wrong meter read for 3 years!

golden_slumbers

Hi all,

I am after some advice. My partner and I moved out of our rented flat at the beginning of February, and provided our electricity supplier (Southern Electirc) with a final meter reading. We had been living in this flat for just over 3 years, and the flats were new when we moved in. About 4 days later we received a final bill of £312. This was from the period of 6th October to 7th February, and on top of the £60 a month we pay by direct debit (so a total spend of £552). We actually spent the whole month of December staying with family and so everything was switched off, so I knew this must be wrong. Also for 2 years and 7 months our direct debits had been really accurate (I supplied regular acutal readings) with only a few adjustments of £5 or so up or down. I phone SE who seemed reluctant to agree there was spomething wrong, saying that it has been a very cold winter and we must have used that much electricity. They did however advise us to re-read the meter in case we had read the wrong meter on error.

We did this the following day, and we had read the correct meter, but the odd thing was the meter had increased by 190 untis in the 6 days since we had left (at which time the flat has been empty with everything switched off). I rang SE again who said this represents very heavy usage, and implies there is something wrong with the meter. They arranged with my previous landlord (who I had kept updated about the situation) to send an engineer round, which (after orignally booked in for Friday between 12pm and 5pm and cancelling at 4pm) happened yesterday. My previous landlord has contacted me to say the engineer found that the meter we had been reading for 3 years, and whose serial number was on our bills, was in fact supplying another flat in the same building. So it is them not us who have had a big increase since Ocotber. However, the meter which had been supplying our flat actually has a very similar reading to the one we have been reading, so it looks like we have used a smiliar amount over the years.

I don't know where to go from here. Obviously we do not know what the opening reading on our 'actual' meter was, but given that the flats were new when we moved in I shouldn't think it wouldn't be that different. I know that the bottom line is that we should pay for the electricty we have consumed, and by the looks of it we may still be £300 short, but if this was spread over 3 years it would have made a much smaller impact than paying it all in one go. I have always been so careful about providing accurate meter readings and not getting behoind with utilities, that to think now we may have to pay this money in one go because SE have made a mistake for 3 years makes me really annoyed! I know they would probably offer a payment plan, but I don't want another monthly outgoing.

Any thoughts?

spiro

Assuming you moved and the tenant (or previous) of the other flat (whose meter was connected to yours) moved in at about the same time as you the LL should have a record of the start readings for both. Therefore if he provides these readings (assuming there both not zero) then the supplier(s) concerned can sort the matter out. What you have is called a 'crossed meter'.

golden_slumbers

Thanks for the reply. As far as I can recall, when we first moved in there were some other tenants living in the other flats who had been there a maximum of about 1 month. So I think the start readings wouls have been similar. When you say the supplier will sort it out, do you mean they will charge us for anything we have underpaid on what is our actual meter? That is what I am worried about, I was so careful for 3 years to pay the right amount so that not to get behind, and now because they have mixed up the meters and I was giving readings for another flat I will be liable for the difference

spiro

golden_slumbers wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. As far as I can recall, when we first moved in there were some other tenants living in the other flats who had been there a maximum of about 1 month. So I think the start readings wouls have been similar. When you say the supplier will sort it out, do you mean they will charge us for anything we have underpaid on what is our actual meter? That is what I am worried about, I was so careful for 3 years to pay the right amount so that not to get behind, and now because they have mixed up the meters and I was giving readings for another flat I will be liable for the difference

Firstly all the suppliers concerned will need to get the correct meters 'attached' to the correct flats in terms of theirs and the industry records. They can then reprocess the correct readings, calculate what the correct bill should have been and deduct what has been paid. They will then leave you will a credit or debit. If you want to see the industry procdess they will follow go to http://www.mrasco.com/admin/documents/WORK_PRAC_PROD_SET_V5.10.pdf and read WP145 (page 229 onwards).