Tariff Charge Error

boblove

Help!! Our energy supplier has just informed us that we have been undercharged for our electricity for almost 3 years!

Do they have the right to reclaim this money back????:mad:

Fire_Fox

Yes, providing you have been sent some sort of bill (even if it was based on estimates) you have used the energy so you need to pay - haven't you been reading your meters? Most suppliers will allow you to pay the debt back over an extended period if you ask.

boblove

our meter was read twice yearly by scottish power.we pay by monthly dd,a yearly statement was sent to say we were in credit. it appears we have been paying the wrong tarriff

Talldave

boblove wrote: »

our meter was read twice yearly by scottish power.we pay by monthly dd,a yearly statement was sent to say we were in credit. it appears we have been paying the wrong tarriff

Surely the wrong tariff error is down to creator of the bills - that's your energy supplier!!

Whether they're legally entitled to come back after 3 years and ask you to pay more I'm not sure.

I'd know what my response would be if a petrol station I used 3 years ago got in touch to tell me that they charged me the wrong price per litre and asked me to pay the difference!

boblove

i am with you on ths dave, fingers scottish power feel the same way. been doing a bit of searching, think they can only claim back one year if they decide to do so.

Mike_by_the_Sea

bighelpinghands wrote: »

.
This is my first post, if there is anything inapproperate, please let me know before deleting it. Many thanks!

Hi bighelpinghands

Welcome to MSE.

As regards your post(s), you will be in breach of MSE rules if you continue to promote Utility Warehouse so overtly, unless you post in the "UW" thread in the Gas and Electricity Forum. Even there, you will be subject to significant feedback.

I suggest that you read the intro to the "UW" thread for additional information.

Also, you need to declare your interest (UW) if you are posting on threads that are relevant to UW offerings.

All the best

Mike

PS I am a distributor for UW

jellygoodfellow

Surely he will also be in breach of the UW rules as they dont encourage spamming.

dogshome

Hi boblove - This is the second time that "wrong tariff" back-billing has come up on this site in the last 2 weeks, and it appears that the Utilities are stretching the rules.
Where a debt of power used has built up due to bills being charged on under estimated meter readings, back-billing is common enough and whilst it may come as a shock to the customer, we all have to pay for what we have used, but, the Utilities don't have the right to back-bill for tariff errors.
A suppliers advertised price of all Goods & Services is "An invitation to Treat", which essentially means that it is an offer for the seller and buyer to agree on a price and in fact at the point of sale, the seller could ask for a higher price it they wished. However once the sale has been agreed, then that is the price and niether party can retrospectively change it - This is why in Utility contracts when there is a tariff increase, there is a time window for the customer to reject the price increase and go elsewhere, but still be charged the original price providing he has notified his objection and changes supplier within the time window.
Error or not, Scot.Power have previously billed you at a price you were willing accept and they cannot now retrospectively change it
It would be a bit like you going through the till at Tesco with 6 bottles of wine costing a fiver, then be told by a security guard as you left the store that the wine should have been £15 a bottle and you should return to the till to pay an extra £60
Write Scot. Power and politely tell them to take a running jump
All the best

Scottish_Power

Hi boblove

If you are a domestic customer and SP have been billing you on an incorrect tariff and after correcting the account we increase your charges prior to one year ago, then we must cancel this increase on your account.

To ensure that we comply with the Energy Retail Associations Code of Practice for Accurate Bills we can only correctly rebill your account for a period of 1-year. If we were billing your previously, then the adjustment applied to your account will be:

Correct charges up to one year ago less original charges up to one year ago.

If there is an outstanding balance once the account is billed up to date then a payment arrangement can be set up to repay the outstanding balance over a period of 12-months.

I would suggest that you contact us to check exactly what errors were made on the account and if a back billing adjustment is required.

If you want me to look into this for you then send your details to our email address (shown on our profile page).

Kind Regards

Colin @ ScottishPower

dogshome

Hi again boblove - Well, Well, Well. We now have the Scot Power rep being ever so helpful and kind in telling you that when demanding compensation from you for them billing you on a wrong and cheaper tariff for 3 years, that they can't back-bill you for for more than one year, - when the fact is that legally they cannot back-bill you at all

Contact law is quite clear on this point. The day you paid the first bill they had drawn up on this 'mistaken' tariff, established the price on the contract between you & Scot Power, and this price cannot be altered without the agreement of both parties. Even thier own Terms & Conditionswill take account of this, in that they will incude a clause that in the event of a price increase, you as a customer will have a window, usually 20 days, to give notice that you reject the price increase and elect go elswhere, and that during the 20 day period, you will still only be charged the original price - and that is just for a regular tariff change - they haven't a hope in hell of retrospectively backcharging a wrong tariff billing error
OK - If they want to play hard ball here's what to do - WRITE a letter headed Complaint to Scot Power pointing out that they are the professionals and you are just a.n.other customer who has no special knowlege of their tariffs or operating systems. As your contractual obligation, you paid the bills they presented , and you require that they accept their own contractual obligation for the prices listed on those bills - Now, to help all the others who may get this treatment from Scot.Power, also send a copy of the same letter, together with anything in writing you have had from Scot.Power, to The Offiice of Fair Trading
Good Luck - Keep us posted

As I said in my earlier post, the tariff they

DVardysShadow

scottishpower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi boblove
....

Kind Regards

Colin @ ScottishPower

Has no one told you not to get too familiar with the customers?