Money expert shares key tips on challenging your energy supplier over high Direct Debit payments
dailyrecord.co.ukEnergy bills are rising for everybody and even with the UK Government’s £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme and £2,500 Energy Price Guarantee in place until the end of March, millions of households are set to feel the financial squeeze tighten even further in the new year as temperatures continue to sit in single figures.
Household budgets are being pushed to the limit and even though Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced in November that the Energy Price Guarantee will increase to £3,000 from April and be in place for 12 months, people may still face higher energy bills over the colder months - despite nationwide efforts to reduce usage.
Brean Horne, personal finance expert at comparison website NerdWallet, shares her key tips on how to challenge your requested Direct Debit payment, especially if you have made radical reductions to your energy consumption, but the estimated bill is still high.
Brean explains: “If your Direct Debit payment for energy increases and you suspect you’re being overcharged, it’s important to get in touch with your supplier as soon as possible and request that your supplier justify how they calculated the rise in your energy bill.“Energy companies must explain in clear terms how they estimated your new energy bill and show evidence of the meter readings they used.“You can challenge this calculation if you disagree and request that they lower your Direct Debit to accurately reflect your energy usage.”While that all seems quite straightforward, the personal finance expert warns that it might need to be escalated if your provider is unhelpful.Brean said: “If your supplier won’t reduce your energy payments, you can make a formal complaint to them directly via email, letter or telephone, but be sure to
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