Can they chatrge me???

yam_yam

I'm new to this so be gentle.

To start with I just received an electric bill from ?D?.
It was dated 16 mar 2010 and covers Estimated charges from 4th Dec 2008 to 15th Mar 2010.
The bill is over £350.00 and when I rang they said there was a problem with Billing.
Then it turns out i have a dodgy meter and the reading hasn't changed / clocked on since 24th feb 2009.
Now they are going to change the meter and want me to pay an estimated bill TBC after this as happened.
Can they do this?
What should I do?

Please help

KimYeovil

Yes they can charge you an estimated bill. You may dispute the amount but you are due to pay for the full period you have been resident.

kjsmith7

If you don't provide a reading, how else can they charge you other than estimating? They clearly state on the bill that it is an estimate. Also, suppliers only have an obligation to read the gas meter once every 2 years for safety, and generally the same timeframe for electricity as a 'best practice' kind of policy. Sadly, if you never phoned them to provide accurate readings, they will probably not 'back bill' or remove any of the charges from the bill.

You'll also get this new meter put in. From the 24.02.2009 to when the meter is exchanged to a new one, it's likely they'll need to estimate it's "off" reading, as it obviously hasn't been counting what you've been using for whatever reason. It's likely they'll use your new meter, take two readings a set distance apart, and then use that to work out a daily average of your usage and work it back to 24.02.2009.

I'd arrange a repayment schedule with them to help make repayment a little easier. I'd also get in to the habit of reading your meter regularly - micromanaging is fun, honest!