Large and incorrect bill from E.ON

sophieq

Hi all,

I moved into a new house 3 years ago. My first electric bill seemed very large and when I looked into it, realised that they had mixed up my day and night rates. I sent in new readings, but when the next bill arrived they were still the wrong way round. The upshot of this was that I didn't pay them anything for about a year while it was being sorted.

In the end I set up a standing order for a small amount every month, just to take something off the eventual real bill.

They sent a man to the house who came in and demanded a larger direct debit commitment from me and did this over the phone while I sat in my dressing gown in the front room.

They then sent two men to fit a pre-payment meter, who couldn't do so because of the position of the current meter.

I told each of these callers about the readings being incorrect, but nothing changed on the bills.

Then a couple of months ago another man came to ask for payment. This time I got him to look at the meter and some of my bills and he agreed that the readings were the wrong way round. Finally I got a bill sent for the correct amount (£1000).

A friend of mine then recently told me that energy companies are meant to be limited to collecting monies for only the last 12 months. Could anyone offer any advice on this?

It would be a nightmare to work out, but some of the money they're saying I owe is defintely over 12 months old.

Many thanks for any help,

Sophie.

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Hi sophieq,

A transposed read issue should be simple to resolve, this can be done by the customer taking two sets of readings around an hour apart in the day. Were you asked to do this when you contacted E.ON with your correct meter readings?

This shows which rate is the day rate, as this is the reading that will have advanced.

The billing code is something that is determined on a case by case basis and many factors are taken in to account to establish if this applies or not, I do suspect in this case it may not apply as you have received bills.

A warrant to fit a pre-payment meter is a last resort and many letters, phone calls and contact regarding payment of the balance should have happened before an account reaches this stage.

I understand that you have now received a bill for the correct amount, I would suggest you request the account to be looked at to see if the billing code does apply and also request a payment arrangement to cover your ongoing usage and pay off the balance.

E.ON will be able to investigate your account and may be able to spread the balance over a slightly longer period of time.

Helena.

sophieq

Hi Helena,

Many thanks for your reply.

A large number of letters had been sent prior to the attempt to fit a meter, but every time I gave new meter readings the next bill would come with them the wrong way round.

At one point, around 18 months ago, I spoke to a someone there who got me to take two readings a few hours apart and who then apologised profusely and sent a correct bill. However on the very next bill the readings were once again the wrong way around.

The last guy that called looked very sceptical that the readings were incorrect, but he actually stayed for half an hour and watched the meter tick over himself to confirm that I was right. He then had an argument, right there in my house, down the phone with someone back at E.On who insisted that he must be wrong! They even tried telling him it was probably an incorrectly wired storage heater that was causing the problem.

I'm currently making payments of £80 a month as agreed with E.On, but if they should only have been billing me for the last 12 months then this figure should obviously be less. And, to be honest, the way I've been treated during this whole episode makes be balk at paying anything.

Could you please let me know who I should contact to escalate this matter?

Many thanks,

Sophie.

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Hi Sophie,

You can either contact E.ON using the details on the back of your bill, or use our email address in my profile page.

Helena

Premier_2

sophieq wrote: »

...The upshot of this was that I didn't pay them anything for about a year while it was being sorted....

...A friend of mine then recently told me that energy companies are meant to be limited to collecting monies for only the last 12 months. Could anyone offer any advice on this?...

Details of the 12 month back billing rule can be found here:

http://www.energy-retail.org.uk/documents/CodeofPracticeforAccurateBills.pdf

Was the decision not to pay anything to the supplier one proposed and agreed by the supplier or one you did on your own initiative.

Unfortunately if it was your decision to willingly avoid payment, then the 12 month backbilling rule does not apply
http://www.energy-retail.org.uk/documents/BillingCodeFAQs15Oct08.pdf


Also, if you have already overpaid for amounts of energy you have been supplied with, then the back billing rule also wouldn't have any affect on you as it only means, where it does apply, that no extra charge is made for energy consumed and not billed from over 12 months ago.

Wickedkitten

If the actual amount of energy that you actually used was correctly billed at £1000, then why do you think you shouldn't have to pay it?

sophieq

Thanks for the replies guys

@ Premier

Here are the relevant parts of the pdf that you attached

The Supplier is completely within its rights to bill in full for any energy consumed where it can demonstrate that;

a) use of supply has been made by a Customer but that no attempt has been made by a Customer to contact a Supplier to make or arrange payment, or

b) the Customer is wilfully avoiding payment, or

This has now been going on for 3 years. I did 'avoid payment' for appx the first 12 months, but have paid for the last 2 years.

c) the Customer has not co-operated with attempts to obtain meter readings or resolve asset queries required to facilitate accurate bill production.

Does not apply

Unless the above clauses (a) to (c) apply, Energy Suppliers will not seek additional payments for un-billed energy consumed over 12 months ago if they have:

d) received the necessary industry notifications but have failed to set up a record on their billing systems, or
e) failed to set up or maintain accurate meter and metering data, or
f) failed to use valid readings provided by the Customer or data collectors, or
g) failed to reassess regular payments within the previous 15 months based on accurate information available to them, or have failed to communicate the need for and use of a Customer own reading at this time, or
h) failed to attempt to obtain a valid reading during the previous 15 months, or
i) failed to send a bill to the Customer or billing address during the previous 15 months,

e) and f) seem to apply


@ Wickedkitten - I'm not trying to say that I don't owe E.On anything, I'm just trying to use the resources on this forum to make sure I'm not paying more than I need to. I do actually think that E.On should reduce my bill as a courtesy after the hassle they've put me through, but if this Code of Practice offers me a route to obtain some level of official compensation then I think it's worth pursuing.

Premier_2

You forgot about this bit

Premier wrote: »

...Also, if you have already overpaid for amounts of energy you have been supplied with, then the back billing rule also wouldn't have any affect on you as it only means, where it does apply, that no extra charge is made for energy consumed and not billed from over 12 months ago.

Or are you suggesting they have actually undercharged you?

sophieq

I don't think this applies as I haven't overpaid. I'm still in debt to them, but part of that sum is over 12 months old, and I would contest that they did not meet the requirements mentioned in my last post.

Premier_2

sophieq wrote: »

I don't think this applies as I haven't overpaid. I'm still in debt to them, but part of that sum is over 12 months old, and I would contest that they did not meet the requirements mentioned in my last post.

This could become very complicated.

Initially you didn't pay anything - your choice so 12 month back billing doesn't apply.

If that then caused the debt that you still owe, they of course they are able to recover that.

But since you have been paying, you claim you have been overcharged due to them transposing meter readings ... or else why are you worried?

If this is not the case, please explain in detail with costs and dates how you have been both overcharged and have underpaid.

sophieq

I don't have any exact figures with me at work but the gist of it is something like this

2007

Charged - £600
Real readings - £400
I paid - £0

2008

Charged - £550
Real readings - £400
I paid - £350

2009

Charged - £550
Real reading - £400
I paid - £350

Final charged - £1650
Actual amount - £1200
I paid - £700

So my balance is currently £500 debit, but my contention is that the second 12 month period should not be billed because of the incorrect readings.

Sophie.