How much have your energy bills gone up?

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

I’ve just looked at my account and noticed that our E.on bill has gone from £60 to £350 in the last two months! I know there has been a massive hike in energy costs but that’s a crippling increase. If this had been last year, I’d have still been on maternity leave and wouldn’t have been able to afford that. We can’t afford it now really but will get by… just.

Has anyone else had similar?

@Theresamagicalplace

We've just had similar with eon. Apparently our smart meter hadn't linked correctly to the outside one so they'd been getting the wrong reading 🙃. They sent someone out who read the actual meter and slammed us with a £350 bill to pay but after speaking to them they split the debt over 12 months and added it onto the new higher monthly payment of £60 so maybe you could arrange something like that?

Ok. That’s useful to know! Thank you.

Octopus tried to adjust my monthly payments to £330 from an already whopping £130 per month. Fortunately, you're able to adjust the 'suggested' amount back to what you've been paying. But if you don't go online and do this yourself, they'll start taking that £330.
I will say though, all companies are at it and at least Octopus was totally transparent about it. It didn't feel sneaky or sly. Just shocking.

From £140 to £148.. managed to fix it for 2 years just as it all started to go crazy.. be double that in two years tho I can guarantee it!

We pay £80 a month but heavily in credit. Fixed till June. Dreading next winter and our new bills.

Should add we are on a smart meter and I know our usage. Last month it was still a good bit under the £80 we pay. Goes up though now for 4/5 months with heating.

How on earth do energy bills work in the UK? I struggle to understand it. Here we get a bill each month and pay what we owe - pretty simple really!

80 to 165 with edf. The account was slightly in credit so am a bit bemused. Just electricity so doesnt change much in winter as water/ heating are oil boiler will be changing to octopus who are saying 110

@TheVanguardSix

Octopus tried to adjust my monthly payments to £330 from an already whopping £130 per month. Fortunately, you're able to adjust the 'suggested' amount back to what you've been paying. But if you don't go online and do this yourself, they'll start taking that £330. I will say though, all companies are at it and at least Octopus was totally transparent about it. It didn't feel sneaky or sly. Just shocking.

We are with Octopus and they base our monthly payment on what we use - we provide readings every month. I would be careful if they’ve suddenly tried to put your monthly amount up that much- what are they basing that on? If it’s based on monthly readings and you’ve put the amount back down again you’ll be left with a huge bill accumulating.

@gofg

How on earth do energy bills work in the UK? I struggle to understand it. Here we get a bill each month and pay what we owe - pretty simple really!

A lot of the time they base it on annual usage/ 12 equal payments so you pay more it summer but less in winter and it balances out at the end of the year. Most companies try and build up an excess of credit though and often refuse to return or lower payment so you switch companies to get a refund/ new fixed rate. Then they pull the same stunt at the end of your first year and so you have to change again.

I was with GNE, signed up in June '20. They, of course, went pop in Jan/Feb. I was paying £83pm. EDF took over and took 6 months to sort my account out, so I was kept on the lower tariff until August. After a false start with Avro (which I ditched as EDF offered me a similar price AND £100 account credit, thankfully, given Avro went pop soon after), I am now signed up until Aug '23. My DD is going from £83 to £132.00 for the first time on 1 Dec. I'm in credit, but will see what happens over winter as to whether I feel it should drop afterwards.

Mine was £150 a month with Bulb and they tried to increase it to £350. I refused and instead when I get a bill I immediately top up anything over the £150. So far it has been £5-10 top up. IMO they are trying to get all the money they can in since they are in trouble. We were working from home last year and no we aren't so I'm not trusting their estimates.

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/money/2021/oct/02/energy-firm-bulb-under-fire-for-monthly-bill-rises-of-up-to-80

Was bulb trying to use its customers to build up its own credit?!

Mine has gone from £90 to £157 and it just makes me want to cry. Finances were already hard enough. We submit meter readings every month and have never used that much but that was the cheapest quote we could find. We own a two bed end of terrace!

We had the same problem op. When our direct debit was set up we were told they'd contact us if it needed adjustments to ensure it was correct. We never heard from them, then a year ago we got an an email to say we were £500 in arrears.
Though prices have also definitely gone up.

A lot of the time they base it on annual usage/ 12 equal payments so you pay more it summer but less in winter and it balances out at the end of the year.
Most companies try and build up an excess of credit though and often refuse to return or lower payment so you switch companies to get a refund/ new fixed rate. Then they pull the same stunt at the end of your first year and so you have to change again.

Thanks for explaining it to me, I really couldn't understand how it works. However, I think I prefer our system.

@SmallWaistFatFace

Mine has gone from £90 to £157 and it just makes me want to cry. Finances were already hard enough. We submit meter readings every month and have never used that much but that was the cheapest quote we could find. We own a two bed end of terrace!

Who are you with? If you are in credit can you not reduce your monthly direct debit?

@gofg

A lot of the time they base it on annual usage/ 12 equal payments so you pay more it summer but less in winter and it balances out at the end of the year. Most companies try and build up an excess of credit though and often refuse to return or lower payment so you switch companies to get a refund/ new fixed rate. Then they pull the same stunt at the end of your first year and so you have to change again.

Thanks for explaining it to me, I really couldn't understand how it works. However, I think I prefer our system.

Some people do wait for a bill and then pay it but then you could be hit with a huge bill in winter. Spreading the payments through the year is supposed to keep the payment the same throughout the year so you may be in credit in summer and then that credit helps pay for usage in the winter months

I had exactly the same- although my DD was changed to £660!!! What?! I also have a smart meter, but apparently it wasn’t working on the gas. I have new meter readings, had to pay the balance of £300 and then my DD has been reduced to £350.

I have a new smart meter being fitted next week and have seriously looked at my usage. I can’t afford the hike.

It was £170 up until now.

Fixed rate £89/month to fixed rate £250/month...had to switch to BG after they took over from my collapsed providerast month.

I was with Avro and have been moved onto a special Avro-related tariff with Octopus. 50% increase.

Bulb have gone into administration but the government has propped them up for now

Some people do wait for a bill and then pay it but then you could be hit with a huge bill in winter. Spreading the payments through the year is supposed to keep the payment the same throughout the year so you may be in credit in summer and then that credit helps pay for usage in the winter months

I do get that, but I know that my winter bills are going to be higher than the summer ones, and can budget according to my previous year's bills.

Currently on a fixed DD of £75 until early next year. I am expecting a hike from then.

I think the trick is to do regular, frequent, meter readings, submit them, and keep checking your account online to see where you are in terms of arrears etc.

Mine only "bills" quarterly, and I don't/can't have a smart meter. But they do a monthly account summary, though only against the meter readings from the previous quarter so I think I need to set up a spreadsheet.

I'm surprised and confused as to why mine has not gone up from £67pm, and doesn't seem to be in debit.

I think I need to do some logging and some maths.

It concerns me that the energy companies are taking advantage of so many people who don't know the actual cost of the energy they are using.

There is often a massive disconnect between the monthly payment these companies request from people and the true cost of the energy they use. That is great for the energy supplier who just sits on a large credit balance in your account, not so great when trying to manage your
Budget.

The only way to tackle it OP is to take regular meter readings and work out your true costs. Then you can push back at Eon and require them to reduce your monthly payment to one that reflects the energy you are actually using.

Companies like Octopus are great for that. I read the meter each month, they bill me the next day and I always know where I stand. I can increase or decrease the monthly payment and regularly do so that I never have more than £50-£60 credit in the account.