Thanks anyway.

I just spoke to npower and they said that by turning the boiler on and off as and when we need it, we were using more energy than if it was left on.

Bit gutting really, but you learn from your mistakes. I'll have to think more carefully about what tariff I chose in future, now that I know what I'm looking for it should be easier.

Kirsty

KirstyP:

I think you are on Npower Price Protector Dual Fuel. If so you are tied in until 1/1/2010. Would cost £100 to leave early, probably not a great idea.

Unfortunately this tariff hasn't turned out to be a good deal. Current tariffs are about 20% cheaper saving at least £150.

Your monthly payment needed to be £80, not £45. The £131 is designed to clear the account debit in 6 months. The estimate of future consumption seems to be quite reasonable.

Npower usually have the lowest headline cost in most supply areas but you have been caught out by a couple of Npower "gotchas". The discount is deferred for 12 months, however your account should be credited with about £100 discount at the end of October. Secondly "seasonal weighting" of Primary units. Over 12 months this will cancel out but your winter bill is £100 more with "seasonal weighting" than without. Uniquely (bad) to Npower and no longer features on new Npower tariffs. There is a explanatory leaflet on the Npower website. I think customers who fall for this are blameless and have been conned.

Looking forward to a time when you can switch away from Npower, you might be better next time with a variable tariff with no "gotchas". Southern Electric and Scottish Power online tariffs don't feature "gotchas". A particular feature of the Scottish Power online billing is that whenever you submit an online meter reading you get a bang up to date statement so no surprises.

Finally for some reason there is no actual reading when you took over the supply, only an Npower estimate. The only actual reading is Dec. Even the latest reading is an estimate so its impossible to be precise about your gas consumption. Your (estimated) winter consumption isn't hugely excessive but possibly there is some scope for efficiency savings.

Sorry there is not better news.

Well judging from my friends with small flats, apparently it's cheap.

Perhaps it is right. I'm so shocked at how much it costs!

I am with Npower. It's dual fuel. On the elec it says 'charges for tariff - price protect std elec/monthly direct debit'

and on the gas 'charges for tariff - price protect gas/monthly direct debit. Thats it.

Here, this is what my bill says is thats any help?

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/7365/bill1.jpg

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/4959/bill2n.jpg

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/8017/bill3o.jpg

I don't understand :-(

Thanks for your help.

KirstyP:

I just wondered if it was around the right amount?

Could easily be right. On the information given its not possible to say it's wrong.

Puzzled by the over 4000 primary units in 6 months. Which supplier are you with and what is the full name of the tariff? As I said 4572/year is much more common, less on some tariffs.

Can't say for sure without knowing but leaving a fixed price tariff usually incurrs a penalty, could be up to £100.

To work out whether the increased monthly charge is reasonable you need to know approximately your annual energy cost, the current debit balance and how much you have paid. The increase should be no more than is necessary to recover the debit in 12 months plus pay for your approximate energy costs. The supplier may try to slip in an amount to create a surplus. That should be negotiable but it's quite hard to negotiate when on a fixed price tariff.

There is a lesson there for others reading this thread.

It might be worth double-checking that the amount they have charged and the corresponding direct debit is in any way related to reality - I know several people whose bills have shot up over the past year based on pretty much nothing (the companies claim it is to build up a credit in your account and that it is for your own good - debatable).

Get an exact reading to start with, and check that the direct debit ammount corresponds to your actual usage. If not, renegotiate the direct debit amount. (If so, it is time to compare with other suppliers.)

I just wondered if it was around the right amount? It's the first time I've rented on my own and been responsible for the bills.

Only the last one was an estimate but I checked our meter and its roughly the same amount.

Our tariff is the standard dual energy with fixed prices 2011 apparently. Am I better off on another tariff, and if so can you recommend with npower? I can't afford to switch yet as can't pay my full balance.

Can I stop them changing my direct debit, and keep it at the existing £45? I can't afford £131 a month, my BF has lost his job and my wages only just cover the bills as it is.

Thanks for your help.

PS Our boiler does have a timer, we just don't use it. It has temperature controls for both water and heating.

KirstyP:

Depends what exactly you are looking for help on. First of all you don't say whether the readings are estimated readings or actual readings. The only bill worth discussing is a bill in which the previous readings and the latest readings are all actual meter readings. Whether actual or estimated they are equivalent to about 49kWhrs/day for the winter period. Interestingly both are 49 which makes me suspicious they might be estimates. I can't say whether they are right but 49/day is certainly not greatly excessive for water and heating during the winter period. Neither do I know how warm you like the flat to be or how well (or badly) insulated it is.

You don't say who your supplier is or what tariff you are on but the number, proportion and cost of the primary units is HUGE. ( although the 2.7p for secondary units is very competitive). On other tariffs a typical number of primary units per year is 4572 at a cost of typically 4.3p.

Go to a price comparison website and do a comparison.

One other thing. Heating systems are supposed to have adequate controls but yours doesn't have a timer. I'm wondering if there are any temperature controls. The absence of adequate controls will tend to result in higher bills.

I just received my first six monthly gas bill since moving into my flat last September.

It's me and my boyfriend who work 9 till 6 every day with weekends off. At weekends we have his two girls.

Our elec was £200 which is ok, but the gas is £555!!!!! The cooker is elec and we have energy saving lightbulbs and a washer dryer (the dryer we use all the time).

The hot water and heating are gas, and we have the boiler off unless we need to use it. When we bath/wash up etc we turn it on and then straight off again.

Heating we turn on when it gets cold, it's not on a timer and is off all night. We have a flat next to ours, above and below so it's quite warm anyway. It takes 10-15 mins max to heat up even on the coldest days and stays warm so we don't have it on continuously.

Not only that, but I was paying £45 a month but as from June am going to be paying £131!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

21/10/08 - 950 to 31/12/08 -1061 111 (100s cubic feet) = 3489 kWh

31/12/08 - 1061 to 04/05/09 - 1258 197 (100s cubic feet) = 6192 kWh

first 4166 at 9.112p £379.61
next 5515 at 2.712p £149.57

Total inc VAT @ 5% £555.63

HELP this seems way too high!

Thanks