whats the chances of them owing me money?

kezz8352

Hi ive got a prepayment metre for my electric and for the past 4 years been having to put around £30 a week on it to last me for the week i have a 3 bedroom house. I just recieved a letter today from my electric company to say they think i may have been overcharged they thought i had electric storage heating so they had me on economy 7 tariff, but i actually have gas central heating. I called them today and they are supposed to be coming out to change my meter next week. but what are the chances that they would give me any money owed

Kerry

dogshome

Hi kezz8352 - The chances are that when your house was built it was fitted with Storage Radiators and Heating fed thro' an ECO7 meter VERY Expensive to run in a 3 bed house. Then a previous owner fed up with the bills installed Gas CH.

To be fair to the power company, if nobody tells them this change has been made they will quite rightly continue to charge on the basis of an ECO7 meter. When the power company is told, they can do one of two things:
A) Add the Day & Night readings on the ECO7 meter together and charge the total as a 'Standard' meter tariff
Remove the ECO7 meter and fit a Standard meter

The question does arise as why you did not notice the seperate charges for Day & Night use on your bills, tho' if with this house you were a first time Householder/Purchaser of Gas & Elec there is no reason why you would not think all Utility Bills were made up like this.

However for a power company to put their hand up like this, is highly unusual and inclines me to think that they were indeed advised of the change some years ago and decided to bill on the basis of adding the ECO7 readings for chargeing as 'standard', rather than change the meter

Then some time later, maybe when you moved in, this note on the account about the meter and standard billing was not transferred and they reverted to an ECO7 tariff
If they did do this, then Yes they will owe you money but proving it if you have to is something else
If this is what has happened, in a fair world, your supplier would admit to the aged error and re-calculate every bill you have had, but if they don't your only scource of information as to the billing arrangements when the Gas CH was installed, is the previous owner

kezz8352

I am on a prepayment meter and have been putting on and going through at least £30 a week. I rang them over a year ago and queryed it but they wernt interested. I will just be glad when they come out on wednesday and sort it out so hopfully it wont cost me as much per week and seeing is getting colder now the extra money will come in handy to put on my gas. Thanks for replying

Kerry x

Premier_2

Don't get too excited ... the difference probably will be barely noticeable.

I'm on E7 and have gas central heating. That's because it's still cheaper for me on E7 than the suppliers comparable single rate tariff.

But there is little in it.

kezz8352

ill just have to wait and see what they say.
Anything they owe me is a bonus though

Kerry

Premier_2

kezz8352 wrote: »

ill just have to wait and see what they say.
Anything they owe me is a bonus though

Kerry

They won't owe you anything. You are on E7 and being charged for E7.
You may have a claim if you can prove you contacted the supplier last year asking to be switched to non-E7 and they failed to do so.

You might save, or conversely spend, a tiny amount after the meter is changed.
I suggest you do the comparison for yourself now, rather than allowing them to decide for you.
Get your annual consumption figures in kWh from your supplier and bung them in a comparison site to calculate the cost on E7 and on non-E7.

kezz8352

Unfortunatly cannot prove i made the phone call so my word against them. Wouldnt of even knew anything about being on the wrong tarrif if the electric company wouldnt of sent me a letter saying that im may of been overcharged

Kerry