Bill tripled

[ohplease]

Can you read the screens on your meter? If so, Reconcile your Invoices to your meter. If this doesn't balance, find out what each screen on your Meter is telling you. For instance some meters have a Statistical Meter which is not for Invoicing it is only for checking the Time Of Use Registers against. Some Retailers who do not wish to believe that Australia has many thousands of Energy Efficient Homes, Invoice the Statistical Register as your Peak GD, Add the Peak & Off Peak GD together, and invoice that as Off Peak GD, and then add your Off Peak GD to your Off Peak HWS. Creative Accounting one could cynically call it. They then tell you that it is correct, as it equals some pre-ordained average, which has no relation whatsover to what you are actually consuming. If your Electricity Invoices do not equal your meter, your retailer is duping you. Also if you have a Type 6 (Cumulative Meter), and your retailer says that they have zeroed and reprogrammed it, they are providing incorrect information again. It is illegal to Zero a Cumulative Meter. Only deal with your retailer in writing, and get their responses in writing. Do not give up, this type of behaviour is rife in the industry, and it is only by the persistence of the consumer to identify, name, shame and hang out to dry those that carry out this practice, will it be stopped.

[kadee]

oh if that wasn't directed at me...sorry

[kadee]

Radiator???? Are you fecken nutz!! I spent today watching my son's rugby game in 38o NQ heat!

The very thought of a radiator is making me swoon

But thanks I will do as you suggest.

[Section52]

You can check your own meter.
1.Turn off ALL the switches in your house
2. Turn on ONE appliance such as an electric radiator, toaster or electric kettle with a placarded wattage use. Do not use a sandwich maker or electric iron that cycles on and off.
3. Count the number of turns the disc in the meter rotates over a set period, say 60 seconds.
Our Watthour meter rotates 400 times for one kilowatt hour.
Example. If your radiator uses 2400 watts the meter should turn 2.4 x 400 = 960 turns in one hour or 16 times in one minute.

If it turns less keep very quiet and if it turns more scream loudly!

[kadee]

Oh believe me, we have compared to neighbors and friends in the area with similar sized familes, pools etc. We have been fighting so long we have now surrendered and just pay the damned thing.

Back in my box.

[computerflyer]

kadee,

Comparing your bill to everyone else's without context is not enlightening. Is Ergon the only supplier available for your location?

Assuming you check your metre against the readings on your bill and they match either you are:
a) on a standard offer or an inappropriate commercial rate and if you have the option, look for a plan or alternative provider, or
b) actually using a lot of power, or
c) your metre is faulty and should be checked - often the supplier will check it for free if faulty and at your cost if not faulty....

[kadee]

We have been battling Ergon for years. When everyone else's bill was around $400 ours was $700+. Now everyone's is getting up to $600 ours sits on $1200.

We have a big house but we don't have every room in full electronic use at all times. We have modern applicances with good seals etc. We use energy efficient bulbs, we've reduced the time the pool pump runs. But each time they ask us to go thru the list of what's running and they hear the words "plasma", "pool" and "air-con" they stop listening.

None of these things have suddenly appeared. They've been installed and running forever and cannot be responsible for the frequent bill hikes.

God help me when the next bill comes as we have had air-cons running constantly during the recent heatwaves.

I've given up the stressful battle. If you don't pay up they cut the power so can't win anyway.

[computerflyer]

See if Red Energy operates in Newcastle. I have found them to be up front and buy gas and electric from them. I believe they are owned by the Snowy Hydro scheme. Of course they do not own infrastructure and are "accounting retailers" but they have had people on the phones to talk to, have answered emails, and have been accurate matching reality to marketing, and my bills have always looked about right.

Red prices reflect the wholesale rates from the regional supplier. Comparing costs (among any group of suppliers) can require a spreadsheet analysis because of complex and subtle differences in plans.

In my area (Melbourne) Red is among the lower cost companies, but the difference from cheapest to most expensive generally amounts to under $50 a year at the end of the day.

[julslovesjesus]

I've just received my latest bill - not tripled - but doubled from my lastbill.In fact, more than double. Receiving a $676 bill for a small hose/2 person household where we are out all day 6 days per week and were away for 4 weeks of the 12 weeks in the billing cycle. How does that work out? Of course to get them to investigate costs even more so you can't even query it. I'm totally shocked. We're careful with our usage and this is just beyond belief. We haven't used any more or different appliances than last billing cycle which was $311. And that for me was a huge bill. What on earth is going on with these companies? anyone got a recommendation for a better company than Energy Australia? I haven't wanted to sign a contract & be locked in with anyone but I'm sick of paying these prices! I'm in the Newcastle region of NSW

[mmaher_admin]

Well I have just recieved an electricy bill from Origin and they said that they didn't do a correct meter reading last time and they avergaed it. Well sept last year was 5KWH and this September is 14 KWH. Now in december we replaced all our light bulbs with energy effiecient ones. We haven't used the aircon at anytime and we use gas for hot water. Our biggest reading in the last eyar was in march which was 8KWH which you would expect at the end of summer.

How on earth can anyone say they did an incorrect reading when it is right in front of you. Just to show the history of our bill since sept last year :
Sept 08 5 KWH / Dec 08 5 KWH / Mar 09 8 KWH / June 09 5 KWH and Sept 09 14 KWH, now should we really believe this. I won't be paying this and will update