We live in a 2 bedroom flat and are both out of work all day, therefore electricity usage is relatively low however we have just received a letter informing us that our monthly direct debit will now amount to £143.00(again only a 2 bedrrom flat which i'm barely in not a 6 bedroom mansion) previously our Direct Debit was £80.00 a month, in comparison to my friends this was still a touch on the high side. From April every year we switch of our storage heaters(we have yet to put them back on this year). From going online and viewing my year on year energy consumption, it fell as we expected from April 2008 onwards until the winter months, however this year from April 2009 it fell until the end of June to approx 10kwh and began a sharp steep rise until now and still rising as far as I am aware. At start of Jul 09 it was approx 12kwh, Aug 09 35-40kwh, Sept 09 85-90kwh and now to well over 100kwh per day(now instead of having a healthy Credit Balance we are now in Debit). We haven't been doing anything different in terms of electricity usage, no new appliances, the only things on in the flat whilst I am not in is the fridge and the bathroom towel radiator. Calling Scottish Power is pointless as they have a don't care attitude, apart from writing a letter to the CEO of Scottish Power and officially complaining is there anything else I can do? Or can anyone think of any reason for the ridiculously high usage other than someone else in my Flat Block tapping into it(which I will hopefully rule out tonight when I shut off the power for a few minutes).

You could write to your supplier to complain but as we speak now, you'd be complaining that your consumption has increased - which isn't excactly there fault?

What we need to do first is establish how the figures reprenseting your consumption both historicaly and currently have been derived. Have your previous bills all been based on actual meter readings and are the most recent similarily based on actual meter readings, or are there numerous estimations?

BarraBoy81:

is there anything else I can do?

Before there can be any useful comment you need to confirm that you submit actual meter readings whenever you receive a bill or statement from Scottish Power and that there hasn't been a consistent debit balance on the quarterly statements.

There are other explanations for billing problems but that will do for starters.

Thanks for your quick response. I realise the consumption increasing is not there fault but it is now currently daily 4 times higher than it was in February and March of this year when more appliances were on in the property.

We have our meter read about 3 to 4 times a year but I feel they do guestimate our future usage.

How can a flat with 2 people working full time use over 100kwh of electricity a day, thats what I can't get my head around.

Hi BarraBoy81,

I was trying to inject a little humour into the situation which obviously failed - good thing i'm not a comedian by trade eh?

Do you have a copy of your previous bills, if so cna you confirm that these were each base don actual meter readings, if you do not would you be able to contact your provider to make sure. What I am trying to establish here is if your consumption history that you provided in your opening post is accurate. If your previous consumption was based on estiamted meter readings we cannot rely on this as a base point to comare against. However if they were base don actuals then we can.

Additionally was your most recent statement(s) equally based on actuals or estimates (specifically the ones that showed an increase in your consumption). At present I think its unlikely your consumption has in reality changed this significantly and the fault lies with the recording of it, but we need some infomation to prove/disprove this.

BarraBoy81:

We have our meter read about 3 to 4 times a year

Do you mean you read it 3 to 4 times a year? A quarterly bill or statement with estimated readings is not a meter reading.

I'm not convinced a meter reader calls 3 to 4 times year. In the past but not any more.

Jalexa:

I'm not convinced a meter reader calls 3 to 4 times year. In the past but not any more.

It does happen (at least with the organisation I am employed with). Although obviously not with as many consumer's as I personally would have liked but it is still a larger percentage tahn you may think. (I obviouslly cnanot speak for other providers however).

No worries, your assistance is useful.

Here is what is listed on my online account for the consumption measured in kwh:

Bill periodNumber of daysTotalDaily Average13/08/09 - 19/10/09 68 7626 112 14/05/09 - 12/08/09 91 888 10 12/02/09 - 13/05/09 91 3205 35 30/10/08 - 11/02/09 105 0 0 21/05/08 - 29/10/08 162 2351 15 2/02/08 - 20/05/08 89 4019

45

I would not have thought it possible even with every appliance on in the house to get a 112kwh average?

Maybe I am missing something big here?

BarraBoy81:

Maybe I am missing something big here?

You're quite right to flag up something that doesn't look right and if more people did that there would be less problems with unmaneagable bills.

I don't think the 112/day is any more right than the 0 per day for 105 days. There may well be a reading, estimating or billing issue but I think you are relying on the statistical information provided when you should be relying only on the accuracy of the meter reading(s) recorded on each quarterly bill or statement. You say you have (currently switched off) storage heaters. I take it you have an Economy 7 or other form of off-peak supply in which case you should have two meters or dials to read. The statistical information you quote doesn't distinguish between full rate and economy units. Frankly it's useless.

You need to go back over this thread. Several times the importance of the actual meter readings has been stressed.

That may be the something big you are missing.

We are not saying you are wrong to be concerned, only that the "facts" presented don't support any conclusion. What we need are the meter reading numbers (whether actual, customer or estimated) and dates on the last few statements and an indication whether the account had an increasing debit balance or not.

I called Scottish Power last night to see if I could get a helpful rep which I think I did. The lady was very confused on my account but told me after 10mins or so that the meter readings have been wrong, apparently my day rate has been charged at night rate and vice versa, so now my account is being passed to the billing department and was advised they would reasses it over a period of 12 months. I guess i'll just have to wait and see but i'm still bricking it incase a monsterous bill comes in again.

Cheers

While (possibly) a good thing the transposed reading issue has been picked up. It doesn't explain the change in consumption. UNLESS the transposition occured midway between the two points you mentioned in your opening post -- which to be honest is highly unlikely. Transposed readings generally only occur when a meter has been installed or where a customer reading supercedes a meter readers.

As Jalexa Has pointed out again, we very much need a record of your ACTUAL meter readings, as at present it could vert much be a case of out of the pan into the fire. Without these we are simply unable to provide any further support.