Energy Suppliers Payment Methods

[jake000]

Hello all

When I first moved into my own house around 5 years ago I paid my bills by direct debit and wasn't careful on how much gas and electric I used. I got a huge bill over what I was paying each month and wasn't happy.
I moved house and that house had prepayment meters. Without changing habits too much my bills got a lot cheaper.
Back to direct debits again as recommended to me by everyone, I continued paying the same amounts i'd been spending month after month on the prepayment meters. I then got a bill saying i'd spent more than that and I owed them more on top of what i'd been paying.
Since then I have always used prepayment meters and have cheaper bills than other family members and friends. I have done a price comparison and it says I can save £202 a year by switching to direct debit payments.

I really want to save money but I don't want to get ripped off again. Has anyone else found this and can you offer any help please?

Thank you

 

[badcompany]

I put £200 a month into a saving account and get 1/4 bills and pay from there don't like being in credit to energy providers would rather have excess money in my account. Bt started to charge me £6 for the privige onf paying like this even though I paid the day the bill arrived so I moved to sky.

 

[Glaucus]

It sounds like your mistakes was going bybestimates, rather than getting an online account and plugging the numbers in every month.

Also I don't trust comparison websites for energy, they lie.
It's hard work but excel spreadsheet and find the cost per unit, standing. Harte and anything elese on the companies website and plug it all in.

I don't see how you can possibly spend less on prepaid meters while using the same units.

 

[jake000]

I put £200 a month into a saving account and get 1/4 bills and pay from there don't like being in credit to energy providers would rather have excess money in my account. Bt started to charge me £6 for the privige onf paying like this even though I paid the day the bill arrived so I moved to sky.

£200 is a lot of money for energy per month but I get what you mean. BT tried to do that to me years ago and I left them as well.

It sounds like your mistakes was going bybestimates, rather than getting an online account and plugging the numbers in every month.

Also I don't trust comparison websites for energy, they lie.
It's hard work but excel spreadsheet and find the cost per unit, standing. Harte and anything elese on the companies website and plug it all in.

I don't see how you can possibly spend less on prepaid meters while using the same units.

I was going by estimates for a while but when I started having problems I gave them my readings and they refused to drop my bills. I knew i'd been using the same because for months I had kept my bills steady on prepayment meters.

I don't know how I manage to pay less on prepayment meters, thats why i'm asking all of this and trying to clear things up. I just feel like I get conned and they make up there own numbers.