As an existing monthly Direct Debit customer you appreciate how convenient it is to pay this way. It’s good value too – because of the discounts you receive. And we make regular reviews to make sure your payments reflect the amount of energy you use.
How we review your payments
We review your monthly payments twice a year, looking at your current balance, and based on previous usage we will estimate the amount of energy we think you’ll use during the year. We also take into consideration the tariff you’re on and any discounts you’re due. Keeping payments at the right level should avoid your balance getting too large.
So, if you’re using more energy than we expected, your payments will need to go up. And if you’re using less, we’ll reduce them. Keeping payments at the right level should mean you avoid building up too much debt or a credit.
If your balance gets too big, we’ll need to clear it. At your yearly review, if you end up owing us more than £150, we’ll ask your bank or building society for it so that your debt doesn’t get too large. (We will, of course, let you know before we do that.) And if you’ve got a credit balance of more than £150, we’ll pay that back to you automatically.
Knowing when your payments might change
Here are some reasons why the amount you pay each month could alter at the time of your reviews:
- If the price of energy goes up or down, your payments may need to go up or down too.
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If more people are living in your home you’ll probably be using more energy. But your bills might be lower if you’ve been away for while.
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You may use less energy if you get new, more energy-efficient appliances. On the other hand, an old or faulty appliance can consume more energy than expected.
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Installing roof or cavity wall insulation could mean you use a lot less energy for heating.
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If you’ve just moved into a bigger property, you might consume more energy than you expect. And moving into a smaller property could mean smaller bills.
Smoothing out the highs and lows with Direct Debit
The cost of paying your energy bills is spread over the year. It’s normal for you to be in credit during the summer when you use less energy. This in turn can be used towards the extra energy you use in the winter.
So, whether it snows or shines, you should pay the same amount each month. And if your payment needs to go either up or down, then we’ll tell you at your next account review.
Help us get it right
One of the best ways to make sure that our review of your monthly Direct Debit payments is as accurate as possible is to provide us with regular meter readings.
You can do that quickly and easily at Enter your meter reading or by calling us free on
0800 096 9000 *.