Increase in bills

[Goingforplatinum]

Just checked bank account and gas and electric bill (paid combined) has increased over 100% since last month. I understand we had a couple of colder weeks but apart from that gas and electric has been used the same as always. I was expecting a big increase in April, but not this month. I'm useless at understanding utility bills, am I missing something??

Do you pay for your actual usage or is it a set monthly direct debit?

Have you submitted a recent meter reading? Which company?

We use utility wearhouse. DH has just spoke to them and apparently the have not received a metre reading since July and have been basing our bills on an estimate. It just seems excessive to increase over 100%

Have you given a reading now?
If your current payment doesn't cover your usage then they will increase it

I give monthly meter readings with Octopus and can see almost immediately how much I've used and what it has cost

You need to know your usage and the unit cost you are paying.

Do you have a Smart Meter?
If not, take regular readings.

I am afraid that if they don't have regular readings, then they can only go on estimates.

The price is so variable at the moment, you really need to submit a meter reading every month.

Price per unit has risen by 150% since early last year. And the standing charge per day has risen by 40%. I'm currently checking my bill every few weeks so I can budget accurately.

The sub-zero two weeks were VERY expensive !

I agree with pp, you have got to spend some time understanding your bills and then submit readings monthly so you are never surprised again.

As others have said, the variable price has risen by 150%+ and when I look against my old fixed rate, the current cost is 3x what it was back at the start of 2020.

Unless money is not a concern, energy bills are no longer the 'pay and forget' bills they may have been once. They need active management.

During those two weeks of cold weather, your boiler will have been running far longer to get it up to temperature. Either side of that cold weather, I'd say it's been colder than in December, so again takes longer to warm up. If you're bill includes the time over xmas, chances are you've had visitors so extra cooking and possibly heating, also oven and hob take a hammering xmas day - might not add that much to the bill, but still extra.

Are you paying by variable DD or by regular DD or on receipt of bill?

They will only know your bill if you give them regular readings.

Have you got any readings and are they monthly?

What are you comparing to? Have you just come off a cheap fix?

Most people are currently paying 35 p per unit for electricity and 10 p per unit for gas.

If you've fixed a year ago, you could have been paying around 15 p per unit for electricity and 3/4 p per unit for gas, with a lower standing charge.

If our usage remained the same, the new rates will mean that you bill will be at least twice as it was for the same usage. Plus then there was the very cold period just before Christmas.

But then you say your bill could be based on an estimate, in which all bets are off, your bill could be way off.

However hard you find bills to understand, you should still be able to work out that if the numbers on an estimated bill don't match those on your meter, your bill is inaccurate, so first step is to read your meter, work out your actual usage, then the cost of this, to find out what your bill really is.

I am. With Utility Warehouse. I was only paying £22 gas fixed per month. They increased it to £79 2 months ago but they should have done sooner. I have a smart meter and my electric is variable.

@Zippedydoo123 you could have asked for an increase in the direct debit if you felt it wasn't enough. Its not the price per month that would be fixed but the underlying price per kwh and standing charge.