Your gas bill

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I would just put a duvet on.

He'd only trip over it getting off the sofa to go to the telephone

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

I've just checked a switch site and it estimated that we'd save a whole £23 per year by changing. Seems like a lot of fuss and bother to me, for such a piddling amount tbh.

 

[kyser_soze]

£12 on leccy in three days is what we spent over weekend. We have energy saving lightbulbs. I only did 2 lots of washing and two lots of drying. Did a roast on Saturday (in the top little oven). Have sat and watched TV sitting next to oil-filled radiator. Computer is turned on all day, otherwise not a lot else on. Video is on because it has digital clock, but DVD is turned off.

£12 over a weekend? You need to get your supplier to check your wiring and stuff, cos unless you're running some seriously heavy duty kit there's no way you should be paying out £4 a day, even on a powerkey meter.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

£12 over a weekend? You need to get your supplier to check your wiring and stuff, cos unless you're running some seriously heavy duty kit there's no way you should be paying out £4 a day, even on a powerkey meter.

Well from early Friday night/Saturday morning (ie. nearly 3.00am) until I left the house at 10.00am this moning.

Heater has been on 26 or 28 degrees for most of the weekend, otherwise we normally get through about £10 per week

 

[kyser_soze]

Is that leccy heating? Yeah, if it's on all the time you'll burn through the £££s

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Is that leccy heating? Yeah, if it's on all the time you'll burn through the £££s

It's an oil-filled free-standing radiator.

We have central heating. We don't use it. We tried it once when our gas fire broke down last time and it ate the electricity and neither of us like radiators anyway, and resented having to put them all on just so we could have one in living room on.

 

[Orang Utan]

We...resented having to put them all on just so we could have one in living room on.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Even though they've individual thermostats, you still had to have them all open a bit for some reason. When gas guys came last time to get it going, they had to start with bleeding the radiator in the kitchen, then going in a clockwise circle round the house doing the same to all of them. Said the radiators would keep blocking if we switched them off completely and that if we were to switch them off, to make sure we switched them back on occasionally. Rather than risk switching them off and on, and then having to bleed the whole lot again, we decided not to bother.

He's always had problems with the heating there. Pressure problems have been mentioned I believe

 

[pogofish]

Yup - Been here too. Always check estimated bills against your actual reading.

They will take the reading over the phone from you & I've had a couple of hundred cut off a bill before because of this.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Even though they've individual thermostats, you still had to have them all open a bit for some reason. When gas guys came last time to get it going, they had to start with bleeding the radiator in the kitchen, then going in a clockwise circle round the house doing the same to all of them. Said the radiators would keep blocking if we switched them off completely and that if we were to switch them off, to make sure we switched them back on occasionally. Rather than risk switching them off and on, and then having to bleed the whole lot again, we decided not to bother.

He's always had problems with the heating there. Pressure problems have been mentioned I believe

You can't bleed your own radiators?? It takes two minutes to nip round the house. If the pressure drops, just up it again a little.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Yup - Been here too. Always check estimated bills against your actual reading..

I give a reading every time but this bill said it was 'an actual reading' from a meter reader.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

You can't bleed your own radiators?? It takes two minutes to nip round the house. If the pressure drops, just up it again a little.

Yes, but it doesn't seem to be as straightforward as that. Every time they're done, they have to go round and check them all and adjust things and turn things and do stuff. We even had a plumber who checked it out and he couldn't understand what was wrong

 

[ViolentPanda]

Last quarter's gas bill was £27.

 

[5t3IIa]

My gas bill is £25 per month but I had £65 in credit last statement so I am happy enough to keep paying that and cane the central heating a bit.

I have a leccy key meter and put £20 on it every pay day.

I am a single person in a small 1-bed and what I am most concerned about is my water bill - it's £35.32 a month which I think is a bit much for just me

 

[sheothebudworths]

Mine is a bit tricky to work out cos I get quarterly bills, but I've just put all my info in on USwitch and from their calculations I was averaging £72 a month (for gas and leccy), so I've got over my fear of monthly DD's (which was completely irrational really..cos although I get my bills quarterly, I've actually taken to paying £10-£20 a week off them online anyway, so that I never have to find a lump...so was just losing the discount that paying by DD gives ) and have just switched and will apparently only have to find £53 a month.

Which is nice during winter (atm if I pay £20 a week it covers my bill, so I'll notice the difference at this time of year) but then I won't have the benefit of having to find almost fuck all during the summer.... ...and I REALLY don't like the idea that they could severely under estimate and suddenly present you with a big bill!

If you pay a fixed DD sum, but continue to give meter readings, do they continue to assess whether you're paying roughly the right amount?
Or do they at least give an estimated reading, which is based on the time of year (and not just a total annual estimate divided by 12 and then knocked off the previous estimate, iyswim!), which I could use as a guide?




Does anyone actually know what I'm on about?

