Southern are the most dishonest energy supplier...

hells_2

I beg to differ from the post below that N Power are the most dishonest energy company...

Following from my rant-ette last week about how I appear to have been conned by a whacking £476 final bill having left Southern recently to go to E-On, I thank my lucky stars that I've found my original meter readings from the day I moved in, from the day they came to read the meter in September, and have the ones from the date of transfer in November.

I have to say, they will be getting a shock when I tell them it is highly likely they owe ME money and not the other way round!

The bill, and tariff are fabricated, to say the least.
I've even got a copy of my signed contract now to scan to them to prove I have never agreed to an Economy 7 tariff, and was on dual fuel discount!:T

And I'm also going to gently remind them how to read a meter, as clearly, the numbers they have provided are NOTHING like what the actual readings are!

Happy days!

Thank god for the world of MSE, which teaches us, above all, not to be conned into paying for stuff!!! I can only sympathise with the poor folk out there who would simply panic, and pay the bill.

I'm off to get my calculator out.

Andy_WSM

Wrong tariff? Wrong meter readings?

You don't think, by any stretch, that they made a mistake do you?

If it's a mistake it isn't dishonest!

hells_2

It is when they have completely invented this bill, if you ask me, especially as they have been provided with 3 sets of meter readings in 6 months and I have a copy of everything!

Capistan

They are all crooks mate.
All in the same crooked cartel

dunloadin

Hello wonderful MSErs!
Is anyone in the know about Economy 7 meters and how they work?
We asked specifically NOT to be on Economy 7 rate when we moved into this property 6 months ago and asked to continue on the standard dual fuel plan with Southern.
Since then we've moved to EoN as basically...Southern cocked up with our gas (sent bills but admitted they never actually got the supply) so we chucked everything over to EON as it was easier.

Now then..we have a whopping £476 electric bill, (notwithstanding the £41 a month we've already paid, each month by DD) for the months of June to November! I know!!! (Although they are overcharging us by at least 6 weeks here as EoN took over the account mid to late September anyway)

I've been racking my brains all weekend and today to try and think why it is so high.

Previously we lived (2 adults and visiting child every other weekend) in a 3 bed semi. We used all the usual appliances, being telly, washing machine, cooker, microwave, computer (which is always switched on) and NEVER ever had a bill like this. We now live in a 3 bed terrace so per sq.ft its only slightly larger.

The only thing I have now discovered, is the clock on the electricity meter is 3 hours and 10 minutes out!!!! I honestly think we are being charged day rates well into the night for Rate 1 energy at 14.15p per unit!!!

I've emailed Southern firstly to remind them that while we were customers, we specifically asked not to go on an Economy 7 tariff, because we don't have storage heaters (we have GCH) and we are out at work all day so no benefit to us.

It's the only thing i can think of.
I read the meters yesterday and today, and for some utterly unknown reason we have used 96 units in total of electricity!!

My fella was home all day today but only had the puter on, put the dishwasher on (this goes on 3x a week) and put one wash on (this is on 3 x a week) and will have had a shower.

The entire house is lit with low energy bulbs, the fridge and freezer are not on full whack, we take showers, etc etc etc!

Where the blinking heck is all this useage coming from??? And, do I argue that the meter clock is wrong hence they are overcharging us in the first place!

Other than that, maybe Ray Von off Phoenix Nights has come and wired us up to the street light and we're paying for that, too!

Your original post hells, I remember reading the thread and noticing how rude you were to those trying to help....I can only guess that if you talked to the people at Southern the same way then there not gonna be very helpfull either.

Seems to me you have two seperate issues, the meter clock being out and the changeover bill.

Dodgy EON bill received....
...and they don't even supply our house!

Yesterday, in the post, arrived a bill from EON for the gas to our property. It was addressed to our landlord and we opened this in error.

Since we moved in the property some 4.5 months ago, we have always had our old supplier, Southern Electric, and had simply transferred over our old account with our landlord's consent, as there wasn't actually a supplier to the house previously (the house was unoccupied for 18 months as it was being renovated back from 2 flats into one dwelling)

Another post by you about another supplier and a dodgy bill, this time for gas, hope you got it sorted.

Couple of questions,

Did you take readings when you moved in, and did they match the readings on your first bill?

Do the last readings on the Southern bill match the start reads on the EON bill ? (if you have no bill from them yet I suggest you give them a ring and check the start reads they have)

Does the serial number of the meter match the serial number on the bill, if the property has been knocked into one dwelling from two flats its possible that the additional meter that was removed was the wrong one.

You say the meter clock is out, what type of meter do you have?

