Meter readings

[oddoneout]

Forum Sun and Mail readers will know that the rotas for potential power cuts have been revealed.

Should save us a few quid anyway.

Those keen on planning for such things need to know their Load Block letter, to be found , possibly , on your electricity bill.
Ours is L, so middle of the night Thursday, Saturday afternoon, and late Sunday morning for us, if and when…..

https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/20178...nts-your-home/

How did you find out what your letter is?
A more general question - why is this information not coming direct from the companies to their paying customers who are the ones affected? Why through the likes of Sun and Mail - although that makes me suspicious of the accuracy.

[Bryn]

This seems an appropriate place to place this: https://www.howtogeek.com/837255/9-c...electric-bill/

[french frank]

Ours is L, so middle of the night Thursday, Saturday afternoon, and late Sunday morning for us, if and when….

Someone on the MoneySavingExpert forum confirmed that for Octopus it's called the "Postcode Area Alpha Identifier" which is also what I have on my bill - it's B for me..

[teamsaint]

Someone on the MoneySavingExpert forum confirmed that for Octopus it's called the "Postcode Area Alpha Identifier" which is also what I have on my bill - it's B for me..

Not so in our case. I got mine from an old bill , which had the letter in a small box as described in the articles.
The bills from my current supplier don't have the letter in a box.

[teamsaint]

How did you find out what your letter is?
A more general question - why is this information not coming direct from the companies to their paying customers who are the ones affected? Why through the likes of Sun and Mail - although that makes me suspicious of the accuracy.

See my reply to FF , Odders.
I think the info in the sun and mail looks way too detailed to be incorrect ( in the main) and we know that contingency plans are being drawn up.

[french frank]

This is the Ofgem information (first paragraph): "The "alpha identifier‟ is the letter allocated to customers in a particular block by which they will be notified of an intended power cut during a supply emergency."

This didn't seem to be on earlier bills. Dated 2010??

[Andrew Slater]

Digging deeper into the moneysavingexpert forum I found this link to the "horse's mouth" on gov.uk for the Electricity Supply Emergency Code document. It was last revised in November 2019.

Re. the load block alpha identifiers I found this (but I haven't read it yet ....).

[oddoneout]

See my reply to FF , Odders.
I think the info in the sun and mail looks way too detailed to be incorrect ( in the main) and we know that contingency plans are being drawn up.

I've found a stray letter(K) in a black(how appropriate?) box just above the text of my electricity statement, which I think is the relevant one. I'll leave trying to find out what that means for power off rotas to a time when my brain is working better.

[Old Grumpy]

No idea what my letter is - I think I'll just wait to find out when (if) we get there!

[oddoneout]

No idea what my letter is - I think I'll just wait to find out when (if) we get there!

And some may not have a letter if they are on the same circuit as something like a hospital which isn't subject to planned outages. Decades ago I remember seeing neighbours just up the road still with lights on when those of us just a little further away from the hospital and water works were in darkness.
At that time a short section of road I lived on, and the first 3 or 4 houses round the corner were subject to frequent loss of power, often after rain, that equally often didn't immediately show up in "Head Office" - so they were grateful for me phoning up to tell them, yet again. They admitted they had no idea why it happened as repeated pokings in the sub-station hadn't shown up anything obviously wrong - although they were never there when it rained. Fortunately they rarely lasted for long - perhaps heat in the system dried things out once the rain stopped? The problem was solved when a young lad drove his car into said substation and caused considerable damage to it and his car, but nothing too major to himself. The subsequent replacements of much of the plant led to a normal service finally.

[Frances_iom]

...Decades ago I remember seeing neighbours just up the road still with lights on when those of us just a little further away from the hospital and water works were in darkness.
....

during the 3 day week of the 70's I still had power - old house on same circuit as an alms-house which could not be cut off.

[Pulcinella]

On checking the bank statement that arrived this morning, I spotted that my E.ON direct debit had increased: by all of £0.01! So last month they took £25.01 instead of the usual £25.00. I wonder why, not least as the account is in credit!

If I can bear contemplating losing the will to live, I might try to phone them, ostensibly wondering what's going to happen to the account with respect to the government's imminent handout, but also wondering about this very odd penny that I seem to have spent.

This month's bill has arrived: the curious penny is not accounted for but I've been credited with £66 from the government scheme, this month's £25 direct debit has not been taken, and I'm currently £93.79 in credit.
No response to an email I sent earlier this week asking how the payment was going to be applied, but this at least partially explains it.
I guess I'll wait till all £400 has been added and then ask for a transfer to my bank account (to set against the hot water/heating).

[oddoneout]

Yesterday I had letters from my supplier thanking me for choosing to pay my bills with a new DD plan. They also claim that my payment plan has a discount ("from the date you got in touch to set up your Direct Debit"). The summary on the back says "Not Applicable" in the Discounts box...
All of which completely ignores that I did not choose, they imposed on a take it or leave basis. I'm not sure about the discount issue; in theory I have one anyway as I was dual fuel paid by DD already,although quarterly not monthly. I realise that it easier for them to simply use an existing letter form, even if it's not accurate for the situation, but it does send (or possibly reinforces) a negative message about how they view the customer/company relationship.
The last quarterly reading was sent last week so I don't know at what stage the monthly DD kicks in or the government dosh arrangements appear. The DD will be December I guess as they'll miss the November pay date, and in any case I would hope that they don't take for the existing bill and a new DD in the same month - although these days who knows?* From what an earlier letter said I should get the £66 October rebate in my bank account in November.

* I've just read the letter again and guess what - they'll take the quarterly and the monthly in the same month...

[antongould]

Yesterday I had letters from my supplier thanking me for choosing to pay my bills with a new DD plan. They also claim that my payment plan has a discount ("from the date you got in touch to set up your Direct Debit"). The summary on the back says "Not Applicable" in the Discounts box...
All of which completely ignores that I did not choose, they imposed on a take it or leave basis. I'm not sure about the discount issue; in theory I have one anyway as I was dual fuel paid by DD already,although quarterly not monthly. I realise that it easier for them to simply use an existing letter form, even if it's not accurate for the situation, but it does send (or possibly reinforces) a negative message about how they view the customer/company relationship.
The last quarterly reading was sent last week so I don't know at what stage the monthly DD kicks in or the government dosh arrangements appear. The DD will be December I guess as they'll miss the November pay date, and in any case I would hope that they don't take for the existing bill and a new DD in the same month - although these days who knows?* From what an earlier letter said I should get the £66 October rebate in my bank account in November.

* I've just read the letter again and guess what - they'll take the quarterly and the monthly in the same month...

You have probably already disclosed this but which of our wonderful suppliers are you with …….. ?????

[oddoneout]

You have probably already disclosed this but which of our wonderful suppliers are you with …….. ?????

Formerly known as SSE - and still using that branding for now but increasingly the curate's egg (or should that be cuckoo's, especially in view of the moves on Bulb) is becoming more prominent. I realise these are minor niggles compared with what far too many folk have to grapple with (and which so far I have been fortunate enough to avoid, partly through having moved house and supplier some years ago before everything started getting silly on the "competition" and choice front and fix 3 good contract terms) but it does nothing to encourage a positive attitude to the company.
As it happens I have the financial resources to pay the bills all in November - but they don't know that do they?