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Original poster

electric and gas bill in credit

14 replies

mizu · 01/09/2013 16:51

Our energy meters have just been read and I am waiting for the bill.

Our online account says we are £731 in credit.

The bill will not come to £731. The winter one was half that.

The DD was increased by £50 in Feb/March which I couldn't really afford and so I would like them to decrease it again.

My question is, can I get the DD decreased AND get the rest of the money back?

The website says something along the lines of 'we keep your money because your energy usage goes up and down'

Any replies gratefully received.

OP posts:
LegoAcupuncture · 01/09/2013 16:55

Id ask for half back and or your bill to be reduced in line with what it was last winter.

MoaningMingeWhingesAgain · 01/09/2013 16:56

I always asked for it back when it went over £100 in credit, it's your money. As long as you will manage if the bill goes up over winter and your usage increases

Mum2Fergus · 01/09/2013 16:57

We get billed quarterly and I always ask for any credit back...definitely ask them to review your DD too.

Original poster
mizu · 01/09/2013 17:00

Yes, it is my money, that is what I am thinking, I am giving them money that I can't really afford to give and they want to keep hold of it!

Thanks, will be on the phone to them the minute the bill comes through.

OP posts:
youbethemummylion · 01/09/2013 17:04

They are unlikely to do both, they may refund the credit if you are billed up to date but if they do this they will be reluctant to lower DD. Or you could leave the credit there and ask for it to be taken into account when calculating DD i.e it should reduce.

If you get all the credit refunded and lower your DD you will likely get in debt over winter and they are not allowed to knowingly allow you to go into debt.

carrielou2007 · 01/09/2013 21:28

I'm with N Power and they do this automatically for me. A week before Christmas I was credited £186 and a letter reducing my DD amounts perfect timing!! I did to g them to inc my DD from what they suggested and given tags winter we had I had another automatic refund in April Smile

poocatcherchampion · 02/09/2013 12:30

blimey. ask for at least £600 back. I would. or reduce your dd and ask for £500 back

Purplefi · 03/09/2013 17:00

We always ask for it back when over £100 too. We phoned them and we're getting £170 back from our recent bill. Plus they reduced the dd by £10 a month. So our supplier will do both.
As I see it, if you dont owe them money and dd set up to cover future bills. It's your money their hanging on to. I'd phone and get it back. If you ve managed to get £700 pound in credit sounds like the monthly payments are too high as well

desperateforaholiday · 03/09/2013 17:06

We've just been automatically refunded £170 and they've reduced the monthly direct debit. We're with npower.

ParsingFancy · 03/09/2013 17:16

Be firm in asking for it back. In writing if necessary.

We got pissed off with EDF continually trying to keep our money, so cancelled the DDs and went onto monthly billing till they no longer owed us anything. Then we changed provider.

BTW, what's this "they are not allowed to knowingly allow you to go into debt" business?

DD is not supposed to be about prepayment. It's intended to even out payments for your convenience, with the result that half of the year you're in credit, half of the year you're in debit.

In contrast to monthly or quarterly billing which are fully in debit.

If a supplier wants me to fully prepay for electricity I may or may not even use this year, they can start paying me interest on my balance with them.

youbethemummylion · 03/09/2013 17:48

They are not allowed to let you reduce your DD to an amount which they know will not cover your consumption. It is educated guess work as to what your DD needs to be which is why people end up in credit/debit however they are not allowed to set your DD at £5 a month knowing from their records you consume £100 a month.

EduCated · 03/09/2013 17:51

I claimed back just over £200 credit from British Gas a couple of weeks ago. It was ridiculously easy, did it all online and didn't have to speak to a soul Grin

ParsingFancy · 03/09/2013 19:08

If the credit is over £700 and the winter bill itself was only half that, they should be both refunding the excess and cutting the DD, as the DD is clearly hugely excessive.

Original poster
mizu · 03/09/2013 20:33

Thanks all - the meters have been read and now we are £870 in credit Grin BUT the bill hasn't been taken off yet.

Still think we are in for a tidy sum back.

Rang them this morning but as we have a complex Confused meter system (had 2 electric meters, high and low but now don't use the low as we had central heating put in in April), it is going to take them til 21st September to sort it all out.

So they are hanging onto the money for a little longer.......

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