Gas and Electricity ?177 per month NPower

[Mick Mac]

My wife tells me our monthly direct debit for the combined gas/elec is rising to ?177 per month.

What is going on?

Heating is gas so harsh winter probably contributes but FGS this is ?1500 per year, Jeez.

Any ideas for cheaper supplier/what on earth might be going on - is this ?177 in any way normal?

[????]

She's taken to the sauce...check the airing cupboard for vodka bottles.

[matthew123]

I switched from NPower to Southern Electric ... but if anything better let me know!

[Mick Mac]

oh yes matt. I will do, will do. Its important.

[HonaloochieB]

Frankly Mick, you and the good Mrs M should perhaps have thought ahead before buying the lighthouse.

I'm not judging though.

And if it's any consolation in future I'll think of you whenever I play the Ian Hunter song 'Guiding Light'

I know it doesn't reduce the bills but I like to think I'm doing my bit.

Ineffectual as it might be.

[matthew123]

Yeah I am still paying off the NPower debts with Southern.. and their Engineers (if you take out Homeserve insurance) are pretty pathetic as well if you heating breaks down

[Mick Mac]

HB. You are right. The little lady lights up like a lighthouse when i sail home late at night. She could not be more pleased to see me. Dont understand why the key does not seem to work now. Im sure its a misunderstanding.

Please let me in. Someone. Anyone.

[giggirl]

Try the Martin Lewis website - they have a comparison tool

www.moneysavingexpert.com

[KalamityKel]

Blimey even British Gas is loads cheaper!

[cate]

Just because Npower is asking you for that amount doesn't mean you are using that much. All utility companies try it on so they can build up reserves in their bank accounts. If you don't switch then just say you are not paying them that much and they should back down. After all, you won't be using much gas in the summer months.

I've just been looking at this site. http://thisismoney.co.uk/

Utility Warehouse is a company recommended for switching and also paying online by giving your own readings to British Gas

http://britishgas.co.uk/products-and-services/energy/our-products/energysmart.html

[Ladygooner]

Don't know if this helps but I am with Npower and pay ?72 a month for both gas and electric? I live in a 3 bedroom house.

[SCSB79]

We had an issue with NPower before. They were recording our usage the wrong way (cubic feet rather than cubic metres or vice verssa). Basically it meant they were multiplying our bills by three as they didn't record when a new metre got installed to our flat... could it be this sort of problem???

We're in a 2 bed flat, old sash windows (not double glazed) and we were ninety quid a month for the past 8 months or so... and they've just written to us saying we are now ?500 in credit!!

[skidmarks]

I?ve just been fisted by EDF. They?ve put my electricity direct debit to ?65 a month. ?780 a year for a 1 bedroom modern flat and only me living there, I?m hardly ever there. I?m on economy 7 tariff and my water heater comes on at cheap rate for 2 hours a night and that is it.

Time to switch

[stevebailey]

skidmarks Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I?ve just been fisted by EDF. They?ve put my

> electricity direct debit to ?65 a month. ?780 a

> year for a 1 bedroom modern flat and only me

> living there, I?m hardly ever there. I?m on

> economy 7 tariff and my water heater comes on at

> cheap rate for 2 hours a night and that is it.

>

> Time to switch

You want to ring those EDF highywaymen and explain to them that you obviously won't be heating your house for the 6 months over summer!

They tried to do this to me putting me up from ?45 to ?75 for a 2 bed flat with economy 7 etc, a quick call explaining that they were the one's that decided that amount and looking at my bill it will more than equal out over the summer months got it sorted.

I made the mistake of paying the increased amount once, it took me 3 months to get the ?250 back from them that i had overpaid..................wait for it..............over the summer!

[Loz]

As someone said above, try the comparison website.

If they come up, try EBICO (EquiGas/EquiPower). Small outfit connected with Southern. They don't appear on all sites as they don't pay commission.

[Jah Lush]

Hmmm....check the attic. The wife could well have a sideline in growing hydroponic weed and have her own little factory up there.

[Brendan]

In which case she can afford her share of the lecy bill.

[Jah Lush]

Quite so Brendan.

I'm with Southern Electric and last year my bill went from ?39 a month to ?205 a month. I went four months before I noticed how much my bank account was haemorrhaging. I got a new metre and they started charging me ?60 a month. According to my latest bill I now owe another ?400 and they want ?134 a month. This I feel can't be right as I live in a one-bedroomed flat FFS! Thieving bloody bar stewards!

[TillieTrotter]

I pay ?156 for both gas and elec with British Gas which I've been complaining was very high. I'm having a rethink now as I have a 4 bed house with two teenage boys heavily into gaming and music!!

[giggirl]

Read this...

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity

[Jah Lush]

Thanks GG. That's very helpful.

[cate]

TillieTrotter Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I pay ?156 for both gas and elec with British Gas

> which I've been complaining was very high. I'm

> having a rethink now as I have a 4 bed house with

> two teenage boys heavily into gaming and music!!

Sounds like you should get one of those electricity monitors.

[skidmarks]

Jah Lush Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Quite so Brendan.

>

> I'm with Southern Electric and last year my bill

> went from ?39 a month to ?205 a month. I went four

> months before I noticed how much my bank account

> was haemorrhaging. I got a new metre and they

> started charging me ?60 a month. According to my

> latest bill I now owe another ?400 and they want

> ?134 a month. This I feel can't be right as I live

> in a one-bedroomed flat FFS! Thieving bloody bar

> stewards!

F#ck me. How much! Is your flat powering the Large Hadron Collider in France or something!?

[Brendan]

Perhaps that humming coming from under the floorboards isn?t just down to the skunk.

[Loz]

Loz Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> As someone said above, try the comparison website.

>

>

> If they come up, try EBICO (EquiGas/EquiPower).

> Small outfit connected with Southern. They don't

> appear on all sites as they don't pay commission.

... and they charge in arrears, so none of this dodgy upfront malarkey.