Finances. - The Bear and Badger

Tempy

But srs, I work for electricity and it is a ball ache and a lot of people just DO NOT GET IT with the whole 'bill me for what I use' except the want to be billed monthly and we can't sent meter readers monthly because it'd be stupid money but they aren't willing to read their own meters. FUUUCK.

Onywho, over estimation probably means they estimates on a time when you were using more than average, you can always claim it back.

Fentonizer

I always do a meter reading when Scotish Power ask me to.

I am 60 quid in credit for dual-fuel in only 3 months, but there's no mention at all of how I get that back when I access my account online, nor is there a way to change my monthly direct debit payment based on newer estimates of usage with updated meter readings.

ON TOPIC:

I work for the NHS, i could tell you what band I'm on and then you can just Google NHS pay scales to get a good idea. I won't, but I could. Within the organisation, talking about you band is a common thing though. I'm just not going to say here because I think it's unbecoming and I don't like the idea of people making assumptions about my life and circumstances based solely on how much I earn.

Tempy

You can't do that online, it needs to be authorised by an agent usually. You can request your credit back via the phone (again, has to be authorised by someone).

Fentonizer

They made the effort to give me their special online tarrif to cut down on all this admin, I thought?

Moto70

Tempy wrote:

But srs, I work for electricity and it is a ball ache and a lot of people just DO NOT GET IT with the whole 'bill me for what I use' except the want to be billed monthly and we can't sent meter readers monthly because it'd be stupid money but they aren't willing to read their own meters. FUUUCK. Onywho, over estimation probably means they estimates on a time when you were using more than average, you can always claim it back.

I understand how it works but they were of no help at all on the phone...

"Please can you tell me why my monthly direct debit has gone up 33%?"

"It's because in the winter your use more electric."

"No I understand that bit but I want to know why it has gone up from Â£120 to Â£160 per month?"

"It's because in the summer you use less."

"No, I understand that some months see more use and some months use less but my monthly amount has gone up 33%?"

"That's wrong, it should have only gone up to Â£150."

"OK, can you tell me why my bill has gone up 25%?"

"It's because in the winter..."

"I FUCKING KNOW HOW IT WORKS, I WANT TO KNOW WHY IT HAS GONE UP 25%?"

"Looking at your account we can actually keep it at Â£120.

"Right, can you explain why I have Â£492.86 in credit?"

"Well in the winter..."

"Seriously we aren't getting anywhere here. I know that I use more in the winter, I know I use less in the summer and I know that we look at the final annual amount and I pay it in 12 equal instalments and this is what my estimate is based on. When does the Â£492.86 I have in credit some into play?"

"At the end of the year, we may have underestimated so that will cover it."

"I have been with you for years, you know my usage pattern, if anything it is getting less as I have a TV that is 40% more efficient and 6 months ago I replaced my washing machine with the most energy efficient one available. This coupled with the fact that my missus started work last year means there are days when our usage will much less. I don't have any cannabis factories planned nor am I taking up arc welding so I can assure you that my usage will not be changing significantly over last year."

"OK, we can make it Â£95."

"Why on earth has my bill gone from Â£120 to Â£160 to Â£95?"

"Because of your credit."

"Honestly I fucking give up now, do what you want and we'll look at it in June when my review comes up."

@Tempy: Seriously if you could shed some light on this I would be ever grateful. Oh, I also submit meter readings via my phone whenever they ask.

Moto70

Fentonizer wrote:

I'm just not going to say here because I think it's unbecoming and I don't like the idea of people making assumptions about my life and circumstances based solely on how much I earn.

I take home just under Â£1,700 per month and I earn anything from Â£2,000 - Â£5,000 per year doing private work but my mate who takes home about Â£1,250 has much more disposable income than me, partly due to his ridiculously low mortgage but also in part to the fact that I pay so much out each month and have a family.

Yossarian

Moto70 wrote:

"Please can you tell me why my monthly direct debit has gone up 33%?"

"It's because in the winter your use more electric."

"No I understand that bit but I want to know why it has gone up from Â£120 to Â£160 per month?"

I must be missing something, this seems like a perfectly good answer to me.

