Help need- back dated e-on bill due to e-on error

keelsa

I was wondering whether anyone could help me I have lived in the same flat since 2007 and have always had low electricity bills (I have always been extremely careful with electricity I don’t use tumble dryer/dishwasher, hot water goes on about 4 times a week and I try to use the heating minimally). However recently it was discovered that my meters were transposed and I had been paying for my day units at the night rate and vice versa.
This has resulted in me receiving a £810 bill from E-On backdated to 2007. After calling e-on to dispute this amount they have said I have to provide a tenancy agreement in order for them to apply a code to my account which means I only have to pay for the past 12months back dated.

Are E-on able to force me to pay for the 12months? This is their mistake in reading the meters the wrong way round.

On top of this my account has recently been changed to a lower tariff due the current usage but they are refusing to bill the backdated amounts at lower tariff instead they are billed at my previous premium tariff. Will it be possible for me to dispute this and does anyone have any experience of this? Any help would be greatly appreciated

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi Keelsa,

I’m sorry to hear of the issues you’ve been experiencing with your electricity account.

When incorrect billing issues are highlighted your supplier is obliged to correct them accordingly, this can often cause catch up bills.

The code you refer to will be the Billing Code, this is a code that some suppliers abide with to ensure suppliers take responsibility for their mistakes.

The code will see that you only have to pay for the energy you’ve used for a 12 month period from the correction of the issue, any charges older than that 12 month period are cleared by the supplier and you don’t have to pay them.

The Billing code is supported by the industry regulators and asking you to pay for the energy you’ve used over the last 12 months is acceptable.

I’m sure as part of the discussions to resolving the issue, a payment arrangement may be offered so you don’t have to pay it all in one go, if it’s not offered I’d certainly ask.

Re the tariff issue, have you been put on or taken off an E7 tariff as a result of identifying your correct usage patterns?

Or have you simply been offered a different tariff that is currently available and that wasn’t before, for example FixOnline version 7?

Brian

keelsa

Thanks for your reply.

I however think it is ridiculous that I am being asked to rectify e-on's error back dated for 12 months. I am not against paying my bill but feel I should only rectify the payment for the last bill.

I don't feel e-on are demonstrating good customer service not only are they unwilling to accept the cost for their own error this is pushed back onto the customer but they cannot even provide a good-will gesture of back valuing using the lower rate.

The new lower rate was given to me after identifying my usage patterns- which have obviously been in place since 2007 so surely I should be able to pay back at this rate rather then the previous much higher rate

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi Keelsa,

I agree that this is fundamentally the error of E.ON however; there is responsibility of the consumer to check the accuracy of your bills, particularly the accuracy of the meter readings being used for the bills.

This is about E.ON asking you to pay for the energy you have used at the correct rates, essentially since the reads transposed in 2007 you have paying a much lower amount then you should have been.

The billing code has protected you from the full force of this correction.

I feel that payment arrangements for the remaining amounts is way to ease the burden of the repayments, remember that in normal circumstances payments would be requested in full on receipt of the bill.

I’d definitely discuss the issue of the tariff further with the agent handling your complaint; it’s difficult to say whether or not back dating tariffs is actually of benefit, especially when we’re talking of transposed readings on a tariff that is dependant on percentages between day and night usages.

Brian

Ignite

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Brian wrote: »

I agree that this is fundamentally the error of E.ON however; there is responsibility of the consumer to check the accuracy of your bills, particularly the accuracy of the meter readings being used for the bills.

When we had this problem, I spoke to a meter reader about it and they informed me that there are over 45 different types of meter in use. On some, Rate 1 is daytime, on others Rate 1 is nighttime. One of the meters the meter reader had to read on occation was so complicated that he had to get a manual for the meter and return on another occation to get the reading.

In light of the meter readers comments, how is a lay person meant to make head or tale of the readings?

keelsa

I completely agree.

I have also monitored my bills closely and since I have lived in the flat (I have lived there for 5 years but in different flats) I have never had a bill over £130 and in my opinion this matched my lifestyle.

