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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

So i just got my quarterly dual fuel (elec & gas) bill.....my good god! £930!?

88 replies

hairymcclary · 09/01/2009 12:39

They want to increase my direct debit from £65 p/month to £262!
I DO NOT have the money.

Seriously stressed!

We do tumble dry, and have electric heaters in our conservatory (rest of house is gas rads). But still seems excessive.

We live in a 3bed semi, 2dc and 2 adults.

What do the rest of you pay?

OP posts:
sarah293 · 09/01/2009 12:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Seona1973 · 09/01/2009 12:44

I pay £95 a month for dual fuel but rarely tumble dry and have central heating on a timer so no electric heaters, etc. We are in a 4 bed detached with 2 adults, 2 kids.

Blondeshavemorefun · 09/01/2009 12:44

that seems a lot!!

we pay 69 for both gas and electricty - have a 3bed house and use tumble dryer regually - heating isnt gen on during the day 3 days - as at work, but is on other 4

GossipMonger · 09/01/2009 12:45

£32 gas
£30 electric

monthly on direct debit

yours seems excessive to me.

We are really strict though and dont tumbe dry. Heating is off all day and we use a little electric heater in the living room if we need it.

Eco lightbulbs
Lights off when you leave a room
One hour of hot water per day

Strict but at least a bit cheaper.

What are you going to do?

Lauriefairycake · 09/01/2009 12:46

They want £3600 a year for fuel - that cannot be right unless you live in Buck palace

3 bed semi - no way.

Original poster
hairymcclary · 09/01/2009 12:47

I cant work out what is going on! Your bills are what i would expect mine to be give or take tumble driers and electric heaters. But when i phoned the supplier, i double checked the reading and it seems to be correct!

I CANNOT afford this bill! What am i going to do?

OP posts:
Lilyloo · 09/01/2009 12:48

We pay £150 a month for 3 bed detached new build for 5 of us!
We don't use the heaters in conversatory very often (too expensive) and i rarely use tumble dryer after they put our monthly bill up!
Heating on for couple hours am and pm.

CatchaStar · 09/01/2009 12:48

That is huge! I pay £40.00 a month for just electricity, but I'm only in a 2 bedroom flat and can be stingy with what I use.

Is that from acurate meter readings?

Gorionine · 09/01/2009 12:48

About £35./month for electricity wich would make it about £135. quarterly. I am not sure about gas but will ask DH. But the amount you are takling about seems ridiculous, in my case it would mean arround £800.--/month for gas only ( if I base on your dual fuel bill) Surely they must have made a mistake.( I do not have a tumble dryer and we do not use the conservatory in the winter but even if YOu do so still sounds a huge amount to me!

Nemoandthefishes · 09/01/2009 12:48

i am in a 3 bed semi have tumble dryer on at least once a day and am a sahm so we are around using gas and elec. Also have 2 heaters in conservatory. We pay £125 a month

GossipMonger · 09/01/2009 12:49

Have you rung them and asked them what you should do?

On letters it has always said that if you have trouble paying then you should tell them.

Are you strict about not leaving lights on and heating? do the family help?

What does DH say?

Blondeshavemorefun · 09/01/2009 12:49

is it possible that somehow your meter has gone wrong?

What were your bills this time last year?

can you get your supplier to check bills and meter?

ThePellyandMe · 09/01/2009 12:49

That seems ridiculously high.

We have a 3 bed semi, our direct debit has just gone up to £100 a month. We have the heating on through the day as I work nights so am at home in daytime.

Are you sure its accurate. You should check your meter readings.

Original poster
hairymcclary · 09/01/2009 12:50

I am fairly strict but not excessively. Everything off when i go out. Heating off when out (4 out of 7days). Tumble 3-4 times per week.

Could it be the electric heaters? Really would it put the cost up that much??

OP posts:
Lilyloo · 09/01/2009 12:51

I cannot believe how random it seems though.
Mine seems quite higher than others and we are strict with what we use ?

madeindevon2 · 09/01/2009 12:51

i refuse to pay direct debit for this reason.

FAQtothefuture · 09/01/2009 12:51

flipping heck!!! my combined gas and electric for 3 bed end of terrace, 1 adults 3 children, heating ona lot was £413 - and I'm awful at remembering to switch lights off, TV is in a lot, computer constantly etc etc.

Lilyloo · 09/01/2009 12:52

Hairy are they the blow heaters ?
They are very expensive to run. We bought an oil filled radiator for the sunnier days so we can use conservatory.

madeindevon2 · 09/01/2009 12:52

its outrageous what they "estimate" sometimes

Pinkjenny · 09/01/2009 12:53

I pay £140 a month for dual fuel but only tumble dry dd's clothes once a week and have central heating on a timer so no electric heaters, etc. We are in a 3 bed semi detached with 2 adults, 1 dd.

Lilyloo · 09/01/2009 12:54

Baically you will have to pay your future consumption based on your current reading.
Then arrange to pay the amount you are in debit for the previous months at an affordable amount!
Hopefully they will agree to this!

Gorionine · 09/01/2009 12:56

£265./month sorry for mistake. it would be £800./quarterly.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 09/01/2009 12:58

Its outrageous.

I'm concerned as they read our gas meter yesterday. Its bound to be a high reading but I thought the point of dd was that it spread the cost over the year but if they hike it on the basis of one reading.....

SwedesInACape · 09/01/2009 12:58

We have a six bedroom detatched house and we pay £350 a month for dual fuel including telephone and broadband. We have a 4 oven Aga and I think that is responsible for a big chunk of the cost.

I'm determined to reduce the cost and am going to a plumbing shop today to buy one of those remote control thermostats. Or do I need a plumber to programme it into the heating system?

Original poster
hairymcclary · 09/01/2009 12:59

When i rang them, we double checked the reeading, and they agree that it should be looked into. They are sending someone out to read meter again (as its an old clock dial type and not digital it can be difficult apparently to get correct reading).
In the meantime they advised me to cancel the direct debit.

Im just soo worried that it may be right and i will have to find the money.

Yes, they are blow heaters.
We only moved here in the summer and are i guess finding out how much it all costs. However, we had no electric heaters in previous house and, it was a 4bed detached, this is a 3bed semi, same tumble-ing activity and usage habits.

OP posts: