Need your expert opinion

[Sjp1]

Hi. Don’t know where to start.

I’ve got a big problem with the gas/heating etc in my house and I was wondering if someone might look at it with a fresh pair of eyes.

Basically I’ve had massive consumption for ages now and problems with my meter so octopus recently changed my meter. But it’s even worse now. I have a 6 bed house but there’s only me and my daughter so all the other bedrooms etc are switched off. I have my central heating to come on for 2 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening so not much at all (because I’m scared to do it). I got a bill of £230 on 3rd March which was for 11 days worth of gas and so I did an experiment and switch heat and hot water off for 24 hours and read it today. And for the 4th, 6th and half of 7th March it’s £75!!! So around £30 per day! I’m really stressed about it and don’t know which way to turn. My normal heating engineer just does not know what to do. I am sure something isn’t right and no one can get to the bottom of it. Any thoughts?

 

[Sharpend]

What actual usage reading did you get for that time? What charge rates are you on?

I once lived in an exclusive village and was given the excuse that due to its location it costs more to get the supply there. Yet other remote villages were charged much less. So may say more about unscrupulous behaviour of suppliers than facts.

 

[Murdoch]

Financial cost aside , what is the actual usage .................

AND more importantly do your bills reflect your readings?

Is your account in debit or credit?

Also what temperature is the room stat set to?

My MIL had issues with EON - they fitted smart meters, couldn't receive the data so they started taking random amounts from her - its still ongoing after 1 year.

 

[binky]

check your bill isn't 'estimated' rather than actual readings.

 

[kerching]

In my experience all energy supply companies are liars. The ones that say they are not, are lying

 

[ProDave]

Yes as above, forget for the moment the actual bills. Check you USAGE by taking a meter reading direct from your meter as often as you can, at least once a day at the same time. If you have a smart meter, forget the in home display, read it actually on the meter display.

And check your supplier is using actual readings not estimates, if you don't have a smart meter that will mean you sending a reading at least once a month.

WHERE are you getting "And for the 4th, 6th and half of 7th March it’s £75!!! So around £30 per day!"

Most suppliers bill you by the month. In fact I don't know any that bill you daily, so is that actually a BILL you are quoting, or something the in home display of a smart meter is telling you?


The important thing (re whether there is a fault or not) is does your usage (not cost) match previous years?

 

[Murdoch]

In my experience all energy supply companies are liars. The ones that say they are not, are lying

Not sure I agree with that.

A lot of problems are caused by customers not understanding their bills and tariffs

 

[truffle pig]

so when you turned of the heating and water for 24hrs did the meter reading stay the same?
for the other days making up the £75, what was the unit usage? you need to be looking at what the actual unit usage is on the incoming meter then work out where that consumption is being used. Back to basics. good luck

 

[Sjp1]

Financial cost aside , what is the actual usage .................

AND more importantly do your bills reflect your readings?

Is your account in debit or credit?

Also what temperature is the room stat set to?

My MIL had issues with EON - they fitted smart meters, couldn't receive the data so they started taking random amounts from her - its still ongoing after 1 year.

The readings are actual. I gave them to octopus so I could get a picture of the daily cost of having it on 2 hours in morning and 3 hours at night.

 

[Sjp1]

check your bill isn't 'estimated' rather than actual readings.

I gave them the actual reading

 

[Sjp1]

Yes as above, forget for the moment the actual bills. Check you USAGE by taking a meter reading direct from your meter as often as you can, at least once a day at the same time. If you have a smart meter, forget the in home display, read it actually on the meter display.

And check your supplier is using actual readings not estimates, if you don't have a smart meter that will mean you sending a reading at least once a month.

WHERE are you getting "And for the 4th, 6th and half of 7th March it’s £75!!! So around £30 per day!"

Most suppliers bill you by the month. In fact I don't know any that bill you daily, so is that actually a BILL you are quoting, or something the in home display of a smart meter is telling you?


The important thing (re whether there is a fault or not) is does your usage (not cost) match previous years?

Yes as above, forget for the moment the actual bills. Check you USAGE by taking a meter reading direct from your meter as often as you can, at least once a day at the same time. If you have a smart meter, forget the in home display, read it actually on the meter display.

And check your supplier is using actual readings not estimates, if you don't have a smart meter that will mean you sending a reading at least once a month.

WHERE are you getting "And for the 4th, 6th and half of 7th March it’s £75!!! So around £30 per day!"

Most suppliers bill you by the month. In fact I don't know any that bill you daily, so is that actually a BILL you are quoting, or something the in home display of a smart meter is telling you?


The important thing (re whether there is a fault or not) is does your usage (not cost) match previous years?

As outlined above I’ve taken actual readings to get a handle of what’s going on and then rang it through for them to calculate it. So as I said I took a reading when I switched it back on after sitting it off for 24 hours (to see if the dial had moved) and then one 2 days later and it was £75! Id had it on 2 hours in morning and 3 hours evening fir under 2 days! The daily timings are the same as in previous years, maybe less cos I’m scared to switch it on for any longer because of the cost

 

[Murdoch]

Stop giving financial costs and state the number of kWh you are using ……

And then look at the actual consumption for the same period last year