ScottishPower ripping me off?

RagingAvatar

Hi everyone,

Now, I know I've been extremely stupid and I say that as a caveat.

My two flatmates and I moved into an apartment in Liverpool last July and didn't register with the electricity company.

8 months later, yesterday, we received a bill for £1655.79!

They obviously don't have an accurate reading of what the bill was when we moved in and we haven't been using that much electricity, for a start, no-one is in all day!

Has anyone got any advice for me/us?

I know it was stupid to not have called the electricity company immediately - but there must be something we can do!

Please help!

Magentasue

You should have submitted an opening reading for your account, if you don't the supplier will use an estimate from the last reading they have. Presumably, the last tenant or the landlord submitted closing readings before you moved in.

What was the reading when you moved in (I'm assuming you have a note of it, even if you have no evidence)? What are the electricity company starting from?

Magentasue

Also - do you have electric heating and do you know how many kwh you use a day?

RagingAvatar

Magentasue wrote: »

You should have submitted an opening reading for your account, if you don't the supplier will use an estimate from the last reading they have. Presumably, the last tenant or the landlord submitted closing readings before you moved in.

What was the reading when you moved in (I'm assuming you have a note of it, even if you have no evidence)? What are the electricity company starting from?

More stupidity exposed.. No, I have no reading from when we moved in. I have no idea what they're starting from - but I'd doubt that the tenant had sent in their reading - we've been getting bills for them for other things the whole time we've been here!

RagingAvatar

Magentasue wrote: »

Also - do you have electric heating and do you know how many kwh you use a day?

We do have electric heating - and I have no idea how many kwh we use per day - but I'll obviously be keeping a closer eye on it from now on!

Magentasue

So how do you know the opening reading being used is so wrong? Have you been getting electricity bills for the previous tenant?

RagingAvatar

Magentasue wrote: »

So how do you know the opening reading being used is so wrong? Have you been getting electricity bills for the previous tenant?

Because there is no way we've used £200 per month of electricity - that's madness isn't it? It just seems that that is a lot of money per month for three guys who aren't in all day and watch the one TV together in the evening some nights.

We're not heavy users by any stretch - we only have one laptop shared between us, a few games consoles and a tiny TV.

Magentasue

And electric heating!

What sort? Do you have any idea how expensive electric heating is to run?

RagingAvatar

Magentasue wrote: »

And electric heating!

What sort? Do you have any idea how expensive electric heating is to run?

Um.. no..

But we don't even have it on that often..

No idea what sort - they're just like huge radiators with individual on/off switches.

Magentasue

If you scan this forum, you will read horror stories from people who have landed huge bills because they didn't know how much they were using. You need to work how how much you can afford a month and keep your usage within limits covered by that amount.

Not sure how far the electricity company will negotiate - you didn't say whether electricity bills had arrived for the previous tenant. They might provide a clue to previous meter readings. If there are none, it suggests a closing reading was given.

moonrakerz

WHY is this thread headed: ?

"ScottishPower ripping me off?"

The first line in the amplifying post is:

"Now, I know I've been extremely stupid and I say that as a caveat"

Does admitting to being stupid mean that you can accuse all and sundry of "ripping you off" ?