AN NHS nurse has urged the public to question their price-hiked utility bills after being misquoted an almost 100% increase – only to find out she was also due money back.
Claire McCarney contacted Ovo Energy last week after she was sent an estimate bill for October for £100 – despite only spending an average of £5-£17 per month last year.
The 40 year-old, from Gwynedd in Wales, was left baffled by the steep rise so queried her energy provider and was delighted she did.
Claire claims that after speaking to a member of staff and giving her Smart metre readings she was told that the estimated bill was too high and would be cut down to around £50 instead.
She was then given more positive news after being told she was also due a £400 refund due to overpayments she had accumulated during a period where Ovo merged with SSE Energy Services.
Claire has since taken to social media to urge others to look into their bills and not just accept their new estimates at face value.
Posting on Facebook last week, she said: “For those panicking with the energy price hike, my October bill just went out at midnight and both electricity and gas had been increased.
“My gas bill had been increased by almost 100% but according to my Smart meter, within the whole year I have only used between £5-£17 per month in usage.
“So, today I rang my supplier, stating that there is no way I need to be paying what they are requesting.
“They informed me that ‘yes my usage was very low’ and that the estimated monthly direct debit was way out, and they would reduce it to the previous rate. They said that they based the payments on estimation.
“I have no idea why, seeing as I have a smart meter.
“Anyway, the double bonus is that between my gas and electricity they gave me a refund of over £400 because of overpayment.
“Moral of the story: Contact your supplier.”
The post received hundreds of likes and comments as many expressed their shock at Claire’s experience.
One person said: “Yet companies want people to have smart meters to avoid this. What’s the point?
“I won’t be having one, I will give my own readings from.”
Another wrote: “I had this happen to me and had said they estimated £21,000 on gas…my smart readings were £6,000.”
A third commented: “They will be estimating your winter usage based on last year surely (or the last 12 months)? So, they’re preempting a rise in your monthly outgoings.
“We are overpaying (a total of £190) but our estimate over winter is only £140 a month. We’re planning on having the hot tub on Christmas, Christmas Eve and Boxing day…so we’re saving up.”
A fourth added: “I think I’d have left the money in credit especially over winter. It all seems to balance out eventually throughout the year (for us anyway)”.
While another person who also queried their bills said: “Similar thing yesterday after emailing my supplier three times to say I was being over charged had a massive credit and had optimised my electric usage they reduced my monthly dd from £140 to £60.
“Try and get through to someone who has common sense.”
Speaking today, Claire said: “I had been informed of the changes through mail but not how it would affect me.
“They told me that SSE and OVO were combining businesses, then about a month later I had a letter informing me that my fixed tariff had come to an end (conveniently after seven years of being with them), so I was expecting some changes in my bill.
“But knowing how little gas and electricity we use because of the smart meter readings I had no idea they would charge so much. For some months, my usage has been £5.
“So, on 17th October when my direct debit came out of my bank I was quite taken aback, realising how much they had taken.
“I began to panic, thinking how many more hours I would need to work just to keep up with my bills when I’m already working up to 70 hours a week?
“Where else could I make cut backs? Why can’t I afford nice things and holidays for my children abroad when I already work so much?
“But when I phoned up SSE the lady on the phone was very helpful, to be fair.
“She was the one who informed me of my overpayments and she agreed that my usage was indeed low – and that I could reduce my payments back to what they were.
“She also said that that was the lowest they could charge me and I would still be overpaying.
“She told me that the £66 from the government will be put into my bank account and not put on my bill to reduce it because I was due money back anyway.”
