Paying Electricity Arrears

Anniek1969

Had one of these a few years ago to and didn't like it, it was when they took it out the problems started as they just kept giving me estimates although my meter was read regularly. They were only asking for £40 per month at the time and as I didn't know how much we would use that's all I was paying until I eventually asked them to raise it to £70 as I felt that I must have been using more than £40 pm. I took my own meter readings last year and couldn't believe I owed them about £1100 so I contacted them to ask them to raise it again which they did to £110, then out of the blue another bill came in saying it would be raised to £195.50. It took several years to build up all these arrears but they want it repaid in less than 12. TBH I don't think that getting a meter would make any difference as they would just set it to run faster so I would still be paying about the same every month.

bulchy

Annie your situation sounds very similar to ours, except we didnt have the token meter. Meter was being read but we still kept getting estimated bills. I know npower will spread the repayment costs over the length of time you have been recieving estimated bills, if say its been 3 years, they should spread the cost over 3 years, so get your OH to ask about this.
Have you asked them why you were getting estimates? I believe ours is because meter plus have had the wrong serial number for one of our meters, they kept making comments when they read the meters that they couldnt take a reading because the number was wrong, I kept ringing npower up and they would say they would sort it and never did until I got Energywatch on the case. I got a letter saying it was all sorted, then rang up asking when I would be recieving a bill, was told an ESTIMATE was on the way, we asked them why we were getting an estimate when they claimed that readings were being passed on, they decided they had a reading and would send out a bill, guess what?? we recieved a bill 2 weeks later, and readings were all over the place, all wrong, we know this as we've been taking readings every night at the same time, so it goes on..................
Sorry for hijacking your post, hope you get sorted.
Sue

IvanOpinion

If a reading is taken by ScottishPower (or one of its agents on its behalf) then the reading should appear on the bill and the final estimated reading (if any) will take this into consideration. Were applicable they should have gone through an exercise to align the meter reading date with the billing date so that the accounts get billed up to the readings.

If the reading is missing from the bill then it is very likely that either the serial number or the MPAN have been recorded wrongly and therefore not loaded onto their system.

The reason for being forced to pay it over a year is that the reassessment process only projects one year into the future and will apportion any arrears over the 12 instalments. Hence my suggestion to ask them to reassess again ... if you have been paying off at a high rate then a reassessment might reapportion the remaining arrears over a full year (thereby reducing the instalment amount).

Ivan

Rockhag

I work as a Customer Advisor for an energy company and basically if the balance is going down and you can afford the £110 then ask them to reduce it to that. At the end of the day this is the summer now so you're not going to be using as much energy so you'll probably be paying off a bit more until the dark nights come in.

Also this goes for everyone out there. If you get an estimated bill then ring your utility company up with the correct readings. By law energy companies are only obliged to try and read meters once every 2 years.

frankie1star

I have a similar arrears amount, but the problem stemmed from SP, in that they told me they didnt supply my gas. Once I asked them to put it writing I started getting bills!

I was in dispute with them for over a year before they sorted the problem out, went to the energy watchdog, and it was only the intervention of my local paper that helped my case, having already been told they couldnt offer me any further reduction on the amount, they offered me a further discount. Although I am not convinced they have got it right, my payments were £110 pm and have now gone to £148 pm.

Go to your local paper if you aren't successful, I have the name of the lady who I spoke to at SP if you would like her email.

Anniek1969

Don't know why we kept getting estimates but according to them our meter hadn't been read in 18 months which isn't true as iv'e let them in to read the meter probably about 4 times in the last 2 years. Even after speaking to them and asking to send someone out to read the meter they still sent us an estimated bill DH had to phone them and give them the proper readings. You can put your readings in online now so going to do that every couple of month so I can keep track of what my bill is but still going to get DH to phone them and ask about reducing the payment.

oramgepekoe

Anniek1969 wrote:

You can put your readings in online now so going to do that every couple of month so I can keep track of what my bill is but still going to get DH to phone them and ask about reducing the payment.

I've started submitting online readings on the first of every month.

Anniek1969

Just got a bill from them, probably because I put the new readings in online and it says, "We are pleased to enclose your annual energy assessment.This compares the amount you have used to the amount you have paid over the last year and will let you know what your new monthly payment will be."

On the actual bill it says amount owing as of 27/7 £600.66

Your assessment for 28/7 - 31/01 Estimated charges £504.83
VAT £ 25.24
BBF £600.66

Estimated total charges £1130.73

Your new monthly payment as of 14/09 £188.50 for 6 months.

So they now want the arrears paid off in the next 6 months as well as over estimating the amount i'm going to use. I know in the winter months my bill will be higher but they estimate i'm going to use £85 pm. Don't know how they work this out as they have the proper readings at the end of march and i've only used £195 in the last 4 months.

I'm hoping this is automated and when he phones them they'll be able to reduce it even more.

IvanOpinion

What you have received sounds like an interim reassessment (done 6 monthly). The estimate produced could be based on different things (depends on how much history they actually have). Try to get them to reassess over a longer period but try to work out a sensible annual consumption that you expect to use over the next 6 months. This has to be 'sensible' otherwise all you are doing is deferring the debt position and making it worse.

Ivan

Anniek1969

Just had someone at the door to read the meter, how weird is that. Let him in anyway and told him I got my bill this morning and that I had used the online system, he said that with his reading they'll be able to see that the arrears are coming down so that should help get the payment down.

I think we'll probably use about £70pm in the winter and £40 in the summer so in the next 6 months we should use about £300/£400 which would work out about £50/£67pm and if they split the arrears even over 10 months would be another £60pm which would bring my payment down to around £130 which would be fine. Do you think this is reasonable?