EON have left me in an impossible position

Okay_2-2

A few weeks ago i decided to change the companies i get both Electricity and Gas from, all was good until early this week when i recieved a letter from the company i'm currently with (EON) saying

"I have corrected the meter technical details on the account and re-billed the gas use on the measurment of Hundred Cubic Feet. This has resulted in an account balance of £2,000 for previously under billed charges from June 2003 then they go on to say this is within the 6 year point allowed for re-billing.


Then they go on and say it would have been higher, but they were friendly and removed 200 pounds of it.

I can't really believe this, i've paid all my bills on time and i've recently found that they've overcharged me on my electric by an absolute fourtune. This may be my fault (although i don't know how to read a gas meter or work out how much it should be), and every time the people come to check the gas they've never said anything to me, this alongside the fact that they notify me on the week i'm leaving, it just seems like a terrible attempt to keep me from leaving, or threaten me. Why bring it up now, do they not have the software to check this on a monthly basis? I mean it's not like 2K is small change, "oh it's only 2k" i'm not even sure what this is for, what am i paying for?

Thanks for taking the time to read it - sorry for the essay

Premier_2

This is nothing to do with you wishing to leave, but about an error based on charging you the incorrect amount in the past.

As you haven't attempted to have this corrected, they are well within their rights to correct this and request the additional amount lawfully owed.

Refer to the BBC watchdog site to understand whether your meter is metric or imperial.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/01/are_you_paying_too_much_for_ga.html

If you do indeed have an imperial meter, but have been charged as though you have a metric meter, you have only been paying about 1/3 of what you have consumed, hence the charge now.


Regarding the electricity account, if that has been overcharged, you should receive this amount back as a refund, or ask if they can offset the overcharge on the electricity against the undercharge on the gas with a balance payable either way as applicable.

Okay_2-2

What i don't get is how it's my fault that they can't monitor their own systems, if theres a gas person coming to check every month, then how do they not notice this? Yeah, they say ignorance is no excuse, but that plays a part in both sides right?

I've been recommended to contact ofgem and talk to them.
I'm still very confused to how they get away with these bullying techniques, it's their error NOT mine. I pay what they say, but when they screw up why should the consumer be in the firing line.

Premier_2

It's not your fault.

But you have to pay for what you've consumed, even if they haven't billed you correctly for it in the past.

How is asking you to pay for what you have consumed bullying?

Such use of the term in this type of situation really detracts from the meaning and hurt genuine bullying causes people.

Vestra

Make a complaint, if you kick up enough stink you will more than likely get a lot more written off, I work for one of the energy companies and if your nice but still stand your ground you'll get somewhere.

Phone them up, after 5 or ten minutes you will probably need to speak to a manager then work your way up from there until you get someone who does have the authorisation to change it.

But to be honest you have used the gas...

dogshome

Hi Okay_2 It's amazing that the Ultilities can get away with this, but they can - I personally think that this probem is so common that advice on Imperial/Metric meters should be printed on the Bill- However since 2003 there have been a huge number of price changes and I know from my own experience that Utilities can be extremely lazy when doing back calculations. Ask for a copy of every bill you have had since the problem started, together with a matching bill calculated for an Imperial meter
It's a lot of paperwork to check but has proved worth it in the past
Best of Luck

PleaseHelpMe_2

I'm sure there's a rule that they can only bill you for usage upto a year before the date the problem was picked up upon?

As of July 2006, the main domestic suppliers (those who belong to the Energy Retail Association) agreed a new Code of Practice which stipulated that, where suppliers were at fault for not billing a consumer, they will not backdate (or back bill) more than two years. This dropped to a one year timeframe with effect from July 2007.

I'm not sure if this counts for re-bills though.. but I used to work for E.on a few years ago... and I know that when customers stipulated it had been over a 2 yr period etc we had to ammend it. Also when my mothers electric meter details were wrong with BG because it was their error - it should have been picked up on with readings being chucked out of the system they nilled the bill? - I'd argue that their meter details are wrong and that surely a competant meter reader would pick up on it. I know it's not always that simple, but argue your case. 2003 is a long time back.

PS sorry my infos rusty, was a few yrs ago now I worked there x

Premier_2

PleaseHelpMe wrote: »

I'm sure there's a rule that they can only bill you for usage upto a year before the date the problem was picked up upon?

I'm not sure if this counts for re-bills though.. but I used to work for E.on a few years ago... and I know that when customers stipulated it had been over a 2 yr period etc we had to ammend it. Also when my mothers electric meter details were wrong with BG because it was their error - it should have been picked up on with readings being chucked out of the system they nilled the bill? - I'd argue that their meter details are wrong and that surely a competant meter reader would pick up on it. I know it's not always that simple, but argue your case. 2003 is a long time back.

PS sorry my infos rusty, was a few yrs ago now I worked there x

It doesn't. Not unless the customer had already explained the wrong billing and asked for it to be corrected.

The ruling is designed to allow fair play, but it requires the co-opertaion of both the supplier & the customer to get things right. The rule isn't designed to allow customers to shaft suppliers because of mistakes they may or my not be aware of.

The 2003 date is established under the Statute of Limitations

MSE_Archna... wrote:

...Most big suppliers also signed up to a Code of Practice for Accurate Billing in July 06. It has rules saying when your supplier can't chase you for bills over a year old, meaning the debts are wiped. This includes...

•....
• If you've flagged up a query or fault in writing about the account and the supplier's done nothing...

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1684407

PleaseHelpMe_2

Okay_2 wrote: »

. This may be my fault (although i don't know how to read a gas meter or work out how much it should be),

Tbh though I think that says it all, the customewr was clueless there was even a problem to report one. It's not her fault the company have the wrong details?

maltmonkey

Now someone may want to check on this, ( i wont because its something to do with work and i hate my work), but i work for an elec and gas supplier and we had a brief sent round a little while ago saying that suppliers can only chase you for the debt after leaving there supply for 12 months. it then has to be written off.

The problem is then avoiding them for a year.

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain

Just my opinion, but ignorance is not an excuse..

I'd almost go as far as to suggest that they're switching suppliers whilst the going was good... If you are only paying for c.1/3rd of the price you should have been , on what basis are you changing suppliers?? How could the new supplier ever have worked out cheaper for you?

If you are blindly trusting a comparison website without looking at your bills in the slightest then please do except my apologies..