How to challenge an unfair energy bill as providers warned on soaring direct debits
ENERGY bill prices are at an all-time high and customers are having to fork out a lot more than before to meet the rising costs.
But what happens if the amount you're being charged is unfairly high? We reveal how you can challenge your bill.
It comes as some providers have been accused of hiking customers' direct debit payments by "more than is necessary".
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said yesterday on Twitter: "Some energy suppliers have been increasing direct debits beyond what is required."
He went on to explain that a new review will come into force, giving suppliers three weeks to address their increased rates, along with profits they may have made in the meantime.
Suppliers are allowed to increase customers' direct debits, but any rise should be in line with a household's usage.
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You usually get 10 days' notice before your monthly direct debit goes up, too.
And the price cap in place to stop energy providers overcharging as well.
The price cap went up on April 1, adding £693 on average to about 18 million household's standard tariff bills.
But it might not be the only rise, as a further increase to the cap could come later in the year too, when energy bills could rise another £600.
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With so much turmoil in the industry, a number of suppliers have collapsed, with more than 30 having gone bust in the past year alone.
When an energy supplier collapses, regulator Ofgem automatically assigns customers to a new provider.
As a result, many households who were appointed to a new energy provider have seen their bills go up, because the new supplier does not have to honour the deal they were on.
A number of technical problems and glitches in the switch mean that some customers have been charged incorrectly, while others report that their monthly direct debit has soared significantly more than the energy price cap increase.
These customers can dispute their new bill amount, or submit an exact meter reading to ensure the increase is linked to their actual usage.
This is particularly important as direct debits are based on estimated energy use across the year and then divided into equal monthly payments.
Here's what you can do to make sure you ARE paying what you should be.
How to challenge your bill
Before you dispute your bill, you need to know your rights.
If you pay by direct debit, then this monthly amount should be "fair and reasonable".
If you don't think it is, you can complain to the company in the first instance.
If you're not happy with the outcome you can take it to the independent to dispute, but there are a few steps before you get to that stage.
Your supplier must clearly explain why it's chosen that amount for your direct debit.
If you've got credit on your account, you have every right to get it back - although some experts recommend keeping it there through the summer, so your bills don't go up in the winter when you use more energy.
Your supplier must refund you or explain exactly why not otherwise and the regulator, Ofgem, can fine suppliers if they don't.
If you are disputing a bill, taking a meter reading is a must.
That way the company can't rely on estimates, which may lead to you being overcharged - a reading leaves no room for error either, as it shows precisely what you actually used.
If it's lower than your estimate, you can ask your provider to lower your monthly direct debit to a more suitable amount.
Martin Lewis' says that if you find you're always in credit, you should request the direct debit be lowered to reflect your actual annual usage and meter readings.
But beware that you don’t end up in debt later on with a bigger catch up bill at the end of the year from underpayments racking up.
If you don't have success in negotiating a lower payment then you can put in a complaint.
You can usually get in touch with your provider by email, letter or telephone, but keep a record of contact that you make so you can reference it later if need be.
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Charities like Citizens Advice have you can use to help with the process.
Meanwhile, free online tools from can also help you track and manage a complaint step-by-step.
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