Powergen - sudden huge bill

[racer1]

We moved in to our property in the middle of October last year. Our first bill was £48. You can imagine I was slightly surprised when the next bill came in at £140.

I looked at the bill and realised £70 of those charges were related to the heating system, which we don't use. I called up Powergen and gave them the metre readings and they sent another bill through.

Shock horror, the new bill is £200! I know we checked the metre when we moved in and all was correct. I'm failing to understand on a few accounts here - a) it's huuuge compared to the first bill and b) we are only ever there in the evenings, not often there at the weekend, we have no oven, as we're decorating the only room we're always using is our bedroom (doubles as our lounge for now), all the rooms have energy saving lightbulbs, we're careful to turn lights off and we only had (until 4 / 6 weeks ago) a little freestanding radiator which was used for about an hour a day, max.

Has anyone ever had anything similar and able to offer any advice please?

Many thanks.

[tnoemis]

A few questions,
1) The first bill, was that to accurate readings and a 91 day quarter?
2) Are you on a 1 rate tariff or economy 7?
3) Is this bill for gas and electric or just elec?

[racer1]

1) Yes and it was for a quarter (and we'd been there for that quarter)
2) I don't know
3) This bill is only for electricity

I don't have an issue in paying bills but it's a big jump and all powergen have said is "we'll send your our energy saving leaflets" which really isn't that helpful!

[tnoemis]

OK it will show on your bill as either E7 or domestic general.

Do you have storage heaters or emersion heating for your hot water?

Can you give me the readings for when you first moved in, to when you were sent your last bill?

[racer1]

Ok, don't have bill here as at work so will have to bring tonight.

We have emersion heating.

I don't have the readings for the electricity for when we first moved in, only the heating system. I have meter readings for both though from both December and a couple of weeks ago - is that any good?

[tnoemis]

I should be able to work something out. When you give them readings do you give them one set of readings or two? 2 readings would indicate an E7 meter. Also, how long do you have the emersion on for?
Have you still got your first bill? Can you check on it to see if your opening readings are actual readings or estimated. It will have A, C, or E next to the reading wich will indicate if its Actual (from a meter reader), from a Customer or Estimated

[racer1]

Ok will check when home tonight.

We give two readings - one which has always changed and one reading which hasn't (that being the heating which we don't use). The emersion tends to be on during the day ie so we can have hot water at night as it takes quite a while.

I still have the bill for £48.

[racer1]

Sorry just to add to the earlier info too - there's only two of us who live in the house (myself and my partner) and we live in a two bed upper floor maisonette but as I said earlier we don't use the heating as decorating so only use our bedroom (also as lounge), bathroom and kitchen.

[tnoemis]

OK looks like it could be a few things. Can you give me a rough estimate as to how long you have the emersion on for?
2 readings also shows that you have an E7 meter. Youre still going to use power during the night, no matter how little. If you have a bedside radio alarm thing its still using power so the night or heat reading should change. If your night reading hasnt changed then it sounds like you have a time switch problem and everything you use at night is being charged at the higher day rate. When you get home can you gather these things together for me:
All the readings you have and the dates they were taken and if it was estimated or actual
The tariff youre on, E7 or Domestic
What was the wattage of that little heater

[racer1]

12 / 13 hrs prob? Given that I leave early and get home late! So I guess that contributes, can be more sometimes. Not sure how to get around that though as need hot water on for when I get home.

I think the only things which are plugged in constantly and also using power are the fridge / freezer (but only a small one), the television (though not often left on standby), the Sky box and the wireless box - seems pretty normal to me!

Will gather info tonight, thanks.

[tnoemis]

OK straight away your emersion heating is a BIG part of your problems. I'd seriuosly look into getting a timer fitted for that. I'm off for the rest of day so I'll check on things in the morning.

[racer1]

Ok - any recommendations on what to get etc etc?

[tnoemis]

Follow this link 24 Hour Immersion Heater Timer
It's a company called TLC-Direct who specialise in electrical equipment and are very good value for money or you can try screwfix 7 Day Digital Timer - Screwfix Direct, Everything for the Trade, Next Day! who are also very good. Just remember to get an EXPERT to install it!

[racer1]

Ok thanks! Couldn't find bill detailing metre readings last night (only the one with the amount on it) so will post after weekend when have had mroe time to look - thanks.

[JONESH]

Hi, i have had a similar problem. i live in a two bedroom mid terrace property with an attic room. Myself and my partner leave for work at 6am and return at 6pm cook a meal, have a bath watch telly and go to bed. We have an electrical combi boiler system which refills itself during the offpeak tariff at night. i have had problems with increasing bills for months with no luck, yesterday i receieved a bill for £1,141. i pay £40 a month direct debit and on top of that the last two months have paid £150 extra a month to decrease the bill. I read my meter all the time morning and evening and for 4 hours of use a day i believe our bills are extremely high, i have requested somebody comes out to look at our meter but with no response, anybody any ideas?

[tnoemis]

Check your bill to make sure youre on the E7 tariff. If thats all ok check your meter to make sure both day and night are going up. if one stays the same it means a time switch fault. also take 2 readings an hour apart to confirm which one is day and which is night and contact your supplier to confirm it with them to make sure your not being charged the higher rate for night and the lower rate for day

[JONESH]

Check your bill to make sure youre on the E7 tariff. If thats all ok check your meter to make sure both day and night are going up. if one stays the same it means a time switch fault. also take 2 readings an hour apart to confirm which one is day and which is night and contact your supplier to confirm it with them to make sure your not being charged the higher rate for night and the lower rate for day

Thanks
I am on the No Standing Charge Economy 7 Plan, i have contacted powergen on numerous occasions have read the meter 2 hours apart for a week and notified them. my reading at 4pm yesterday was 16486 and 03508 at 8pm yesterday is was 16490 and 03508 and at 10pm was 16492 and 03508 at 6am today was 16492, 3511. Yesterday they said my readings had been transposed and were charging me for the difference, however they read the meter on the 17th of August and i have given readings at least every month since then which they have submitted. I spoke to Powergen this morning who said my bill was wrong and to forget it. I have a problem with Powergen every time i get a bill and it never gets sorted.

[racer1]

I called EnergyWatch who put me through to Powergen and I found at that point they were helpful. We went through every appliance in the house and how much it's used and worked out we use about 20kw / hour a day - which is mainly down to the emersion heater.

They said that if we thought the metre was faulty, they could have someone come out but there is a £75 charge [refunded if the meter is found to be faulty].

May be worth giving them a call but going through EnergyWatch because when I went to Powergen direct I found them very unhelpful.

[JONESH]

Thanks, do you have a number for energy watch

[tnoemis]

Now the problem has been found, energywatch will dismiss the complaint and say to contact them in a few weeks if the account still hasn’t been resolved. Powergen will rebill the account back to when the problem started, they can’t tell if readings are transposed unless the customer is able to take readings and hour apart, this is something even an engineer can miss out on. The chances are you will get a bill that has been substantially reduced