I also was not aware when night rates start and finish and so assumed my higher night rate was correct as I work during the day.

I will take up the issue of the tariff with my compliants handler thanks

E.ON_Company_Representative

Hi,

The bills show customers how much energy is being billed at each rate repectively, customers therefore maybe in a better postition to tell if the bills are accurately billing in relation to the customers usage patterns.

The supplier has limited information in relation to customers usage patterns.

As you may know not everyone with an E7 meter will necessarily use the majority of there electricity at night, so if we receive readings that show low night usage we won't question this.

As a customer your bill will show low night usage for example, but you will have a better understanding if this is actually the case.

From experience of these cases, it is seen that there is responsibility on both sides. The exact details of the case will show the course of events and help form the outcome.

Discussing this with the complaint handler will hopefully formulate a resolution to your complaint.

Best of luck.

Brian

Fire_Fox

keelsa wrote: »

Thanks for your reply.

I however think it is ridiculous that I am being asked to rectify e-on's error back dated for 12 months. I am not against paying my bill but feel I should only rectify the payment for the last bill.

I don't feel e-on are demonstrating good customer service not only are they unwilling to accept the cost for their own error this is pushed back onto the customer but they cannot even provide a good-will gesture of back valuing using the lower rate.

The new lower rate was given to me after identifying my usage patterns- which have obviously been in place since 2007 so surely I should be able to pay back at this rate rather then the previous much higher rate

It is the bill payers responsibility to check their billing is correct, I read my own meters quarterly so would know quickly if an error had been made.

keelsa wrote: »

I have also monitored my bills closely and since I have lived in the flat (I have lived there for 5 years but in different flats) I have never had a bill over £130 and in my opinion this matched my lifestyle.

I also was not aware when night rates start and finish and so assumed my higher night rate was correct as I work during the day.

You cannot compare the most recent bills to the last five years as prices per KWH have probably doubled in that time! In addition winters 06/07 and 07/08 were some of the mildest on record whereas 09/10 was the coldest for thirty years.

Gerrard_8_lfc

keelsa wrote: »

Thanks for your reply.

I however think it is ridiculous that I am being asked to rectify e-on's error back dated for 12 months. I am not against paying my bill but feel I should only rectify the payment for the last bill.

I don't feel e-on are demonstrating good customer service not only are they unwilling to accept the cost for their own error this is pushed back onto the customer but they cannot even provide a good-will gesture of back valuing using the lower rate.

The new lower rate was given to me after identifying my usage patterns- which have obviously been in place since 2007 so surely I should be able to pay back at this rate rather then the previous much higher rate

With E'ON holding there hands up and saying yes my fault have 2 years free energy I would say thats pretty dam good were you are right now. Really what you are asking for is 3 years free energy even though you are sayin " You pay bills" you are still chancing your arm.

Just be thankful that you only need to pay one year you used the energy so pay for it.

keelsa

I am not asking for free energy. Surely you budget for electricity as I do so on the basis of my previous bills (and yes they have increased slightly over the past few years) I save a certain amount for electricity. Due to this error I now owe a huge amount- what I am asking for is abit of customer focus which is rather then pushing errors onto the customer that they accept their mistake I also work in the service industry and any mistake we make as a company are accepted as cost occuring errors.

I do read my own meters so check meter readings are correct against what e-on are reading but how does this help me identify the meters are transposed- unless I take them an hour apart and who does that?!


Prices per KWH have not doubled in charge. (I paid 31p per unit in 2008 as opposed to 28p now) All I am requesting is rather then paying the 28p per unit I am currently charged they back value the bill with 20p per unit as per the new rate I have been put on due to my usage - as I have always had this usage it was just never picked up!!

kjsmith7

I think I understand the conundrum. You've been put onto a cheaper rate due to having a particular usage pattern, but obviously with the error you now do not qualify for that usage pattern, and in the back billing process your unit rates have been adjusted back up to 28p?