Southern Electric: Not bill for a year, and then I get a £2100 electricity bill!

jimclements

I was hoping someone could give me some advice. I have an electricity account with Southern Electric. I was on a monthly direct debit on £56 since about April 2007, and it covered my balance. In October of 2008, my central heating packed in, and I switched to electric heaters because, at the time, I didn't know how long I'd be at the residence and didn't want to pay for a new boiler.

I used this method of heating for about a year. My direct debits hadn't changed, and no-one from southern electric contacted me to tell me my usage had gone up, so I didn't think of it.

Then, on May 20 2009, I received a bill stating that I had an outstanding balance of £2100. I panicked, and went through my back bills to see if I'd simply not noticed the amount accumulating. I saw that I hadn't been sent a bill from Southern Electric since May 28 2008, when I had no outstanding balance. The amount had been accumulating all this time, and no-one told me about it. Furthermore, the bill before that (of May 2008) was not based on a meter reading, so I may have been using more than my direct debit was covering all of this time. (For clarity's sake, the bill before that, from November 2007, appears to have been based on an actual reading).

While I accept that my electric use had increased, I am upset that they hadn't sent me a bill for a year, and then hit me with a payment this large all at once. Do I have any legal recourse? It doesn't seem acceptable that I should be thrown into financial difficulty that I could have avoided. I'm in trouble because they didn't bill me for a year, and they didn't check my meter for a year and a half.

What can I do?

Magentasue

jimclements wrote: »

I'm in trouble because they didn't bill me for a year, and they didn't check my meter for a year and a half.

What can I do?

Um, they didn't check your meter but more to the point, nor did you. How often did you submit meter readings?

Negotiate a payment plan to clear the debt.

staffie1

Have to agree with Magentasue on this one. Do you 'manage' your energy account online? Have you switched off paper statements?

It really is your own responsibility to manage your own affairs - at least to check that your energy supplier is getting accurate meter readings every quarter - whether they come to read your meter or you read it yourself.

KimYeovil

You have a meter in your home. Many of us are so poor that we have to keep an eye on how much we are spending. Congratulations on being rich enough to not have to do so.

jimclements

I moved to the UK from Canada in 2007. It's a different system here, and I wasn't aware that it was my responsibility to read my own meter. I never had to at home. I'm aware that this is my own oversight, as I should have got to know the system better when I moved here; this is part of the responsibility that comes with moving to a new country. I had no problems for the first two years, so I didn't look into it in enough depth. Not an excuse - just a reason.

Nonetheless, it's a shock to me that a provider has no obligation to provide a regular bill, or regular meter readings. But I suppose that's the way it is. If I'd have known what I was using, I would have simply lived a chillier winter. Now I'm in a lot of trouble.

As a final comment: I posted on the forum because I found it hard to believe this was the way the system actually worked, and I needed some advice as to whether this was my problem or theirs. While I appreciate your comments, which have clarified the situation, I'm very disappointed by your tone. We all make mistakes, and my oversight was certainly not to do with being rich - on the contrary, I'm now in a very stressful and difficult predicament, and it's going to cause me a great deal of hardship for a long time until I can pay it off. I'm also very embarrassed, because my oversight will affect the lives of my family.

You, who have posted answers, have certain knowledge that I don't/didn't have - and personally, when I share knowledge, I do it to help other people, not to make them feel bad about what they don't know. This should especially be the case when the other person is upset and needs help. I now feel much worse instead of better, and this isn't because of the information I have - it's because of the way I was told.

kippen_noedel

jimclements wrote: »

I moved to the UK from Canada in 2007. It's a different system here, and I wasn't aware that it was my responsibility to read my own meter.
As a final comment: I posted on the forum because I found it hard to believe this was the way the system actually worked, and I needed some advice as to whether this was my problem or theirs. While I appreciate your comments, which have clarified the situation, I'm very disappointed by your tone.

I'm sure when you explain the situation fully to SSE some form of compromise can be reached.

Yes, it is very disappointing to see how some have responded. There are very many people, in fact a substantial number of people who lived here all of their lives get caught out by the same failure of companies to read meters and because they are on DDs just assume everything is ok.

Jealousy is funny in the way it makes people act.

Wickedkitten

Oh I highly doubt it is jealousy,why would someone be jealous?

It should have explained not only about regular meter readings in the first bill that you are ever sent from an energy company but it also should have said on every bill that you have been sent that its based on an estimate rather than an actual reading. Did you not actually think its a bit odd they didn't send you a bill for an entire year?

amberowl28

Yes you should have checked and provided regular meter readings but i'm sure you can come to an arrangement as regards payments. It is a nasty suprise to recieve such a large bill when you think your direct debits should be covering it. They could certainly have acted sooner and put up your direct debits to match increased usage. Electric heaters are a terrifically expensive way to heat your home and i'd remedy this asap.

Southern_Electric

Dear Mr Clements,

Southern Electric is sorry to hear of the difficulties that you have been experiencing in recent weeks and we would like to take this opportunity to ask you to contact us so that we can discuss your circumstances.

The Energyline team of Southern Electric dedicate their time to customers
who require advice and information on using their energy wisely.

Please contact: - Energyline 0800 072 7201

Yours Sincerely,

Southern Electric

sooz

jimclements wrote: »

I moved to the UK from Canada in 2007. It's a different system here, and I wasn't aware that it was my responsibility to read my own meter. I never had to at home. I'm aware that this is my own oversight, as I should have got to know the system better when I moved here; this is part of the responsibility that comes with moving to a new country. I had no problems for the first two years, so I didn't look into it in enough depth. Not an excuse - just a reason.

Nonetheless, it's a shock to me that a provider has no obligation to provide a regular bill, or regular meter readings. But I suppose that's the way it is. If I'd have known what I was using, I would have simply lived a chillier winter. Now I'm in a lot of trouble.

As a final comment: I posted on the forum because I found it hard to believe this was the way the system actually worked, and I needed some advice as to whether this was my problem or theirs. While I appreciate your comments, which have clarified the situation, I'm very disappointed by your tone. We all make mistakes, and my oversight was certainly not to do with being rich - on the contrary, I'm now in a very stressful and difficult predicament, and it's going to cause me a great deal of hardship for a long time until I can pay it off. I'm also very embarrassed, because my oversight will affect the lives of my family.

You, who have posted answers, have certain knowledge that I don't/didn't have - and personally, when I share knowledge, I do it to help other people, not to make them feel bad about what they don't know. This should especially be the case when the other person is upset and needs help. I now feel much worse instead of better, and this isn't because of the information I have - it's because of the way I was told.

Speak to SE, explain the problem & ask to set up an affordable payment plan. I doubt you will be able to leave them until the debt is paid, so in the meantime keep checking your meters regularly, & try to see if you can sort out the boiler, or perhaps buy a cheaper source of electric heating before next winter.
Whilst I understand it's harder if you don't know the system, you should have realised that running most electric heaters is like burning fivers . I think your post title isn't helping - there tend to be a lot of posts along the lines of...'I moved in, never gave my details, paid nothing whatsoever for 3 years & now the nasty company wants me to pay!'