October Energy Bills, how did you do?

[WahineToa]

Well I ran around doing all sorts to try and reduce our consumption but only saved 40kwh over the whole month! However, I see looking back over this year we have slowly reduced it by closer to maybe 100-120kwh a month. I got a clothes heated airer and cut the dishwasher use by 2 cycles a week, 4 min showers etc We rent and I think the fridge is using more than usual because it’s got a taped up seal and iced up a bit in summer… Can’t get to the plug to attach our gadget to check the energy usage. There’s only 3 of us in the house.

Our bill with Eon after govt help is £115, it’s been around £130-140 a month for awhile. So I feel that because we saved that 40kwh we have reduced our bill from the £200 expected and now make a profit from what the govt gave us? I would normally donate it but if we don’t get help next year, I should probably save it.

How did everyone else do?

Can someone help me work out if I'm being done over here?

Messaged BG to say my app never updates with my gas usage. The my said my smart meter isn't working (for months seemingly) and they would log a job. Gave them a reading and they've made up a bill, going right back to 1st March. Wiped about £200 of my credit.

But my concern is this. Based on an estimated reading of 7973 for 1st October until 8072 on Sunday 6th November, so 99 units, they have calculated £129 for that period alone.

I know that my reading on 12th October was 8035. On 6th november it was 8072 That's 42 units in 25 days. I didn't have my heating on for the entire first week of October. So I don't believe I've used 62 units between 1st and 12th.

Standing charge for 1st October to 6th November was 27.13p and kWh was 9.786.

Sorry... this stuff baffles me because numbers are another language to me.

How does the 'estimated' reading get confirmed??

3 bed semi. 2 adults and 5yr

£205 - £130e and £75g

minus £66 so £139 and we pay £260 a month so in credit at mo

so hopefully come dec jan feb the cold months we can afford to use more if need be

esp over Xmas /ny when all of us home

@energycrysis Did you give them the 12th October reading? I expect the computer works it out based on how the average household uses energy through the year. Not sure if October being so warm would be accounted for.

No, just the most recent that I had taken on Sunday 6th. They've been estimating my readings all along, since 14th March when I last gave them one. Because I didn't know my meter wasn't sending them.

@energycrysis

Is it gas? Gas meters are in m3 (or ft3 if old). One gas unit in m3 is about 11.2KWh for billing purposes. Your bill should explain the calculations.

If you've given an updated reading then it's most likely a catch-up bill, so you've probably just used a bit more than they estimated.

Are you on a fixed rate or the standard variable cap? If your gas kwh rate is 9.7p then that looks like a fixed rate like mine, the variable is 10.3p. If so, it shouldn't matter when they think you used the energy. If you are on the variable rate then you may be paying the new rate on gas that was used under the old cap.

Oh and they just use whatever formula they have and your pattern of use to estimate how much of the usage was in a certain period when they don't have readings to confirm otherwise. It's a best guess situation, which usually doesn't matter but of course due to the price rise on Oct 1 does matter slightly more. You can argue the toss with them but it's probably not a massive amount of difference given prices had already gone up in April.

4 bed semi (built 1960s). 1 adult, 1 teenager. Electric only as oil for heating/water. £40 before government discount. Try to switch everything off that isn't in use. Rarely use tumble dryer.

Oil has quadrupled in cost over last 2 years. It was very cheap during 1st lockdown. Now about double pre Covid prices

On the price cap rate, gas went up by 3p per kwh, standing charge barely changed. Even if 50 units of your estimated October usage were used pre October, then that's 50 units x 11 is 550kwh, x 3p is only £16.50 you could have possibly been overcharged.

This is the new bill they generated, and a summary of my account over the last few months.

It all means nothing to me, but I do feel it's not right even if I can't work out why

Never mind... that's not even legible

Thanks @Athenen0ctua and to answer your question, I'm on the standard variable.

£78 for gas & electric - £66 gov - left me with £12 to pay

The rates you mentioned must be before VAT then. Agree with Hugasauras that it might not be worth the hassle of arguing the toss. You could phone up with your 12 October reading but I don't know if they will accept it a month later without proof, and you might only get a tenner from a recalculation.

Yes, I'll only get frustrated, mostly with myself, if I try and debate it with them.

I'll need to just make sure I get my meter fixed and keep my eye on the smart monitors when they supply them.

I suspect my electricity isn't right either, and that I'm not in the credit amount that I thought, but again, I'll need to just suck it up now and start again.

We were paying £180 a month up until the last rise and we then increased the monthly dd to £230. 4 bed house, two adults and two children. October we used £157 with a breakdown of roughly £100 has and £57 elec. We didn’t have any heating on but have used tumble dryer. I am going to submit a monthly meter reading to see where we are with our use. We are with Scottish Power and the account updates as soon as new readings are provided.

I do mine weekly, just put this on another thread. This is my usage for gas this last week and the week before - then under is the same weeks in 2021

63kwh for the previous week £8.40
126kwh for this week £14.51

that includes the daily charge

in comparison to last year on a variable rate, for the same week, same supplier
190kwh for the previous week last November £8.81
317kwh for same dates of November £13.85

prices haven't doubled, they've nearly tripled

We have a gas shower/water, hob and central heating - nothing else is gas.

I work from home 4 days a week but charge my laptop and phone at work the day i go in which means im only using the electricity to work 3 days a week.

do you have a power pack to charge your lap top and phone? If so you could charge the power pack at work and then charge your phone and laptop for a 2nd day free.

It'll probably take you around 18 months to break even if you have to purchase a power pack

£64 gas, £90 electric. £66 government subsidy and £198 direct debit. So beginning November £128 in credit.

So far November is mild, but wet. Not much heating as yet (an hour or two in the evening), and I'm trying to cook frugally wrt to energy use (more microwaving, packing the oven when it does go on). But washing, lighting, tumble drying does add up. And DS is home in December, there will be Christmas, and Christmas guests, and colder, darker weather...As others have said, it's not really winter yet.

My bill runs from the 20th of the month to the 20th.
Detached 4 bedroomed house, 3 adults plus teenager every other weekend. I wfh. Oven is electric 😭

Electricity £87.47
Gas £30.58

I've switched my heating on a couple of times in the past 2 weeks. It's costing me about £2.80 for 50 minutes! So currently just using it to take the chill off the house.
Had a look at my Eon account and I'm £546.00 in credit with another £197.00 payment going out on the 1st of Dec, plus the £66.00 from the government. So I'll be about £800 in credit! I could really really do with some of the that money towards Christmas! It would help ease the financial pressure massively!!

This page might be of use to you regarding your credit.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/lower-energy-direct-debits/

This link also talks of credit refunds:

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/claim-back-credit/claim-back-credit-from-your-energy-supplier/

I whatsapped eon with a similar credit amount, and they (eventually... very slow to respond) lowered my dd for me. It's still large enough that I should stay in credit for a while, but it's a bit easier each month