Gas/elec direct debits...

Just because you owe them £227 doesn't mean they will take that. You will pay the monthly set amount, £90 (that's about the same as ours). When the weather warms up you will catch up with the amount owing. I wouldn't encourage them to put the monthly amount up. Npower are good at acrrueing credit in favour of themselves.

They've taken it already. Instead of my dd being £90 as expected it's £227. Nothing in writing to explain why, either. They still haven't phoned me back. And I'm annoyed that I'm still on Economy 7 having arranged for it to be stopped. I think from now on I shall do a meter reading each month for a year so I can contact a price comparison place and see about changing.

Tegan, I had the same problem with NPower, although I think it's sorted now. When I first changed over to go with them when fuel prices rose suddenly (my monthly direct debit with Scottish Gas had risen by about £35 to over £100'odds per month), I was given a ridiculously low monthly charge of £54. I told the chap this and he said that it would be ok, as it would even itself out over the year...but of course it didn't and I was nearly £300 in debt to them at the end of the year. I contacted them and complained. It didn't alter the fact that I still owed the money, of course, so I paid the extra and upped the monthly amount to £95. In my last update I was given £72 back and a lower, more sensible amount charge of £78 per month direct debit.
This is all very well, but I do think we are at the mercy of energy companies and it's very difficult to understand enough in order to calculate if we're being given a 'bum deal' or not!

I am amazed that they have put your direct debit up from £90 to £227! Surely that's got to be a mistake.

tegan Companies operating direct debits have to give 3 months' notice of any change - I would challenge them, it's unreasonable to just take money out of your account like that.
What if you went overdrawn as a result and incurred bank charges? They should be liable IMHO.

My energy costs are like Marelli's. £85 a month at present, and I'm slightly in credit, so it will reduce in the next month or so to about £75 a month. I'm with British Gas now - I switch every couple of years to take advantage of offers. Last month, I changed tarriff and obained an EnergySmart meter, which enables me to check electricity consumption each time I switch on an appliance. Online, I can check usage and adjust what I want to spend eg I want to reduce the bill by 10%, so the SmartMeter and my account will tell me if what I am doing is working.

Tegan it might be worth switching now, even if there is a penalty, as you might save more by switching, and the new company will organise whatever is owed you to be reimbursed.

Phew; managed to speak to someone who explained what had happened [still don't really understand it] but the good news is that my dd will be going down to £50 a month from April and I am no longer on Economy 7 [they still need 2 readings as the meter has not been changed but it is adjusted]. From now on I'm going to phone through a reading each month. The guy did apologise [so I assume a mistake has been made on their part in some way] so I'd advise everyone to keep an eye on any dd payments [which I assume we all do]. jane; yes, it is lucky that I always keep plenty of money in my bank account to cover such things. They still didn't phone me back, though; had to contact them using another number I'd found.

That's more positive, then Tegan. I used to phone in with meter readings every 3 months or so, and also to check that I was paying enough.

Funny how a lot of companies seem to make a few mistakes when it's round about the end of the financial year. Or am I just cynical?

Glad it's sorted Tegan

If it is of any use since my partner left me my son and his girlfriend have taken over my affairs (both are chartered accountants) and have insisted that I am charged based on meter readings they enter onto the providers website. My debits have reduced dramatically and a week or so after inputting a meter reading I get a new statement. For example my Gas & Electric has gone from £87 per month to £71, Water from £37 to £15 per month. I accept there was two in the house now just me but son says the £71 is more than it should be but we shall see.

I stick to quarterly direct debits for the reasons given by Tegan. Instead we calculate our household bills for a year and put a fixed amount aside within our bank account each month. Our bank balance varies from month to month but we only pay what we know we owe. We only have monthly DDs for fixed amount bills like Council tax.

FlicketyB - do you get less discount by paying quarterly ?

No, providing I pay within the required time period, which as we pay by Direct Debit, always happens.

It is the Direct Debit payment method that triggers the discounts.

I have switched to Ovo, who pay you 3% interest on any credit balance. I have only been with them since November, so have yet to see how it works out.

I am with First Utility.
They take the money monthly for the amount you use.
I just went with the cheapest supplier and I am not bothered how I pay.

Frank