AN ANGRY homeowner has slammed British Gas after it estimated his annual bill at £5,000 – double the amount he had previously been paying.
Richard White, from Tunbridge Wells, is urging other customers to check their energy bills to avoid being overcharged.
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Mr White, 43, saw his monthly direct debit more than double in August to £429.41, up from £200 in June, Kent Live reports.
Richard, who runs media business R White Associates, complained to British Gas and asked the company to justify the increase.
It comes as Energy UK and Ofgem have warned that firms may start hiking bills ahead of the next price cap announcement.
Homeowners will find out at the end of August how much bills will go up by this autumn, and the new cap will come into effect on October 1.
British Gas contacted Richard, and said the bill was “quite the jump” and that it had not “factored into this projection” the £400 subsidy from the Government for energy bills.
Some 30 million UK households are set to receive a £400 discount on their energy bills from October.
Richard said: “My partner and I live in a modest three bedroom detached home with a cat.
“It is not the base camp for an arctic expedition, so for British Gas to predict we are going to burn more than £5,000 worth of energy a year is preposterous.”
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He accused British gas of taking “obscene and disproportionate” amounts from customers as energy prices soared.
Richard was switched to British Gas after his previous supplier, People’s Energy, went bust last year.
He has now halved his monthly direct debit, and plans to keep it at this level until he had no credit left on his account.
He urged other customers to check their bills, and ask their energy supplier if the £400 government discount had been taken into account.
A spokesperson for British Gas said: “Mr White’s annual bill has not been set at over £5,000.
“We periodically review direct debit payment plans and after reassessing his current plan which ends in October, we advised in his June statement that his payments would rise up until October to ensure his projected usage was covered.”
It said the increased direct debit amount was based on his previous usage, among other factors, but that the monthly payment of £429.41 “would not continue for the next 12 months”.
How to challenge your energy bill
If you believe your energy bill is incorrect, your first step should be to submit an up-to-date meter reading to your provider.
This should ensure that the amount you are charged is based on your actual usage, rather than an estimate.
You might find that your account is in credit over the summer months.
This is because suppliers typically “smooth” your bill, so you’re paying the same amount each month, rather than less in the summer and having a shock bill in the winter.
If you are in credit, you can request it is paid out to you if you would like. Some people prefer to keep the credit in their account and for it to be put towards their winter bill.
Remember – just because your bill has gone up, it doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
Energy prices have soared over the past year – if you have recently come off a fixed tariff, you’ll notice your bill will be higher.
Your payments will also likely have gone up if your energy provider went bust and you were switched to another supplier.
Some experts have warned that customers may see their direct debits increase over the coming weeks in anticipation of the next energy price cap increase.
You can reduce your direct debit amount if you’re not happy with it, but you risk going into arrears if your payment is lower than your usage.
You can complain to your energy supplier about your bill. It should explain how it has calculated the amount.
If you’re still not happy, you can go to the Ombudsman, which may decide to intervene.
