Gas bills

Who is liable to pay the gas bill

The person who requested a supply of gas will be liable to pay for it and their name will appear on the gas bill.

If your name is not on a bill but you are asked to pay it, consult an experienced adviser, for example, a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.

Paying the gas bill

Gas suppliers must allow you to pay your bill in a variety of ways, for example, by cash, cheque, postal order, or monthly direct debit. Unless you have joined one of the payment schemes detailed below, the bill is due to be paid in full when you get it.

If a gas company has failed to send out a gas bill, they aren’t allowed to bill you for any amount which dates back longer than a year. However, this only applies if you have tried to contact them to arrange payment and have not obstructed any attempt by the company to read your meter or to resolve queries over billing.

Regular payment plans

Ask your gas supplier for information about payment schemes. Some gas suppliers offer a discount to customers who pay their bills by direct debit, standing order, a fixed payment budget scheme or a flexible payments scheme.

Direct debit, standing order and fixed payment budget schemes

With these schemes, your annual use of gas is estimated, usually based on previous consumption, and you pay this amount by equal instalments throughout the year. If you pay by direct debit or standing order, the payments will be made automatically from your bank account, either monthly or quarterly. If you use a fixed payment budget scheme, you must pay the agreed amount to the gas supplier at the specified times – this is usually weekly but may be fortnightly or monthly.

At the end of the year, you may have a balance owing or a credit. Any amount owed will be taken into account when calculating the next year’s instalments or, if large, will usually have to be paid. Refunds of credits are normally made at six monthly or annual reviews.

If your direct debit has been increased by your supplier and you feel that the amount of the increase is unreasonable you may want to challenge the amount of the increase. You should ensure that your payments have been assessed on the amount of energy actually used and not estimated amounts. You should tell your supplier about any changes in your circumstances which may lead to a decrease in the amount of gas you use.

Flexible payments schemes

The gas supplier may offer a flexible payments scheme, which allows you to pay any amount at any time. You may find this is a useful payment option if your income is variable. Check carefully the terms of the scheme, for example, how the payments are worked out and what happens if you build up a credit or go into arrears.

Reduced rates for low-income or vulnerable customers

Most gas suppliers offer reduced rates to low-income or vulnerable customers, such as older people, or people with long-term ill health. These reduced rates are known as social tariffs.

Each supplier has its own set of rules about who qualifies for the reduced rates. For more information, contact your gas supplier and ask for details of their social tariffs.

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Earlier this year the price of utilities were increased by an average of 15%. In terms of what this means to you and me, there would be a rise of 10% (£105) to our household bills and a further 15% rise expected in 2009. This all means that our pockets are being hit hard by the squeeze and means saving for a rainy day is becoming increasingly important but also more difficult as the clouds start to gather.

Finding cheap electricity and gas is becoming increasingly difficult because of all the price increases that have come to fruition in the past few years. If British Gas does go ahead with the increase, other companies are likely to follow suit which is bad news for the public and its wallets.

The best way to find the most competitive deals around is to compare electricity prices online where you can search through the leading providers to find the best deal that suits your needs and your pocket. As the credit crunch and increases in gas and electricity bills stretch our spending power, it is imperative we all cut down on unnecessary spending.

Finding prices on utilities may be harder at the moment but deals are still available online and to compare electricity prices and tariffs shop around for the best deals. Prices may have risen but cheap electricity is still attainable.

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We use a great deal of energy in our homes. Our homes account for over a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in northern countries like the UK. However, reducing your home’s energy consumption is in most cases quite easy. It can also be very lucrative: some of the major actions you can take to reduce your home’s energy consumption pay back very quickly, and so you soon start saving a small fortune. There are 4 or 5 simple measures that almost every householder should focus on.

1.Insulate your home. By keeping more of the warmth in your home in winter, you will save a small fortune on your heating bills. The most common types on insulation to install are in the loft and also in the gap between your external walls (called ‘cavity wall insulation’). You can also insulate your floors and walls. Not only will this save you money, but your home will be more comfortable in winter and cooler in summer. Plus in the UK, because the government subsidises insulation, the investment needed will normally payback in under 2 years. Moreover, on average you will be preventing 1 to 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted each year.

2.Upgrade to a super-efficient condensing boiler. Your boiler is the main energy user in the house. Modern condensing boilers are far more efficient than some models made even 5 years ago. They use far less gas, and can save you up to 40% off your heating bills as a result. They last for around 15 years so the savings really add up over time. Plus by doing this you are saving an estimated 1.25 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

3.Replace your light bulbs with low energy bulbs. These use up to 80% less electricity used by traditional incandescent bulbs, and are now indistinguishable in terms of the light they emit. Plus they last up to 10 times longer. So as well as cutting your electricity bills, you don’t have to get the ladder out so often to replace bulbs that have blown. Now that these bulbs have come down in price, they can payback their extra cost in a very short time (only a couple of months) in terms of lower electricity bills.

4.Install energy efficient home appliances. Replacing your old fridge with the most energy efficient models can save you a small fortune on your electricity bills. In fact with the most energy efficient models, the savings can actually add up to cover the entire cost of the new fridge! Plus you can also buy other energy efficient appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers. In the EU all appliances carry an energy efficiency rating, so it is easy to spot the most efficient.

5.Install a solar hot water system. This is the most expensive of the measures mentioned in this article, but still worth doing, even in northern climates. A solar system can provide up to 70% of your hot water needs in a year, saving on your gas bills. Using solar panels mounted on the roof, solar hot water systems can be installed in most houses. This is a tried and tested technology, and you may qualify for a government grant to help with the cost of installation.

By taking these 5 measures, the average householder can save hundreds of pounds a year off their energy bills, and prevent several tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere. Even taking one or two of these steps has a big impact.

Plus for those who want to make an even bigger reduction in their home’s energy use, there are also more advanced measures to be considered such as solar electricity and ground source heat pumps. These generally cost more, but can allow your home to lower even further its impact on Climate Change.

With energy prices set to stay high, and time running out to prevent harmful changes in the earth’s climate, it really does make sense to improve our homes as soon as possible to include these measures. Further information on how to get going is on downwithco2.com.

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