you're out. I'm not - honest - I was just trying to find out how much gas you're using.

Are you in a block of flats. It has been known for some tossers to redivert gas supplies to other residences.

And boiling the kettle for bath, using hairdryer for drying is a neccesity. My gas meter ran out today, I can only access it between 10 and 4 on weekdays. It's a massive pain in the bum. One christmas it ran out and we had to do our veg on the neighbours hob and huddle around the oil radiator at night. Merry fucking christmas.

nametaken, no we are in a 3 floor victorian conversion, we are over two floors and have a neighbour downstairs.

That has to be wrong. Even our electric doesn't cost that much (nearly, but not quite) - mind you we've switched off the heating. It's still heating hot water though plus all the other stuff.

I must say I'm very of the low monthly charges for gas that others are quoting. Make sure you insist they check it out for you.

nametaken, no we are in a 3 floor victorian conversion, we are over two floors and have a neighbour downstairs

hmmmmm, could your conversion be to blame? Could you be paying your neighbours gas too?

Gas bills do go down a bit when the kids start school. Why can you only access your meter between 10-4 on a week-day.

Thats ridiculous, we have apre payment meter for both gas and electric and the most we ever put on the gas is £10 a week, and that is in deepest winter when we use the heating every day.

We usually put £5 a week on and if we use the heating at all it might run out a day early. there is definitely something wrong unless you live in a draughty castle.

ONly THINg I can suggest then is get yourselves down the CAB ASAP.

or Manchester Advice (not a stalker just noticed the lovely tony lloyd)

try here

meaning I'm not a stalker

We are not in Manchester though, we are in London.

Would someone from National Grid be able to assess our usage for us independently?

We can only access the meter in those hours as it is on the premises of the (oh the irony) antique fireplace shop below us. I know it's wrong and we should have 24 hour access but that's a battle that's been fought and lost.

We are on a prepayment meter and put around £20.00 -£30.00 a week on ours I have started to leave ours on low all day (about 20-25) as it seems to cost more to switch ot in and off.

I agree with the others though this sounds so wrong ,we had a problem a few years back when I put a tenner on and it drained in the hour when the workman came out we had a tiny leak that wasn't dangerous (well not much ) but drained the meter really fast .

Energy companies are such a PITA though ,my sister is on a scheme with BG where she pays £16.00 a week for gas and electric and they took her pp meters out so if you can bear to go through the nightmare of calling them it may be worth asking about it .

Bet the shop is using your gas ...

I had a letter from BG yesterday with a bill for £560 (this was minus a £170 discount apparently) now I left BG Sept 07 and have been paying DD to EDF.

First person I spoke to from BG said that I had never left BG and that I had to pay the bill them claim it back from EDF! I said no way was I doing this it's their fault I hadn't been changed over and I had been sending meter readings and paying EDF I had cancelled my DD with BG and had had no correspondence with them in over a year. Second bloke I spoke to said the account was mever closed down it was their fault and that I may owe some money from last year but he would let me off with it!!!!

I was reading that you pay more for a meter anyway, they charge gas at a higher rate, for pre-payment metres. Go to the watch dog if the Gov haven't dismantled it yet, Energy Watch - this is shocking. Also get it removed, can you?

Energy Watch saved me 2k!