Your Question
Why is my Direct Debit amount being increased when my last bill had a credit balance?
The Direct Debit Scheme is designed to spread the cost of your energy throughout the year. Any credit that's built up over the spring/summer months when you typically use less energy should make up for the colder winter months when you typically use more - that's why you may notice credit on your account at the end of summer. We review your payment plan every three months to take account of any changes to your energy use and any product or price changes. If your consumption has increased or your energy prices have changed (for example due to a price increase or coming to the end of a fixed term product) this could mean that your original monthly payment won't be enough to cover your energy costs over the year, even with the credit on your account. Your monthly payment will have to increase to help prevent you from getting into debt. If it looks like your payments are not going to cover your forecast consumption, we'll contact you to advise you of the increase in your DD payments. If your consumption or energy prices have reduced, we'll also take this in to account when reassessing your annual plan, meaning that your monthly payment may be reduced. Every year we conduct a full reassessment of your account. If you're in credit, then this amount can either be refunded as a cheque or used to offset your future payments.
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