Meter reading not accepted on switch of supplier

easy

Can someone in the know please comment on this.

A couple of months back, I was persuaded to switch to UW for Gas and Electric (this was a mistake, and I immediately organised a switch back to npower, but on a better tarrif).

However, we gave UW our meter readings. After about 4 weeks (and after I had started the process of switching back to npower) we received a letter saying that our electricity meter reading of 17427 had not been accepted by our previous supplier or R.P.E.S., and they would apply a deemed reading of 17123. Now my husband is a software developer with reasonable eysight, and I reckon he can read a meter OK.

One month later, on the switch back to npower, our meter has been read at 17874, and UW have billed me for £85.

I rang npower to enquire why they thought our first meter reading was wrong, and they know nothing about it, just that UW informed them of the meter reading of 17123.

Now, I reckon that UW have effectively taken payment for 304 units that rightly should go to npower.

I know I have to pay for it, whoever, but this seems like sharp practice on the part of UW. The reason it bothers me is that the npower tarriff I switched away from was cheaper than the tarrif that UW imposed on me (which wasn't the tarrif I thought I'd signed up to)

DVardysShadow

What was the final reading NPower billed you for before your move away?

easy

They billed on the 17123 that UW told them was our last meter reading. So in fact, they've been didled out of 304 units.

Cardew

we received a letter saying that our electricity meter reading of 17427 had not been accepted by our previous supplier or R.P.E.S., and they would apply a deemed reading of 17123.

I can't think of any possible reason why your previous(losing) supplier would refuse to accept a meter reading and insist on a deemed reading that disadvantaged them.

On the other hand it is easy to see why the new supplier would like a lower reading.

In most cases(not yours) people move to a cheaper supplier. There have been several reported cases here where the customer apparently gave an incorrect lower meter reading to gain a few more units at the new lower price, and the losing supplier challenged that meter reading. However it is nonsensical to suggest that the losing supplier would challenge a high reading and insist it was dropped.

Although I accept it is the principle that you are questioning, on 304 units you will not personally have lost much money?

DVardysShadow

easy wrote: »

They billed on the 17123 that UW told them was our last meter reading. So in fact, they've been didled out of 304 units.

Did you give nPower your closing reading? I think this is the place to start.

UW did what they did and if you did not tell nPower your reading, they are not going to challenge UW.

easy

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Did you give nPower your closing reading? I think this is the place to start.

UW did what they did and if you did not tell nPower your reading, they are not going to challenge UW.

No I didn't give npower a closing reading, but I have never had to before when I've switched.

TBH this whole switch has been a nightmare, trying to help out an acquaintance who had fallen on hard times. The only good thing about it is that I ended up on a better tarif.

It does seem like sharp practice on the point of UW.

DVardysShadow

easy wrote: »

No I didn't give npower a closing reading, but I have never had to before when I've switched.

TBH this whole switch has been a nightmare, trying to help out an acquaintance who had fallen on hard times. The only good thing about it is that I ended up on a better tarif.

It does seem like sharp practice on the point of UW.

Sharp practice, agreed. This is a battle to be taken up entirely with UW. Go in writing, cc nPower and state that their reading is wrong and that the reading you gave was whatever and admit liability to nPower for billing up to that reading. You will ahve to work hard to stnad your ground.

BallandChain

I've had a similar problem. The original supplier was Scottish Power and as soon as we moved in we switched to Southern Electric. Now I didn't telephone the meter readings through to Southern Electric and got a final bill from Scottish Power. I paid it over the phone but on close scrutiny noticed they were billing me for more units in the time period the bill ran to. My reading on 7.9.09 was 616 and they had the reading as 646 and to top it off it says next to the opening and closing readings that the readings were done by the customer (me.) I never rung the readings in and now that Scottish Power have been paid I am concerned that the opening reading from Southern Electric will revert back to 616, in effect I might end up paying twice! That can't be right. (This is just for electric bill.)

spiro

In the electricity Change of Supplier process it is the new Supplier's Data Collector (meter reader & processor) who determines the change of supplier reading which he passes to the old Supplier's DC who then passes it onto the old supplier. Thats how you end up with the same reading on both bills. The rules for determining the CoS Reading are (extract from BSCP504 which can be found on the Elexon website):

Precedence of Meter Readings - Change of Supplier.

All valid actual (remote, MOA, NHHDC, and Customer Own) readings are potential
candidates for the CoS reading, provided they are read within the SSD ±5 days.
If the first reading after SSD is a Final read then this must be used, irrespective of
any other reads available.
The reading closest to (ignoring sign) or on SSD is used to generate the SSD reading.
If there are multiple reads on the same day then the precedence (if systems can cope)
is Remote (1st choice), MOA Final, NHHDC, Customer Own reading (last choice).
If two reads fall equally either side of SSD, then the +SSD read is used.
If no valid Rectmote, MOA Final, NHHDC or Customer own reading is available
within SSD +5 days, then a valid Old Supplier Estimated reading (if received) must
be used.
It should be noted that the precedence rules for selecting a CoS Meter reading are
different when the process is carried out 30 Working Days or more after the SSD, in

that a valid Supplier Agreed Reading should be used in precedence to any other reading.

ex-energywatch_adviser

And you are still insisting someone can contact their chosen supplier and have all this done by the next working day as per your previous posts????

easy

spiro wrote: »

In the electricity Change of Supplier process it is the new Supplier's Data Collector (meter reader & processor) who determines the change of supplier reading which he passes to the old Supplier's DC who then passes it onto the old supplier. Thats how you end up with the same reading on both bills. The rules for determining the CoS Reading are (extract from BSCP504 which can be found on the Elexon website):

Precedence of Meter Readings - Change of Supplier.
All valid actual (remote, MOA, NHHDC, and Customer Own) readings are potential
candidates for the CoS reading, provided they are read within the SSD ±5 days.
If the first reading after SSD is a Final read then this must be used, irrespective of
any other reads available.
The reading closest to (ignoring sign) or on SSD is used to generate the SSD reading.
If there are multiple reads on the same day then the precedence (if systems can cope)
is Remote (1st choice), MOA Final, NHHDC, Customer Own reading (last choice).
If two reads fall equally either side of SSD, then the +SSD read is used.
If no valid Rectmote, MOA Final, NHHDC or Customer own reading is available
within SSD +5 days, then a valid Old Supplier Estimated reading (if received) must
be used.
It should be noted that the precedence rules for selecting a CoS Meter reading are
different when the process is carried out 30 Working Days or more after the SSD, in

that a valid Supplier Agreed Reading should be used in precedence to any other reading.

Well, I have a degree in business studies, and an A level in english, and that all means absolutely nothing to me. (no idea what SSD, MOA, CoS, NHHDC etc mean).

Apart from any of that, NOBODY read our meter except us!!!