Fentonizer

Moto70 wrote:

Fentonizer wrote:

I'm just not going to say here because I think it's unbecoming and I don't like the idea of people making assumptions about my life and circumstances based solely on how much I earn.

I take home just under Â£1,700 per month and I earn anything from Â£2,000 - Â£5,000 per year doing private work but my mate who takes home about Â£1,250 has much more disposable income than me, partly due to his ridiculously low mortgage but also in part to the fact that I pay so much out each month and have a family.

Congratulations?

equinox_code

For 18 months in Hamburg, Germany's second most expensive city, i was living on 550 euros per month. Not easy at all. A lot of it owed to employers fucking me over due to my lack of rights having not been officially registered.

Yossarian

Actually, talking of electricity bills, before I left my flat in Cairo I realised that I couldn't recall the last time I'd paid for any electricity. I told my landlord and he went off to sort out a meter reading. He got back to me with the news that no-one had paid for any electricity in the flat for 19 months (I'd been living there for 11). Apparently, that was no reason for he electric company to cut me off.

Mental.

Moto70

@Fentonizer: I was making comment about your post saying about people making assumptions based on your wage, ie I earn more than a mate of mine but have nothing like the disposable income he has so no, people shouldn't make assumptions based on earnings.

@Yoss: My bill went up 33%, I don't pay it on per month usage but in 12 equal amounts based on my annual usage. It hasn't changed for the last 2 years but increased by 33%, my wages didn't increase by 33% so I want it explaining as to why they have put my bill up. It turns out it was worth it as it as now gone down but still without explanation.

Sasukekun

Moto70 wrote:

I have had a strange one today. I am with EDF and our electric bill is Â£120 per month, this month they put it up to Â£160 so I rang them and said WTF are they doing increasing my bill by 33%, they said not to worry and it would revert to Â£120 again. Today I get an email saying I have a message on my account online, I log-in (I never use the online side) and the message is there saying it would stay at Â£120 but more important is a bit on the left hand side that says we are Â£492.86 in credit! I rang them and asked what is going on and if there is going to be any credit being held I'll hold it thank you very much. They have now dropped our bill to Â£95 per month with a review taking place in June, I said they'd better come up with something fucking good as to why I am so much in credit...

Yeah, we're in credit all the time too, but they keep trying to put it up every year claiming they're just trying to pevent us from underpaying and then having to get the funds to cover the underpayment.
Energy companies are probably second to payday loan companies for the biggest shysters in the UK at the moment.

Fentonizer

Oh, sorry.

They shouldn't but they do.

Tempy

@Moto: Part of it is down to the fact that EDF probably still use a bust calculation to work out your bills, half the industry is still tits up in that regard. We've started using a better calcuatlion and have started waiting longer before reviewing the state of your account and stuff.

It's a pain in the ass and without seeing your account I'd have no idea why there has been such a spike, but at a guess you've been over estimated for a long time which is why you've got such a credit. I dunno why they wanted to put it up as i've got no readings to go off or anything, if I had access to your read history (including any estimates) and what EDF held, I could probably surmise why it's happened.

Moto70

I think the credit will have built up from overestimating on their part along with the fact that I took a meter reading about 4 months ago, the first one in a few years, also my missus said she saw an EDF van in our street about a month ago and she thought he was taking meter readings.

I don't mind being in a credit, in fact I'd rather it so I don't have to make up any shortcomings, but seeing as my annual bill is Â£1,400 it is taking the piss that I have nearly Â£500 credit! I can't see how difficult it can be to work out a better estimate? It almost appeared that she was saying our estmiate isn't based on us but based on something they use, maybe the house size or something?

Tempy

For anyone (read, no one) who is interested on how it SHOULD work:

You pay X per month. During the Summer, X is too much, so you get a credit, whilst during the Winter, X is too little so that by Spring you the credit should have covered you, and a scenario should follow: If you have any left you are given it back, or allowed to keep it on your account. If you owe, you either pay up or your DD is raised to accomodate.

