New Digital Meter Reading Confusion

SwanJon

Assuming it was fitted at zero, and it sounds like you are better off on the one price (i.e.not E7 although 26% may be close to the line), and assuming that they've been adding T&1 together for your bills it's possible that you have been overcharged by 5218kWh over the last 18 months.

But you know what they say about assuming...

Poosmate

Thanks for that Sawnjon, I'm trying to make sense of my bills but there are just so many readings, "you said, we said" and so forth.

I do know that my bill in April 08 was "cost of electricity used = £81.74" and then on the August bill it was "cost of electricity used = £328.83" so something's not right there!

I guess that's why they wanted to put my DD payments up to £232 pcm from £34 from October.

ETA: By the way, I live alone in a 2bed semi and work full time.

spiro

Poosmate wrote: »

Thanks for that Sawnjon, I'm trying to make sense of my bills but there are just so many readings, "you said, we said" and so forth.

I do know that my bill in April 08 was "cost of electricity used = £81.74" and then on the August bill it was "cost of electricity used = £328.83" so something's not right there!

I guess that's why they wanted to put my DD payments up to £232 pcm from £34 from October.

ETA: By the way, I live alone in a 2bed semi and work full time.

What were the clsoign readings on the last bill you had?

If you have been submitting T and 1 instead of 1 and 2 and ASSUMING the meter read zero when it was installed (there should be a card attched giving the start reading) then as SwanJon said you have over paid. In total you will have paid for 12362 units instead of 7143 so thats almost 40% too much.

Poosmate

spiro wrote: »

What were the clsoign readings on the last bill you had?

If you have been submitting T and 1 instead of 1 and 2 and ASSUMING the meter read zero when it was installed (there should be a card attched giving the start reading) then as SwanJon said you have over paid. In total you will have paid for 12362 units instead of 7143 so thats almost 40% too much.

Yes the meter was set at zero when it was fitted.

I am pretty sure I've been submitting the T and 1 numbers for some time. I have emailed BG my reading now so no doubt they'll send someone round to read the meter properly just to make sure I'm not scamming them.

I guess we'll find out for sure soon enough.

These are the figures they have for my April bill (estimated):


Night readings


19 Jan 2010 - actual 4356 You gave us your meter reading
03 Apr 2010 – estimated 4760


= 404.0 kWh used over 75 days
Usage charge
404 kWh x4.981p= £20.12


Day readings


19 Jan 2010 – actual 5958 You gave us your meter reading
03 Apr 2010 – estimated 6474


=516.0 kWh used over 75 days
Usage charge
First 103 kWh x 30.937p = £31.87
Next 413 kWh x 11.093p = £45.81
Total cost of electricity used
£97.80


As you can see, much higher than the actual readings.

I guess I'll be asking for more help when (if) I have to try to get some money back from them.

Thanks again for your comments so far.

Poo

SwanJon

I'd stick it all in an email/letter as you have hear (feel free to crib from our replies). It seems fairly obvious to me what has happened and how to fix it.
My offer to have a go still stands, or you could reply to the email you got with a link to this thread.

Poosmate

Thanks SwanJon.

I replied to the email I recieved yesterday giving my current reading. As I said in my last post, I expect a Meter Reader will be dispatched to see for themselves that I am not lying. I can't blame them for that, if it was me I'd want to make sure too.

I am a bit miffed that I didn't twig this problem earlier as I'm really not a stupid person (although obviously I have my moments! lol), but I did call to verify which numbers I needed to send although I can't remember exactly when that was, so I won't take complete responsibility.

I only hope I will get any refund due promptly. I've experienced "refunds" before so I will escalate any bad practice on BG's side at the earliest opportunity.

You seem like a nice person and have been very helpful. I would really prefer not to have to call BG ever again and if I do I really hope you are not the one who answers my call.

Thanks again

Poo

[Deleted User]

Hi,

well here's my reckoning on what you should've paid, going back to meter installed in January 2008, (10 quarters), using prices from your April bill so ignoring any price changes, and using your actual readings on 14/7.

Meter started at zero, so you have used 5218 day units and 1925 night units, and allowing for 10 quarters primary units of 103 = 1030 units.


If you have kept the statements since new meter 08 you can check how much you have over paid, though I wasn't sure about price changes.

Good luck, hope you get a nice surprise.

spiro

[Deleted User] wrote:

Hi,

well here's my reckoning on what you should've paid, going back to meter installed in January 2008, (10 quarters), using prices from your April bill so ignoring any price changes, and using your actual readings on 14/7.

Meter started at zero, so you have used 5218 day units and 1925 night units, and allowing for 10 quarters primary units of 103 = 1030 units.


If you have kept the statements since new meter 08 you can check how much you have over paid, though I wasn't sure about price changes.

Good luck, hope you get a nice surprise.

If you use the same prices you did they have paid:

Day:

7144
1030 @ 30.937 = 318.65
6114 @ 11.093 = 678.22

Night:

5218 @ 4.981 = 259.90

Total £1256.77

So a refund of several hundred pounds.

If 1 is the day rate and 2 the night rate you should not be on an E7 tariff because you need to use about 60% at night to make E7 worthwhile.

Do you have electric heating?

[Deleted User]

Hi,

was going to get round to doing that next, so even allowing for variations in price should be a nice wee refund.

Poosmate

Thanks for your responses. I've been scared to hope that I'll be getting a refund nevermind hoping that it would be much more than a couple of hundred quid. Anything is a bonus though.

I don't have electric heating just a gas fire in the lounge. Although last year (winter) I succumbed and bought a 1kw oil filled electric radiator as the temperature in my lounge even with the gas fire on only reached 16.5 degrees (when I'd get home from work it would be 13.5 degrees). The 1k rad wasn't working, it didn't give off enough heat to even touch the chill so I bought a 1.5k oil filled rad which I put on in the kitchen and the 1k one on the landing for a few hours a day. This helped make the whole house a little warmer.

Having said that, my emersion tank broke and because my electric bills were (I thought) high, I decided not to get it fixed, so I've been without hot running water in the house for about 18 months. Also, my electric oven broke and I haven't replaced that either so I cook in the microwave or on the gas hob (or eat out). This last 18 months - 2 years I've been so paranoid about my electric consumption but have despaired at what else I could do to reduce it other than not come on my pc or watch tv as they are my biggest draw. I don't put the lights on except in the kitchen when cooking or making coffee, the landing light when I go to the loo in the dark (yes I pee by the light from the landing - I don't mean I stand on the landing and aim - I'm female! I just don't put the bathroom light on and leave the door open lol). The lights in the kitchen, landing and bathroom are all energy savers. Most of my clothes are dark so I don't have to run the washing machine with half loads of whites and darks. I never use my tumble dryer. I don't posess a music system and never run my surround sound system on my tv thingy. Oh and I turned my dvd amplifier surround sound thingy off at the plug because it was always on standby. Everything is turned off at the plug when not in use except fridge, freezer (obviously), pc and tv (because the plugs are awkward to get to).

Yes I think I've tried very hard to reduce my electricity usage.

I really hope if I am due a refund it doesn't take too long because I'm not going to go away and wait patiently - not this time!

Thanks again for your replies.

Poo