Vocal Voices

As Autumn approaches all the major news outlets are telling us that bills will go up again. We are cajoled into getting smart meters and told to look for the best direct debit deals by the 'experts'.

Well, folks, I have news for those experts and us customers:

1. Don't get a smart meter - use a spreadsheet. You already have meters you can read any time you want. Set a time of day and religiously read them then log the results. They will tell you what you used in the previous 24hrs. You really do not need a minute by minute consumption display. If your kettle is on you already know it is using electricity - same with lights, heating etc.. The very best smart meter is in your head.

2. Never, ever, go for direct debit. Read your meter monthly or quarterly and pay by card. The Energy Co jokers will always, always, always overestimate your usage so that you go into credit via DD; often by hundreds of pounds each year. That money is better off in your account rather than theirs.

As a tenant I pay electricity by pre-payment meter, but my gas account is more than £845 better off by not taking SP's super DD "offer" when the price cap came in.

The biggest useless energy cost to me is the outrageous dual-fuel daily standing charge of £228 per year - 34p gas and 28+p electricity. It is often more than the actual energy used. Why are we 'safe' customers paying for the chancers who used the failed utility companies such as Bulb?

My Labour MP does not know: I have asked him.

Very true WM only difference is I read my metre every quarter and send it in and refuse to pay DD
And pay by credit card every quarter in full

Yes! Quarterly / Monthly readings, Saundra, same - same. Only pay for what you use and not what the utilities "think" you might use.

The stories of people being overcharged using DD are legend, yet these same people never cancel and claim back, they just bitch.

My sympathy battery has run dry. If you are not prepared to take control and yet allow apps to rule your lives then that's up to you. Don't come crying on my shoulder.

Each to there own WM everyone is different

OK, I'm one of yer actual numbskulls who pays by monthly direct debit, happily runs a credit balance - and I'm quite sanguine about it, to be honest.

I get a 5% discount for paying EonNext by DD.
I have an smart meter for the electric and give EonNext monthly gas readings online, so I get my monthly bills through from them with little hassle, sometimes within a couple of hours.
There's usually only a few pence discrepancy with my spreadsheets.
I have online control over the amount of the DD, and can vary it month by month as I judge. EonNext have never complained over my tinkerings!
I prefer to run a credit balance going into winter so I don't get any billing shocks (this will probably be less important in future now the price hikes have settled down and I can judge more clearly the contribution from our solar panels).
The banks don't pay me any interest , so it's pretty immaterial whether the money's in my account or EonNext's.

Which reminds me, I'm probably good to shave a tenner off the electric DD starting next month .........