Time frame for reporting errors?

Arc266

Hi,

This is my first post, I wanted to ask if anyone knows if there is a limited time within which you have to spot and report an error in your electricity bill.

I have been in dispute with Eon because they claimed I owed £1500 to them. I had a check meter installed but this showed the meter was fine, so I paid them. However, once the money had cleared, the lady I spoke to at Eon informed my that the amount was mainly due to an estimated opening meter reading when I switched suppliers. This, on closer inspection, was vastly inaccurate and put my first quarters usage at £1200, instead of the usual £400 for that time of year.

When questioned on this, the Eon rep said that prices change, but when I pointed out that they don't change that much and, surely, prices have gone up not down, she told me it was too late to complain about it now and that I should have noticed at the time. She said there was nothing Eon could do and, as far as they were concered, the matter was closed. This £1200 bill was for the period Nov '08-Jan'09.

The main reason I didn't notice how wrong the bill was that I used a price comparison site to change suppliers and signed up for online billing. When Eon realised my meter was too old to be compatible with their online system, they went back to having someone come out to read the meter. I was told I would be getting paper billing, but didn't. I didn't realise I was being sent online bills as they were being caught in my spam filter and I wasn't expecting them so didn't look out for them. I was paying a fixed DD and, I'll be honest, it never occured to me that I could get into this sort of a mess:(.

Am I really too late discovering this to have anything done, or can I complain?

Thanks for any advice or info anyone has!

Arc266 x

dogshome

Hi Arc266 - Very strange
When you Switch, it is the gaining company who ask for your meter readings and usually tell you on which date the Switch will take place at the same time, then thro' the system your old supplier is informed of this data, so that your closing bill from the old supplier should have the same meter readings as the 1st Bill from the new supplier, likewise the same End & Start date
Check the End Reading on the Final Bill from the Old Supplier - If the Start reading on Eons first bill is a lot lower, this is your evidence that Eon's bills are incorrect.

Phoning the customer service desk is not a lot of use in these circumastances, WRITE to Eon setting out your case, enclosing a copy of the Final Bill from your old supplier

Terrylw1

If they don't use a reading your new Supplier provides from you, the Data Collector your Supplier has appointed to read your meter will estimate a handover reading. Both Suppliers then get this communications through communications the Data Collectors make to each other.

First, check if you closing read with the old Supplier matches the start of the new. If they overlap, you have been double charged so get it changed.

A Change Of Supply reading has to be disputed and replaced inside 14 months of the change date. So, normally Suppliers set a deadline of 12 months to give them time to resolve it.

However, despite this industry deadline, the new Supplier has the ability to do the right thing which is to lose out on consumption if they need to raise your opening reading.

You also need to look at your meter reading now. Is it higher than the start read you had with the new Supplier? If not, thats the problem. If it is higher, does your consumption looked skewed in favour of the new Supplier? If so, it has probably been estimated too high. You still have to pay it all though if thats the case but if your prices are cheaper on the new Suplier side, you are better off.

It's difficult to say anymore without you posting more data about the readings side.

I would say that for a Supplier to not check all that before installing a check meter, is poor service. It could be that whoever told you the opening read caused it, is wrong though.

spiro

As long as the closing reading on the final bill from your old supplier and the start reading on the first bill from your new supplier match you have only paid for the fuel once. If it is an estimate the only difference is which supplier charges you for it but I repeat you can only be charged once. The result is the only 'extra' you may pay is the difference in price per kwh between the 2 suppliers.

If you provided a CoS reading within the correct timeframe (CoS date +- 5 days) then they will try and use this, if it does not fit with your reading history then they may override this and use an estimate.

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Hi Arc266,

I agree with the posts above and some good advice has been given.

But, I am also a little confused as to why a check meter was installed, as this is usually the very last option and I am unsure as to why the readings were not checked before this happened.

As spiro says, you must check if the final reading from your old supplier and your start reading with E.ON match, if they do then you have only paid for the energy once.

Until we know the final and start readings used to bill you it's hard to offer any more advice on what to do next.

You say you have not been able to view your bills, have the readings been estimated?

You also say you have been paying a Direct Debit, has this been covering the amount of energy you have been using?

Sorry about all of the questions, but just trying to establish what has happened.

Hope we can help a bit more.

Thanks

Helena