 

[mrsfran]

My gas bill is £25 per month but I had £65 in credit last statement so I am happy enough to keep paying that and cane the central heating a bit.

I have a leccy key meter and put £20 on it every pay day.

I am a single person in a small 1-bed and what I am most concerned about is my water bill - it's £35.32 a month which I think is a bit much for just me

You could get a water meter.

 

[Orang Utan]

Does anyone actually know what I'm on about?

Never

 

[sojourner]

If you pay a fixed DD sum, but continue to give meter readings, do they continue to assess whether you're paying roughly the right amount?
Or do they at least give an estimated reading, which is based on the time of year (and not just a total annual estimate divided by 12 and then knocked off the previous estimate, iyswim!), which I could use as a guide?




Does anyone actually know what I'm on about?

Yes they do, to your first point

But they then use that to average out your readings

I much prefer paying an average by DD - used to fucking dread winter bills

 

[5t3IIa]

Mine is a bit tricky to work out cos I get quarterly bills, but I've just put all my info in on USwitch and from their calculations I was averaging £72 a month (for gas and leccy), so I've got over my fear of monthly DD's (which was completely irrational really..cos although I get my bills quarterly, I've actually taken to paying £10-£20 a week off them online anyway, so that I never have to find a lump...so was just losing the discount that paying by DD gives ) and have just switched and will apparently only have to find £53 a month.

Which is nice during winter (if I pay £20 a week it covers my bill) but then I won't have the benefit of having to find almost fuck all during the summer.... ...and I REALLY don't like the idea that they could severely under estimate and suddenly present you with a big bill!

If you pay a fixed DD sum, but continue to give meter readings, do they continue to assess whether you're paying roughly the right amount?
Or do they at least give an estimated reading, which is based on the time of year (and not just a total annual estimate divided by 12 and then knocked off the previous estimate, iyswim!), which I could use as a guide?




Does anyone actually know what I'm on about?

I think so

I moved in in April and gave a reading.
They set my gas dd at £25 whih = 6.151p per kWh
They came and read it (outside meter)
And continued to charge £25* but amended the thing to 7.259p per kWh



* I was/am £65 in credit




Does that make sense?

 

[5t3IIa]

You could get a water meter.

I could but that worried me a bit. I don't want to be concerned about usage all the time, like I am about leccy

Do you have any experience with a water meter?

 

[spanglechick]

ours is included as is the leccy - however we only have one full sized radiator in the bedroom and a half sized one in the lounge. they've been on since 10am and i'm so cold i can't feel my hands. I'm thinking of putting the oven on, tbh.

 

[sheothebudworths]

BTW Minnie - ex was saying just today that he got through £6 in 2 days on his key just from having his electric heater on (not all the time either) and I noticed when I was doing the comparison thing, that one of the companies that would have been cheaper if I'd opted to stay on quarterly bills, offers the same prices to customers on key meters (too bloody right an' all! ) so that might be worth investigating at your bf's flat?

 

[sheothebudworths]

Never

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

BTW Minnie - ex was saying just today that he got through £6 in 2 days on his key just from having his electric heater on (not all the time either) and I noticed when I was doing the comparison thing, that one of the companies that would have been cheaper if I'd opted to stay on quarterly bills, offers the same prices to customers on key meters (too bloody right an' all! ) so that might be worth investigating at your bf's flat?

British Gas have said that we're on the Essentials Tariff which means we're paying the same as someone without a meter

 

[sheothebudworths]

Yes they do, to your first point

But they then use that to average out your readings

I much prefer paying an average by DD - used to fucking dread winter bills

So they would just alter your monthly payments to adjust it if it was wrong....and do they check that on a month by month basis if you give regular monthly readings...or just annually or whatever?

 

[sheothebudworths]

British Gas have said that we're on the Essentials Tariff which means we're paying the same as someone without a meter

Ah right - well that's what I was on (dual fuel too) and this other company still came in cheaper, so worth checking anyway!

 

[sojourner]

So they would just alter your monthly payments to adjust it if it was wrong....and do they check that on a month by month basis if you give regular monthly readings...or just annually or whatever?

I'm not 100% sure cos I tend to shy away from giving readings too often , but I think they adjust it twice a year

 

[5t3IIa]

So they would just alter your monthly payments to adjust it if it was wrong....and do they check that on a month by month basis if you give regular monthly readings...or just annually or whatever?

they adjust it per meter reading AFAIK

You could be super efficient and take a reading every month for a year then *tell* them to adjustyour bills...

 

[rennie]

We pay 40 quid a month for both electricty and gas.

 

[mrsfran]

I could but that worried me a bit. I don't want to be concerned about usage all the time, like I am about leccy

Do you have any experience with a water meter?

No personal experience, I'm afraid, but I am aware that your situation is exactly the one meters are aimed at. I'd look into it if I were you.