Direct Debit to electricity companies

[Foliage]

Why is it that the my electricity account keeps going into so much credit, I make my monthly payment, I use less than what im paying but they still insist on increasing the payments and holding onto more of my cash.

Can anyone recommend an electrical company that doesn't do this? I left my last supplier because of this ridiculousness, now the new company ive been with for circa 5 years have just started doing it.


Example of that they are doing, quarterly bills , 3no £100 and 1no £150 in winter, but taking £50 a month, as soon as I want to take back the £150+ credit in my account the monthly payments will double to £100 a month.. The reason I looked at it was after receiving an email telling me my monthly payments are increasing to £60

[Foliage]

LambShank said:

Nimby said:

We're with First Utility - they email a reminder every month, I submit a meter reading (web or phone app) and they Direct Debit for exactly what I've used. I just assumed every supplier offered this as an alternative to averaged-over-the-year.

Same here.

Then I noticed I'd built up £350 credit, phoned them, got my monthly payment reduced by £30 and they refunded £250 of the credit without fuss.

Nice to see my usage chart also go down after replacing all my light bulbs with led's.

Scottish power were doing this but not now it seems.

Also changed all my bulbs to LED and also often shower at the gym over the last couple of years, seen a massive fall in energy usage over the year.

[Foliage]

Sheepshanks said:

Foliage said:

...now the new company ive been with for circa 5 years have just started doing it.

5 years? Have you compared the deal you're on with what else is available?

Yeah I save about £10 a year switching.


My point of my original post is that energy companies are clearly taking more than they can reasonably justify, its common practice in the industry, and then penalise you for trying to take your money back.

[Foliage]

Mothersruin said:

Funny this post has just come up.

We moved into a place in February. Based on the previous occupants they set our DD to £40 a month.

Did a reading last month and they're putting it up to £96! Seems the wife and I burnt through 3,529kWh in 5 months and I've just done another reading and we've gone through 830kWh in the last month! That seems crazy for the two of us, in a 3 bedroom cottage, the heating is oil and most of the cooking is done on gas, with nothing more than usual telly and computer use.

Any ideas?

Things like lights, kettle, fridge, stuff on standby, electric shower? usual culprits really.

Your usage doesn't seem to bad, £96 for that amount of KWH does seem high tho...

[Foliage]

Blue Oval84 said:

That's just not true,

Its what they do to me, just paid the bill for this quarter, in credit..