Wrong Serial Number on bill!

MonicaMoo

Hi

We are currently customers with Scottish Power. We have lived at this current address for 15 months. Today I telephoned Scottish Power to give a meter reading as we have not received a bill for some time, we are currently in credit by £18.00 and pay a monthly amount for both G & E of £147.00.
After the call I had a look at the paperwork and thought I would just check the serial numbers for both meters against the bill. The gas meter serial number on the meter if different to the paperwork by one number.
I am aware this can cause problems, but what are the actual consequences and is it something that need to be pointed out to SP? How would I know if the amount of gas I have been using is correct after noticing the mistake?
Confused, please help!

Premier_2

If the serial number doesn't match the one on the bill, either you've read the wrong meter or they have.

Whatever, the reading you have just given won't be correct for the meter serial number they think belongs to you. I suggest you tell them.

MonicaMoo

Thanks for the reply premier,

I want to understand the implications before I phone them, anyone have any advice or experience with this?

Premier_2

Well if they've been billing you based on the wrong meter, then you've been paying for someone else's consumption.

If the meter reading you have just provided is clearly nothing near what is expected, then they hopefully will ignore it and use an estimate to bill you. (based on the historical consumption of someone else). If they don't ignore it you could suddenly find you have a huge bill. In the event you somehow get a tiny bill this time, that'll correct itself when they read the wrong meter again next time, leaving you with a large bill then for gas you haven't consumed.

Best to contact them and sort this out.

betwin123

The bill does not contain the serial number for the meters. It does contain the 'M' Number' for gas and the 'Supply Number' for electric. This is totally different to the serial numbers on the actual meters themselves.

molerat

betwin123 wrote: »

The bill does not contain the serial number for the meters. It does contain the 'M' Number' for gas and the 'Supply Number' for electric. This is totally different to the serial numbers on the actual meters themselves.

My bills contain both

lemontart

betwin123 wrote: »

The bill does not contain the serial number for the meters. It does contain the 'M' Number' for gas and the 'Supply Number' for electric. This is totally different to the serial numbers on the actual meters themselves.

My bills show both - best advise I can think of is to ask them to come and do a trace and label to check the details

marmitedog

The meter could have been exchanged in the past. If this was done out of office hours, sometimes the details don't get passed from the engineer to the office.
Your account will have a missing exchange, although this is usually picked up as the readings don't follow on in a pattern (the new meter usually gets installed at 00000.
There should be a label on it with the exchange details if this is the case.

If not, then its not really an issue as long as you are being billed for the correct number of units.

Scottish_Power

Hi MonicaMoo

I would like to look into this for you to make sure that you are being billed to the correct meter readings and to update the billing system if the gas meter serial number has not been loaded on correctly.

PM me your details and I will investigate for you.

Kind Regards

Colin @ ScottishPower