My electricity provider EDF have just sent me a statement, and they're going to increase my monthly direct debit charge from £60 to £110. This is because they think I've used ~£600 worth of electricity in the past 6 months. Since I live alone and am usually at work, I don't think this can possibly be true. But how do I prove it to the electricity company? My meter agrees with their latest reading (I can't speak for the previous ones), and it does stop turning when I unplug everything. Is there anything else I can check, or do to contest this bill? Their lines are closed at the moment, so I won't be able to ring them until tomorrow.
Electricity nearly doubling in price
- Thread starter SlyReaper
- Start date
have previous bills gone off estimates or do you make sure that you regularly send a meter reading? Might be possible that the previous one or two were estimates and your catching up for that rather than just having one excessively large bill for a 6 month period.
Their previous meter reading was an actual reading, as is the current one.
But seriously? £110 per month sounds right? For one man who lives alone and is usually at work or sleeping? Even taking to account that the heating is electric, I can't believe it can really be that high.
But seriously? £110 per month sounds right? For one man who lives alone and is usually at work or sleeping? Even taking to account that the heating is electric, I can't believe it can really be that high.
Soldato
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- 10 May 2004
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- Sunny Stafford
Yeah, all of the utility companies are going up I'm afraid. I'm with Scottish Power. Been playing £49/month for dual-fuel (elec/gas) for a while, then it suddenly increased to £72/month last October without warning. Single person.
It depends, if you owe them money it may be set higher until you'r back to credit
Electric heating is very expensive
Then you need to try and work out the cost based on your tariff using the actual readings, if it matches what they are saying then either there is a problem with the meter, or your usage actually is using that much.
Perhaps something has malfunctioned, heating etc.? Or maybe you have used that much? I think I pay about £40 a month, 1 bed flat all electricity, never use the heating but the water heater is on for about 6 hours a night, which reminds me I need to sort it out.
Perhaps something has malfunctioned, heating etc.? Or maybe you have used that much? I think I pay about £40 a month, 1 bed flat all electricity, never use the heating but the water heater is on for about 6 hours a night, which reminds me I need to sort it out.
Right. It's 'Right' if the meter readings are correct, tariff is correct and meter is functioning normally. A and B are correct, with C meter malfunction left if what you say is correct.
We've just come through quite a cold period, well it was here and it depends entirely on your useage which I obviously don't know.
I'm about 50 for electricity and I've been 25-60 for gas depending on how much heat/water I use. I have a bathe very night which uses a fair bit of gas I assume, and I have about 230watts always on.
The cost of your electricity is not doubling, you have obviously been underpaying previously and they have now had to increase your direct debit to cover the shortfall and pay for your consumption going forward.
Nope. 6 months ago, my account was £260 in credit. Now it's £417 in the red.
And yet the only way when you don't have a gas supply. Or a chimney.
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It's not the only way at all.
Buy a standalone gas heater.
Soldato
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- 6 Sep 2008
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- By the sea, West Sussex
Six months ago it was £260 in credit, now 6 months on with monthly DD of £60/month (6x60 = £360) you are £417 in the red means you've used 260+360+417 = £1,037 in six months....that's a whole lot of electricity.