Electricity Bill Con

[danbrammall]

Last month I got a really small electricity bill, about €20 - It seemed really low as the previous month was around €100

I just got my latest bill and it is a record breaking €195 !!! What pains me the most is that last months bill turned out to be a watered down estimate, but this months bill was charged at the newly increased price from the start of April 2012 even though the consumption was before the price increases... Has anyone else experienced this?

[MrGrumpy]

I got so P155ed off with irregular electrcity bills that I asked my supplier (Iberdrola) to put me on a set amount every month, with each month being based on 1/12th of my last years useage, which helps because for me the winter months a were extortionate and the summer months quite cheap. At least this this way I know what I am due to pay every month. At the end of the year they take a fixed reading and either I pay the difference of my underpayment or they send me a cheque for my overpayment.

Who is YOUR provider, just out of interest ?

[Mekon]

You should ask if you can submit your own physical reading for them to bill you for your actual useage every month - a lot of suppliers provide this option as it saves them the time, money and hassle of having to do it. Instead of them taking a physical reading every month / quarter they just need to take one every year to make sure that your readings are accurate.

[Wizbit]

Have you checked that there are no hidden cables leading away from your property ?
All joking aside, and I know it sounds like the sort of incident you only saw in sitcoms from the 1970's, but this happened to my neighbour last year !

[danbrammall]

hahaha! I see what you are saying, but my point is that because the prices went up from 1st April 2012, they have probably made an additional 8 - 12 euros from me by simply charging me AFTER the 1st April for my consmption before... If you multiply that by several thousand other customers they have made millions from this! Am I making any sense?

[admin]

DanBrammall : Although I appreciate that it does not answer your question directly, you might find that the article attached below is of interest to you >> http://www.tumbit.com/how-to-guides/art ... arges.html

[danbrammall]

ADMIN - It certainly does, but I think you are missing the point! The fact is that my energy supplier held off charging my bill normally and instead charged a really, really low estimate. Then, after the price increases of the 1st April has charged me for the energy used BEFORE the price increase. EVERYONE in my town has been affected, it is not an expat community, but a proper Spanish town. Effectively they have made around 8-12 euros out of every household here, over €50,000 !! What I am trying to see is if anyone else saw the same on their bills!

[admin]

ADMIN - It certainly does, but I think you are missing the point! The fact is that my energy supplier held off charging my bill normally and instead charged a really, really low estimate. Then, after the price increases of the 1st April has charged me for the energy used BEFORE the price increase. EVERYONE in my town has been affected, it is not an expat community, but a proper Spanish town. Effectively they have made around 8-12 euros out of every household here, over €50,000 !! What I am trying to see is if anyone else saw the same on their bills!

We appreciate your point Dan, and I'm sure you understand that we can not comment on induvidual circumstances. Our post was simply a generic one, to demonstrate to future readers of this post how cost savings can be made by looking into the details of your electricity supply contract more closely.

[Pessimistic]

I switched supplier last February through the auspices of a company called IBERSWITCH...
I am still at a loss as to whether I have saved any money as they promised...but its doubtful..
They took €35 up front on the day I signed the contract....and have been taking a management
fee of €3.50 + IVA every month since then.
No one at the company can tell me if I am better off or worse off ...or maybe they dont want to!
I contacted Iberdrola (eventually) to ask what their tariffs are at present to compare with my new
supplier but was told I would have to re register with them before they would give me that information.
Is there anyone out there who are using or have used IBERSWITCH ?....I would be grateful for any answers
or comments if you are in a similar situation......
Pessimistic....you bet!

[Chandra]

From what I have heard Iberswitch can't and don't guarantee any savings on Iberdrola - we are all seemingly at the whim of those who decide how much we should pay and when