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[Squealey]

I moved house about 4-5 weeks back as we had some drug dealing scum for neighbours and I just refuse to allow my kids to be brought up where it is so brazen. Its quite easy for me to move as I have to rent (lost my house when I was made redundent a couple of years back)

Moved to a little village with a house on the main high street, 4 beds, 3 story plus a cellar, huge kitchen/diner the works. We really love the house and we especially love the village its in but the best thing is the rental price, £600pcm, £200 less than we were paying.

This euphoria lasted for all of 5 days. The previous tenant had to have a pre pay gas meter fitted which we can not have removed due to our poor credit rating. It is costing us £11 per DAY to heat our house, £11!!!!

We used to pay £82 per month so any savings on rent are now much more than completely wiped out.

I realise that we are paying for exactly what we are using and if we had a standard meter the monthly amount would equal out over the whole year, but this just isnt funny. It really is going to have a huge effect on our christmas this year, and I know that it wont be long before we literally cannot afford to heat the place, then what happens??? I have two babies plus two teen daughters to look after!

Have tried speaking to our supplier who says everyone is in the same boat and theres nothing they can do, thanks! Have also spoke to a competitor who has offered to remove it if we pay a deposit of £300! This is our only viable option that we can see but we wont have £300 spare till the end of Feb (as we cant save anything due to putting it all on the current meter .

Has anyone out there been in the same boat and have any suggestions? Things like put on more clothes, turn the temp down by 2 degrees etc etc are not the sort of answers im needing right now.

The house is nigh on 300 years old and very draughty. My father and I have done our level best to eradicate as many draughts as is possible!

[Squealey]

By the way, the boiler is less than 2 years old and the only other gas thing is the hob.

[V6 CDX-er]

I can only suggest a few things.....

Firstly, £600 for what you have described is a bloody good price. We also rent, (wife and I both earn peanuts on paper, and don't have £50'000 spare for a deposit).

In the best we had found a great house that had a gas meter, and every firm we spoke to point blank refused to remove it. if you have found one that does, then that great news!

I can only suggest trying the following;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Draft-excluders-made-Laura-Ashley-fabrics-/370462885421?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Cushions_Throws_LE&hash=item56414f062d

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRAND-NEW-PERFECT-3-x-PACK-FOAM-DRAUGHT-EXCLUDERS-IDEAL-/290488272141?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Decorative_Accents_LE&hash=item43a273450d

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Draught-Excluders-Windows-and-Doors-4-5m-Rolls-/190467640622?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Decorative_Accents_LE&var=&hash=item7216c313fc

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-DOOR-BASE-DRAUGHT-EXCLUDERS-ALUMINIUM-/200556557788?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Decorative_Accents_LE&hash=item2eb21a35dc


Hope this helps?

[charlie]

CAnt help with the amount used,but if you have babies the gas/eletric company can not refuse you a non pay as you go metre(free of charge),Your childrens needs comes before there profits

[aaronjb]

I realise that we are paying for exactly what we are using and if we had a standard meter the monthly amount would equal out over the whole year

Not that this helps, but I don't think that's really true - from what I recall the tariffs on coin meters (ok, cards, these days) are a lot higher than pre- or post-pay contracts..

[Squealey]

I can only suggest a few things.....

Firstly, £600 for what you have described is a bloody good price. We also rent, (wife and I both earn peanuts on paper, and don't have £50'000 spare for a deposit).

In the best we had found a great house that had a gas meter, and every firm we spoke to point blank refused to remove it. if you have found one that does, then that great news!

I can only suggest trying the following;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Draft-excluders-made-Laura-Ashley-fabrics-/370462885421?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Cushions_Throws_LE&hash=item56414f062d

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRAND-NEW-PERFECT-3-x-PACK-FOAM-DRAUGHT-EXCLUDERS-IDEAL-/290488272141?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Decorative_Accents_LE&hash=item43a273450d

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Draught-Excluders-Windows-and-Doors-4-5m-Rolls-/190467640622?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Decorative_Accents_LE&var=&hash=item7216c313fc

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-DOOR-BASE-DRAUGHT-EXCLUDERS-ALUMINIUM-/200556557788?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Decorative_Accents_LE&hash=item2eb21a35dc


Hope this helps?

thanks for all that, very much appriciated, i'll give them a look!

I know that £600 a month is so very cheap, I would be paying closer to £2k a month in Hemel (where I previously lived) but its cheap because its on a main road and has zero garden, that is the going rate in this area (hence the reason we 'emigrated' from Hemel)

[PhilRich]

Squealey, i'm sorry for the situation you are in mate, & unfortunately don't know enough about the ins & outs of meters to comment, but I think you may be eligible for a special reduced gas tariff? It would be well worth while having a google for some more informed info &/or speaking to your supplier about it? :-/

[RobG]

CAnt help with the amount used,but if you have babies the gas/eletric company can not refuse you a non pay as you go metre(free of charge),Your childrens needs comes before there profits

But unfortunately they can and will insist on a deposit

[Squealey]

I realise that we are paying for exactly what we are using and if we had a standard meter the monthly amount would equal out over the whole year

Not that this helps, but I don't think that's really true - from what I recall the tariffs on coin meters (ok, cards, these days) are a lot higher than pre- or post-pay contracts..

I think your right, thats what everyone says anyway. Apparantly its because the servicing costs are higher to the suppying companys (yeah right)

[Mr Skrunts]

Prepay meter.  Have you had it RESET as you moved in.

These are aloso used to recover debt, You need to have your own account and KEY card.  Just had a friend set one up last week, gave them a code over the phone to take to the post office to get a leccy key, new key went in, reset/cancelled all outstanding recovery debt from previous person and set the tarrifs for them to use.

Then can after 12 months resort to a normal meter. 

If you have not had a reset then sadly all cresut added was paying off the previous tennents debt.  :-/

[I_want_an_Omega]

Try having a word with Citizens Advice - well worth a phone call

[Vamps]

Squealey, i'm sorry for the situation you are in mate, & unfortunately don't know enough about the ins & outs of meters to comment, but I think you may be eligible for a special reduced gas tariff? It would be well worth while having a google for some more informed info &/or speaking to your supplier about it? :-/

I would happily stand corrected but I am not aware of any reduced tariffs for families with young children or unable to pay, for whatever reason....... I do know families who have to switch off the central heating and just have the fire in the lounge...... Only the elderly get a heating allowance....

Mr Scrunts makes a very valid point, check it out....

[Kevin Wood]

Just to add - make a note of your meter readings weekly, for example, along with the cost so you know what you are paying.

Kevin

[cube]

If the meter hasn't been reset since you moved in, don't worry as such about losing money. You must have been given a key (card) to buy credit on, yes The money you put on will go on your account, but the meter will need resetting to remove any debt from the previous person !!! I would ring ya supplier and say you want to pay by Direct Debt, they shud jump to take it out for ya !!!
Good luck 

[Mr Skrunts]

Heard a story last year regards excessive electric use.

Electric board came out, checked everything, seemed ok, but had a suspicion.

Told the guy to go out side when it got dark, check what lights were on thier house and thier 2 neighers.  Then useing a mobile phone to phone thier house and get someone to turn the main power off.  Lo and behold the neighber plunged into on part of the house.  Powered up both houses were back to normal, did it once more to prove it without drawing attention.

They were in court within a month. 

Worth checking your supply if you suspect the electric to be false at least.