Scottish Gas grossly underestimated our usage. Huge bill!!

[claire671]

When I first took out the direct debit scheme with Scottish Gas I agreed to pay £75 per month for both gas and electricity. Paid this for a few months and then I noticed it has dropped to £64. I stupidly assumed that maybe it was because our gas consumption wasn't as much as thought (our meter is outside and they regularly do accurate readings) Today they take £81. So I call them to find out why. Give her my current meter readings and gas is on track but our electricity has been so underestimated I am due them £370!!!!

I am so shocked I could cry, I've been left with two options. Pay the £370 to clear the debt and then be able to do monthly readings so I can keep track of what we use. Or pay £160 per month for the next 9 months to clear the debt and cover our consumption. Can't afford either

Just goes to show how much electricity I've been using while being at home during the day. This will be stopping! I am devastated.

Don't really know what advice I need. Just had to let this out somewhere x

 

[tweetyfoo]

Awww hun, sorry this has happened to you.

What I would suggest going forward is that you take monthly meter readings yourself to keep on top of it. This is what we do and we can enter our readings online?

 

[claire671]

Thanks Tweety. Yes definitely going to do that from now on. What a horrid way to learn a lesson! Waiting on a call back from Scottish Gas and I'm going to ask for an electricty monitor too so I can see how much we're using during the day. That money would have been for a wee holiday later in the year BIG wake up call xx

 

[katie_lou]

I had this happen to me and owed 240 . I just paid it all in one go . I had some money saved up towards our holiday spends so luckily I had money to hand x x x

 

[willowwisp]

I had this too back when I was living on my own but with British Gas! I'd been living in the property for three years, I called to settle my bills when I left and was told I was owed £95 as I'd over paid in gas and that I'd have to wait up to three months for the cheque, but that I owed them (accumulated over the three years despite me submitting almost monthly meter readings) almost £1100 for the electric.

When I asked them for a break down etc and what had happened, they just weren't interested. It took me 6 months to get a break down of the three years, what I had used, and what I had paid each month to justify the money they said I owed. They wanted me to pay outright because of the amount and the fact I'd manage to stall for 6 months because they'd failed to produce the itemisation, but I just couldn't afford to. I'd managed to save £600 towards it in those 6 months, so in the end I basically had a war with them and said it was there fault as I was checking monthly that my payments were correct, it was their calculations which were wrong, I wasn't at fault. They agreed I could pay 50% up front from what I'd saved towards it and I paid the rest over the course of another 6 months.

It was a TOTAL nightmare, you have my sympathy!

We have oil now, it's the best thing ever. You pay up front to fill your tank, and you can monitor how much your using. No nasty bills!

 

[claire671]

Gosh Willow what a nightmare!
Just signed up to the energy smart plan so I can put my meter readings into my andriod app every month and pay for what we use. Currently sitting with candles lit instead of lamps! Xx

 

[CARNAT22]

Gosh Claire, how horrible!

I am terrified of this happening to be honest so I give regular readings - I actually got a £270 credit back from them recently as we'd overpaid lekky??

I am keeping this money safe though in-case we ever get hit with a big bill

xxxxxxx

 

[tambo1976]

I had this happen about 18 months ago. I owed about £600 because both gas and electric had been underestimated, I actually cried. After speaking to them and them discussing how I could pay them back I decided on having pre payment meters fitted and they took some debt off the meter each week. I know it costs me more and I get no direct debit discount but I honestly dont care, I can watch what I use and adjust accordingly. Only in January this month did I finish paying the debt and I am happy now knowing that it will never stack up again x