I notice in another post you mention Rate1 and Rate4, this suggests to me a digital meter, strange that such a meter will have it's timing out as it runs on an internal chip. That said some meters switch between rates using a mechanical clock with a flag wire connecting it to the meter.

I suggest you get an engineer out to look at the meter, for piece of mind if nothing else, it may well be that the clock needs resetting or that the meter has been incorrectly wired when the conversion work was going on. I appreciate that you no longer want an eco7 tariff, it may well be that a quick phonecall to your supplier (EON) explaining your concerns will be all it takes to get the meter changed to a single rate meter anyway.

Feel free to reply positively, or insult my IQ; as a meter engineer who visits people to sort out similar issues I'm used to both responses.

dunloadin

Oh, and another thing, just because you no longer have storage heaters dosent mean you no longer need a cheap rate. It's strange that the meter has Rates 1 & 4, this suggests to me that you may have a two element meter fitted. These meters normally power additional heaters, if you have any panel, convector or underfloor heaters they may be running off the rate 4 supply 24/7, this would explain the high bill. Check to see if the meter has Two Element or 2E written anywhere on it.

hells_2

Another post by you about another supplier and a dodgy bill, this time for gas, hope you got it sorted.
I did thanks. If you are contracted with one supplier, you don't suddenly expect another company, with whom you have no relationship to send you a bill!
Couple of questions,

Did you take readings when you moved in, and did they match the readings on your first bill?
Yes I took meter readings and still have them, but the only bill I recieved from Southern was 2 weeks ago, as they only bill twice-yearly as far as I know. So no first bill from Southern until 23 November.

Do the last readings on the Southern bill match the start reads on the EON bill ? (if you have no bill from them yet I suggest you give them a ring and check the start reads they have)
No, as we haven't had an electricity bill from E-On yet, although E-On have had 2 lots of meter readings in 2 months, one from me, and one on Monday when they came to have a look themselves.
Southern's readings on the bill are nothing like what the readings are I took. They are definitely estimated. I have informed Southern just how out they are. The final readings are more than where the meter is even now.

Does the serial number of the meter match the serial number on the bill, if the property has been knocked into one dwelling from two flats its possible that the additional meter that was removed was the wrong one.
Yes the serial number is the same.

You say the meter clock is out, what type of meter do you have?
It's an E-On Economy 7 meter, digital and has 2 rates on it. The time on the clock is 2 hours 50 minutes slow.

I notice in another post you mention Rate1 and Rate4, this suggests to me a digital meter, strange that such a meter will have it's timing out as it runs on an internal chip. That said some meters switch between rates using a mechanical clock with a flag wire connecting it to the meter.

I suggest you get an engineer out to look at the meter, for piece of mind if nothing else, it may well be that the clock needs resetting or that the meter has been incorrectly wired when the conversion work was going on. I appreciate that you no longer want an eco7 tariff, We never had an Economy 7 tariff, I've found my original contract with Southern which was Dual Fuel Discount, so they have simply just changed the tariff without asking/telling us for the purpose of this bill, I presume, based on the type of meter although we discussed straight away there was no need for us to use such a tariff. it may well be that a quick phonecall to your supplier (EON) explaining your concerns will be all it takes to get the meter changed to a single rate meter anyway.
This is a possibility but E-On have recognised the easiest option to get the readings is to add Rate 1 + Rate 4 together and we are now on a proper normal tariff.

hells_2

dunloadin wrote: »

Oh, and another thing, just because you no longer have storage heaters dosent mean you no longer need a cheap rate. It's strange that the meter has Rates 1 & 4, this suggests to me that you may have a two element meter fitted. These meters normally power additional heaters, if you have any panel, convector or underfloor heaters they may be running off the rate 4 supply 24/7, this would explain the high bill. Check to see if the meter has Two Element or 2E written anywhere on it.

Thanks, I'll check that

donna1888

this company has just took me from npower without me knowing said its been a mistake after i called them september to see if they supplyed my new flat i have only just found out about this tonight after waiting on on my new meter to be fitted today is there anything i can do about this

dunloadin

Ahh, the old estimated final bill, all becomes more clear.

Had this happen to me about 5 years back (a BG cockup, not Southern). I have noticed this crop up in other posts, unfortunatley I can't say what your best course of action is, as billing and call centre stuff is not really my strong point.

Hopefully one of the regular posters in this line of work will give you a better idea.

hells_2

By way of update...

About a week ago, I received a hugely apologetic letter from Southern.
They admitted that they have committed a right royal c0ck up, and had, despite me giving them the meter serial numbers for the house, the readings and everything else, attempted to bill us for the 'previous' supply...(no idea how they did it but there you go) and had basically blagged the bill (again despite having meter readings).

So, the result is...

A cheque for £63.17 in my favour which landed last night :cool: