Utility Bill WOW!

[Tracey]

I've just recieved my gas and electricity bill. £728.17 for one quarter. Wow! I'll have to look into switching.

[TonyF]

Blimey Tracey, must use posh and expensive utilities down in Surrey. Is it a Home Counties surcharge or something?

[shirlthegirl43]

Blimey, that sounds a bit steep - have you checked the readings?

[Farmer_Gyles]

i had a £400 gas bill recently - even though it's been a mild winter
my puppy farts a lot, especially when he's eaten my sprouts - will grow more sprouts and stick a tube up his bum and bottle the gas

[lainey lou]

Crikey Tracey, as Shirley says, check the readings. Also check out this website, Money Saving Expert: Consumer Revenge - Credit Cards, Shopping, Bank Charges, Cheap Flights and more

[Tracey]

The readings were slightly wrong, it was estimated a little too much for gas and a little less for electricity. They put their prices up by 15% begining of Feb. and I'd changed to their green fund. I didn't think we'd used more fuel than usual. I'll have to do a bit of research. Not looking forward to the Council Tax bill

Just looked at my billing history and we used around the same last year and the bill was £349.00.

I looked at the uswitch website and ones they recommend are the one's that Money Expert say are due to announce an increase end of this month.

I'm feeling a chill, I'll put me cardie on.

[Shortie]

my puppy farts a lot, especially when he's eaten my sprouts - will grow more sprouts and stick a tube up his bum and bottle the gas

Yuuummm, what a lovely 'homely' smell you'll have. Lol

[jacob marley]

I've just recieved my gas and electricity bill. £728.17 for one quarter. Wow! I'll have to look into switching.

Like switching OFF occasionally jacob

[carlseawolf]

i just got mine as well , a total of 349 pounds for elec and 139 for gas and when i looked closely at the amounts on the electric bill we used 2000 units in december for a totol price of 110 and 2000 in jan - feb and got charged 249 for the same amount and our usual bill is around 240 a quarter.

[SarzWix]

Open fire, and a bow-saw in the boot of your car... Plenty of 'wind-falls' around at the moment, you just have to get there before the council workmen!

[Skotch]

We also had a mega bill at the end of Feb - an estimate based on an estimate from the last quarter. I called both electricity and gas companies and let off some steam about the lazy meter reader who always goes past our house but manages to read the meters of ewveryone else on the road. I got the company to agree to a separate visit - just as well as the bill for gas was reduced by £225 and the electricity by £98!!

The company said they are only obliged to take one actual reading every 12 months and that it's down to customers to read their own meters and call in the results the rest of the time. Also, if there is a price hike announced, be sure to take a reading on the day of the change, otherwise the energy company will estimate how much fuel you have used to that date - guess what - it's usually an underestimate so that more can be charged for after the price hike!!

Skotch (now seriously investigating whether he can get a wood or multi burner stove for the house)

[HeyWayne]

That does sound high!

Ours doesn't seem to have gone up too much, if at all. We've got a brand new super efficient boiler, we have the heating on 21c maximum (off during the day when we're out), have low energy bulbs everywhere, A energy rated appliances when replaced we're getting cavity wall insulation later this year, improving the loft insulation and will probably have our double glazing serviced/mended.

Been with British Gas for years, have changed in the past, but have paid for it in terms of service (and in one case, threatening and unwarranted behaviour from one company who shall remain nameless - which we never recieved an apology for). NPower and Powergen have had the pleasure of our income for short periods, but BG provided a better allround service in our experience.

[Madasafish]

Internet meter readings (which I take), Spreadsheet of quarterly usage for past 10 years, Switch suppliers every February to cheapest, switch off lights etc, pay by monthly DD.

Keeps the bills below £1500pa.

[JennieAtkinson]

We don't have British Gas here, but this week I got a bill for £128.00! Apparently when my mother in law died in Essex last June and I asked for her final bill to be sent to me, they opened up an account in my name and I've been clocking up electricity and gas charges ever since based on her previous meter readings!

No idea where the other bills went in the meantime, but it looks as though I may have a bad debt against my name as the electricity bill was accompanied by a letter saying I was going to get cut off. I spent 40 minutes on the phone yesterday trying to convince them that I did not live in a sheltered housing complex in Essex!

Lets hear it for British Gas!

[rustylady]

Check the readings, do your own calculations - they tell you on the bill how it's worked out - and challenge it.