Check meter readings

[otter]

I have had a "love affair" with checking Britis Gas bills and readings and I have had a good day again.

Make sure you check them really well as I was invoiced over £70 too much. Their so called reading was over 600 units (electricity) more than the actual reading I can see by the time the bill arrived.

This just confirmed to me why I do not like doing direct debits but follow the rule:

1) check
2) pay
3) analyze if diffent what was budgeted

[Julie]

Hi Otter - totally agree, I always check my readings and never accept an estimate. I know how to work my bills out to the penny and always make sure their accurate.

Also shop around regularly for cheapest suppliers.

[otter]

I was really amazed that six months ago I estimated how much it would be and I am only off by £4 by the time I get the revised invoice ))

But then again I have become a real "expert". I put a machine on and I go and check how fast the meter moves (no more fan ovens unless lots in).

I tried to be with too much lights but quickly realized that it did not make much difference.

My pet hate is kettle which "eats" a lot.

[Skippy]

We pay by DD - I can't be doing with worrying about a bill coming in. When we checked earlier in the year we found we owed British Gas over £200 as the DD wasn't enough. We upped it and hopefully we'll have paid it off soon!

We can't change suppliers as we're tied into a fixed tarrif with British Gas until 2011. Unfortunately we fixed when the prices were higher, but I'm not too worried as at least we know it won't go up.

If I can fix bills I will as I worry about not knowing how much is going out each month!

I dread to think how much our kettle uses, but I love it as it practically boils instantly - worth paying extra for!

[Shining]

I always ring in if they've estimated my bill with my own reading and they send me another bill, this happened this week and the revised bill is much nicer to receive, I always put the washer on during economy 7 hours, insomnia does have its good points to help save money lol

[kallis3]

We're with Atlantic Gas and Electricity and get just two bills a year and both are proper meter readings.

So far we've managed to stay in credit with them.

[Shining]

Mine would be Jan but my electric meter is still in my house, we only get two bills per year but only a reading by them for the gas so I always have to read the electric x

[kallis3]

Ours are both outside so don't have a problem there. I'm glad the electric one is as I find that really difficult to read. I've never understood those!

[Adam16]

I am with scottish power. Having spent a year working in energy management I am a bit anal about reading my meters on the last day of each month.

It allows you to know where ke are at and also to change my behaviour if I am using an excess number of units!

[johnh]

Some months ago we received a collosal bill from British Gas (no longer with them, naturally)based on an "actual" reading. Mystified, I checked the meter. We share an outhouse with next door in which both our meters are held. They had read next door's meter and not ours!!! I wrote a long letter suggesting they put their meter readers on a training course and advising that the way to distinguish the two was that ours was nearest our house and has the house number written on the side in huge lettering, whereas next door's was nearest their house and had their house number written on it in enormous lettering!! British Gas wrote back thanking me for the helpful advice and assuring me that they would take this on board and retrain their meter readers accordingly!!!

I left British Gas on the grounds that, if they can't see when someone is taking the p**s they can't be much good at supplying gas!!!

[kallis3]

Don't blame you John! What a huge mistake![:0]

[johnh]

Julie (Swansgirl) do you really understand all that stuff on the gas bill about British Thermal Units and calorific coefficients? If so, I salute you. Personally I couldn't tell the difference between a British Thermal Unit and a Lithuanian one!!

[kallis3]

Me neither - I believe what they tell me!

[Julie]

Sadly John I do - it was part of a qualification I passed for work..energy advice. So I learnt how to read all various types of meters, analyse bills etc....riveting stuff eh [:D]

[kallis3]

I bet you're a real wow at parties Julie![:D][:D][:D]