gas/electric providers

Replies

By debzsanderson

Re: gas/electric providers
Wed 26 Mar 2008 12:28

hello Sarah

I don't know about gas/electric but I certainly know that if you are on a water meter and use extra water due to having a disabled person in the home then you can get a reduction.
Maybe look for other service providers on the internet and email them about reductions - good luck!!

Debz xx

By loopy

Re: gas/electric providers
Wed 26 Mar 2008 13:01

i am on a prepayment meter too. I am with N Power. I think that all the energy suppliers are all the same, sky high!! I dont know about any disabled discount, but maybe its worth phoning them and explaining to them your circumstances?

By Tricia

Re: gas/electric providers
Wed 26 Mar 2008 15:58

I have not heard of any companies offering a discount for disabled people within the home but if anyone does am sure everyone else who reads this message board would be very interested in finding out..

Currently I am paying out over £135 per month for both gas and electric which is well over 10% of my income. I have recently heard that if you are paying more than 10% of your income on gas and electric you are classed as being in fuel poverty.

The recent budget did state that they were wanting this looked at but this is for customers who are paying through pre payment meters like yourself. I am paying through the bank therefore qualify for a discount. Yet, I fail to see how these companies can get away with charing up front when you have a per payment metre and still charge such high rates.

Just the other day I heard in the news on the radio that the gas and electric companies are going to increase their prices by yet another 15% this is on top of recent increases. So it will be interesting in how they are going to bring these reductions in for those who are classed as being in fuel poverty!

Have you checked out confused.com to check that you are on the best taffif for the situation your in

By granny

Re: gas/electric providers
Sat 29 Mar 2008 09:35

I have had prepayment meters for over 20 years because I like most of us cannot afford to find a bill no the mat. Last year Npower succeeded in persuading me to transfer. DISASTROUS admin was awful meter reading was worse. so in january i gratefully crept apolegetically bck to EDF.
tjhis very week i received a final demand never having received any other demands,from NPower for almost £600.
thank god for email. After being messed about on the phone for hours emailed then and the Electricity watchdog people.
when i did finally make contact with NPower I was given the most stupid explanation.
each time i stuck to my premise that i had had ameter for 29 years so how could i owe that money another red herring was produced.
I await their reply with fingers poised over the keyboard.
We pay an extortionate amount for services. anyone with proven DLA needs should automatically receive a discount and their should be within all service suppliers a dedicated department for disabilities. full stop. there should be all of these things but there isnt , we should campaign for this.

By welshie

Re: gas/electric providers
Sat 29 Mar 2008 10:12

I dont know of any help given towards elecricity and gas, but just wanted to sat to granny . Back a few years ago we had horrnedus problems with npower like your self my mum was on prepaid meter yet when she died npower wrote to me demanding over a £1,ooo for electricity now come on would you honestly believe that a single frail old lady in a one bed bungalow could run a bill like that in a quarter and be on prepaid meter. We had a hard old fight with them granny so good luck,,
I do hope there is something out there we pay £124 a month just for electric goodness knows how we will cope if it continues to rise.
Rachel

By kerry.

Re: gas/electric providers
Sat 29 Mar 2008 13:55

we have only oil heating here which is so much more expensive. we cannot afford to use it very often.
the first yr we were here, we had it on about 6/8 hrs per day only in the coldest part of winter and i was paying 50 pm direct deb...plus the previous owner had left £170 worth in the tank...
within 6 months they rang me and said we owed £1200 (not including the direct deb money of £400 which id paid plus the 170 already in the tank!!!!)
and they would not be delivering anymore unless cash on ordering (along with the 50 per month!) and half a tank was £170 odd.
we ran out once on a friday eve, and it was some sort of holiday on the mon so we had no oil and they refused to deliver (as we paid cash) even tho we offered to pay immediately.. and they had lorries literally going past our house.
even telling them we had 2 severely disabled kids with constant bad chests etc, did no good- this bloody awful women basically said not my problem
in the end we had to wait til the tues to ring and order and then get it delivered on the wed so we went all that time with no heat-or hot water- oh and incidentally it was a time when we had snow out side here- think it was easter bank holiday.

that was a company called flogas. they ar eprivate and absolutely dreadful. their customer relations... well, they just dont exist !
ive never heard of anyone who does discount for things like that- and only water rates if you gotta meter thing. ours is over £53 per month now. but i dread to think wot it would be on a meter! wot with all the washing bathing etc etc...

By Tricia

Re: gas/electric providers
Sat 29 Mar 2008 14:27

I can see it happening very soon where us carers are going to be too ill to care due to not being able to pay for the basics in life!

I was always told it was better to prevent than cure!

Anyway I have some good news, the other day my electric tripped and when I reset it , it tripped again so I rang the Gas board who I am insured with for gas/electric/drains and water pipes.

As it was approximately 5pm the woman asked me if I wanted an electrician to call out that evening or the next day. Then I told her I had a disabled son in the house also that I need to use medical equipment while asleep she booked an electrician to come out within the next five hours.

No sooner had I put the phone down I got a call from the electrican to say he was on his way. Fortunately it was only a minor problem which caused the electric to trip and was sorted that night.

Over the years I have had to call them out for everything which I am covered for and each time I have always had prompt service; sometimes after mentioning I have a disabled son (not having to tell them what his condition is) and there have been times when I have not had to mention my circumstances

By Hippyp

Re: gas/electric providers
Sun 30 Mar 2008 12:21

Hi. Do you receive carer's allowance or on benefits. If so, Call british gas & tell them you're on benefits. There is a tarriff for people who need help paying bills. I have just come back to british gas cos i asked them if they help. I have to ring them myself yet to set it up, had to wait for welcome pack. I can't remember the name of the tarriff, but if you ring bgas they will help.

By graham

Re: gas/electric providers
Sun 30 Mar 2008 17:41

If I might just suggest something here......Before opting for a so called 'Social tariff' have a look at U-switch or one of those similar web-sites & see what savings can be made by switching from your present supplier. Social tariffs are not always the best bet . It is the perfect time to switch & really make BIG savings if you have never done so before.....Plus up to £ 30 cash back for gas & leccy. Good luck with it. As carers we cannot afford to pay over the odds ...
Pre-payment meters might seem a good idea but you are paying through the nose for it..You really are !..Fortunes !!

By kerry.

Re: gas/electric providers
Sun 30 Mar 2008 18:07

nice if you can switch graham but we dont have any choice here, other than calor gas which is just the same price.
as we only have oil heating we are very limited.
also have this huge monstrous ugly tank in the garden!

someone came up to me in tescos recently and asked which supplier i had blah blah so i said ive got oil and he walked off, said sorry cant help you!

ho hum. i guess at least i have mains sewerage unlike some on this island!!!!!