[PeteC]

Originally Posted by ASP

Hello @PeteC

I’m experiencing the exact same problem with my electricity supply bill.
Having only used limited energy Day 34 kWh and Night 14 kWh over 15 days in June yet 30 kWh (day) were charged at the first rate and only 4 kWh charged at the second rate.

I’m on smart energy economy 7 tariff
First @71.543p
Next @27.714p
Night @19.086p

When I speak to utilita staff on the phone they also are not understanding my enquiry.

thanks ASP

Hi @ASP

Thanks for your message - I've reached out via DM to obtain some more information from you about your account.

Many thanks
Pete

[JDH]

Hi. It is still happening to me.
I have sent a DM but not sure it sends correctly.
Can you DM me to allow me to pass the account details to forward?

[Rad]

Hi there!
I am interested in this thread as well. Does Utilita charge us for the first 60kWh over the month at a higher rate or not? Because i see some misinformations here, intended or not.
If i am out of home for 29days and on one day, day 30th i will use 10kWh, will i have to pay for 10kWh at a higher rate or ill pay 2kWh at a higher rate and 8kWh at a standard rate, explain please?

Because Pete said what he said that he can confirm first two kWh comes out at a higher rate which is usually true assuming energy consumption on the other days is more than 2kWh but if it less or none at all, how is it calculated, please? Thank You

[Rad]

Is it any secret? Why You cant simply answer the question: does Utilita charges their customers for the first 60kWh at a higher rate and at lower thereafter?
My usage is 4 - 7 kWh per day but if i wont be in for 20days and ill switch my electricity off completely, that means i used let say 40kWh for the first 10 days and none for another 20 days. What my bill s gonna be? Will it be 20kWh x higher rate and another 20kWh at a standard rate or 40kWh at higher rate?

[STM]

@Rad
Having only just switched, the understanding that you pay the first rate for the first two units a day and saver rate for the rest (and nothing if no energy used at all) was key to me switching. On reflection, their system would have to work on your bill on a daily basis and not, as other firms might, simply calculate it monthly. Otherwise the system couldn't possibly know when the units were used, nor would it know if a day passed when nothing was used. I wonder if it does?

[Rad]

I wouldnt push responsibility on "the system", i simply wish to know if we were cheated or not. I could understand they dont know the answer and that explains why they cant provide straight answer but i think they know the answer and thats why they asks to Direct Message them. I will try to calculate it by myself and it will turns out quickly how it works. It might be ill need to install additional CT (Current Transformer) but ive got it already, just need to be fitted, it is non-invasive device connected to WiFi so ill be able to control power usage all the time.
Another thing is: if utilita lies in relation to higher/lower rate for the first 2kWh daily, maybe we should report it to Ombudsman/Ofgem? I would feel very diappointed if it will turns out we were cheated by such great and polite Energy supplier as Utilita...

[JDH]

I have no reply yet either. I am not sure the DM is working, or perhaps the mods have changed.
I signed up thinking it was the first 2 kWh each day is low rate. I don't think that is what is actually happening. But it is hard for me to prove I am being overcharged.
Is there a current moderator who can take these queries up with someone in the know rather than just quite the webpage statement.

[Dean]

HI There,

When it comes to Billing Customers this is averaged out over the month we don't hide this information and it should be documented on your bill.
However this is now changing going forward as our credit customers will now instead be receiving a standing charge and 1 Rate

The best thing to do if you are questioning any parts of your bill is to speak to our billing team on 0345 207 2000. one of our billing agents will be able to answer your question in depth by going through your account with you and your daily usage and how the average is calculated.

While the community does have admins to respond to queries, please note the community is not a official Customer Support platform, and is designed for customers to engage with other customers. Speaking with our billing team will be able to get you the answers you seek - additionally we also have Live chat on our official Utilita Website if you do not wish to call in.

Regards Dean

[STM]

@JDH
Hi. I have been doing a bit of research about the way smart meters work and found this very helpful. I quote..
"..if your energy tariff charges different rates for the first few units each day (for example, the first 2 kWh or “units” at one rate and the rest at another), your smart meter doesn’t switch between these rates on its own in the same way that it does for day/night (Economy 7) tariffs. Instead, the calculation is handled by the supplier’s billing system, not by the meter itself
How This Type of Tariff Works: Your smart meter continuously records half‑hourly energy usage in kilowatt hours (kWh) and sends this data securely to your supplier��.The supplier’s billing system then applies the tariff structure — for example, applying the higher rate to the first 2 kWh used each day, and the lower rate to everything after that��.The “first units per day” rule is implemented by software logic on the supplier side, based on timestamps in your meter data, not by the meter hardware itself�.Because this is handled at the billing stage, your meter balance (if prepayment) reflects an average or blended rate derived from your tariff, ensuring deductions stay proportionate to your actual usage pattern�."

It really clarified things for me. Ignore the funny '?' things, they were the result of copy and paste.

[JDH]

Thankyou Dean and STM
I disagree with this bit - "When it comes to Billing Customers this is averaged out over the month we don't hide this information and it should be documented on your bill." as the information I see clearly states that the first 2kw used in a day is at a high rate that drops for the rest of the usage, resetting again at midnight.
So if I use 28kwh of gas on 1 day and then nothing at all for the rest of the month I took that to mean 2kwh is high rate and 26kwh is low rate, but your answer is more akin to what I have been seeing and the average over the month approach perhaps make more sense. I am being charged 28 units all at the top rate (ie approx 1kwh per day)

And STM perhaps has the answer - what is advertised to lure customers in is perhaps not actually even possible to promise?

I will call billing (again) to see if I get anywhere. They will recognise my number!!