It goes wrong when two of the scenarios mix, E.G. you were in credit a large amount in Spring year 1 and then in winter year 1 you use a lot more than you ever have before and end up in Spring year 2 with a lower credit and an estimation for Winter year 2 a lot higher, thus your bill will go up etc

Tempy

Moto70 wrote:

I think the credit will have built up from overestimating on their part along with the fact that I took a meter reading about 4 months ago, the first one in a few years, also my missus said she saw an EDF van in our street about a month ago and she thought he was taking meter readings.

I don't mind being in a credit, in fact I'd rather it so I don't have to make up any shortcomings, but seeing as my annual bill is Â£1,400 it is taking the piss that I have nearly Â£500 credit! I can't see how difficult it can be to work out a better estimate? It almost appeared that she was saying our estmiate isn't based on us but based on something they use, maybe the house size or something?

First reading in a few years will have a lot to do with it. Your account will have been estimated on your houses Profile Class along with the suggested Annualised Advance for your meter/tariff/area combined.

It should be easy, but it isn't. There are a shit ton of factors, and we've spent upwards of Â£20 million building a system to bring Billing and Data Collection databases together under one system to align things faster. It has caused a world of hurt.

The van might have been in the street taking readings, but you might not have been on a round to do your reads. Isn't as simple as "all the houses on this street are read on this day" as they might have joined a day after your meter was read, but generally they are aligned by area as best as possible.

equinox_code

Maybe we should start an electricity thread to stop the finances thread from being derailed which was started to stop the love thread from being derailed. Of course, the electricity thread will be derailed too, but by what?

Fentonizer

Why can't marketing be an arm of sales?

equinox_code

and why can't both be clumped together under the broader category of manipulation?

Moto70

haha!

I think if ever there is a World Derailing Championship we should enter a team!

Tempy

Ok I earn about Â£640 after tax and live with my Parents but I pay a small amount of board (basically food and leccy that I use) and I am paying for my Access Course and own transport, mobile, other subscription stuff etc

yet I still manage to get to all these 'stocks you useless bunch of twits.

equinox_code

Such is our calibre we'd never make it to the competition

Yossarian

equinox_code wrote:

Maybe we should start an electricity thread to stop the finances thread from being derailed which was started to stop the love thread from being derailed. Of course, the electricity thread will be derailed too, but by what?

Love. Or Skerret's multitude of alts.

Moto70

Tempy wrote:

Moto70 wrote:

I think the credit will have built up from overestimating on their part along with the fact that I took a meter reading about 4 months ago, the first one in a few years, also my missus said she saw an EDF van in our street about a month ago and she thought he was taking meter readings. I don't mind being in a credit, in fact I'd rather it so I don't have to make up any shortcomings, but seeing as my annual bill is Â£1,400 it is taking the piss that I have nearly Â£500 credit! I can't see how difficult it can be to work out a better estimate? It almost appeared that she was saying our estmiate isn't based on us but based on something they use, maybe the house size or something?

First reading in a few years will have a lot to do with it. Your account will have been estimated on your houses Profile Class along with the suggested Annualised Advance for your meter/tariff/area combined. It should be easy, but it isn't. There are a shit ton of factors, and we've spent upwards of Â£20 million building a system to bring Billing and Data Collection databases together under one system to align things faster. It has caused a world of hurt. The van might have been in the street taking readings, but you might not have been on a round to do your reads. Isn't as simple as "all the houses on this street are read on this day" as they might have joined a day after your meter was read, but generally they are aligned by area as best as possible.

I saw this ages ago and remember thinking that I wished my bill looked like this...

Tempy

Yeah... most shit bills are down to people getting sick of a bill type, so they complain, OFGEM get involved and say "you need to change your bill, we've surveyed people and your bill needs to cover this:" and we make a new bill and people hate it, then get sick of it, so they complain...

Moto70

I can't understand mine at all but that one above leaves nothing to confusion, perhaps we should knock up some examples between us and tout it to the utility companies...

...this time next year Tempy we'll be millionaires!

Jacuzzi_Jackson

Working in the electricity industry is quite a striking career choice.

[Deleted User]

It is an illuminating revelation.

Tempy

It isn't a career, I'm shocked i'm still here.

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