Another large bill thread...

Internets

Hello,

My housemate and I just go hit with our first bill since late last September and it's come in at an alarming £2600 (£800 for gas, £1800 for electricity). It covers Oct 2010 to June 2011.

We did receive an estimated bill a week or two beforehand that was £1100 but we thought we may as well provide them with accurate readings.

We're not the most energy efficient people in the world but we're not crazy either. I'd say we're 'average' (the central heating hasn't been on since March.

I'm currently looking into the original metre readings which I assume should have been read when we first moved in (about a year ago. Our June to September energy bill was around £250) but I'm worried that if I can't find them or we don't have them we're going to be lumped with the two and a half grand bill (which would cause friction between me and my housemate because he was always the one turning the heating on, leaving lights on, using an electric heater etc).

Thoughts?

grahamc2003

My first thought is if you share with someone who uses lots of energy, why didn't you take weekly readings to keep a track of your bills? Surely you know energy is expensive these days, and not reading your meter for six months over the coldest winter we've had for yonks seems to me to be so obviously asking for trouble.

If you have an online account, your readings may be available there. Was your previous summer bill estimated? If so, one or two hundred quid of your current bill could have been used in that period. Also, any idea why you only get a bill for six months, the usual i think is three months.

Internets

It's longer than 6 months - more like 8. When we provided the most recent meter readings we did ask and they said we were on quarterly bills and they did not know why we had not received any.

Regarding not taking weekly readings... well, hindsight is 20/20.

However, we're not daft; we expected a large bill just not one this large. £2600 for energy seems too much whichever way I look at it.

Broken down monthly, it's about £325. I'd expect it to be around £100. £150 at worst.

Internets

UPDATE!

Just got hold of meter readings from last May and they're much higher than what they're quoting so looks like I can bring the bill right down.

Internets

ANOTHER UPDATE!

Because our original meter readings are over a year old they can't change the bill. I'm obviously challenging this.

Internets

Basically guys, npower are refusing to accept my meter readings because the first one is over a year old.

This is nonsense, right?

Internets

99.9% sure npower was already the supplier when we moved in.

We also have a signed and dated inventory of when we moved in, complete with original meter readings.

spiro

If there was a change of supplier by you after you moved in or by the LL between tenants then I agree with NPower that a Change of Supplier meter reading can only be changed within 12 months of the CoS.

You say the current bill is Oct-June but the move in reading is for May. This implies there was a bill covering May-Sept, didn't you check this bill? My guess is not because you would have found the problem then and resolved it.

If NPower has been the supplier all along then the issue is the reading used when the old tenant moved out which from what you are saying was below the actual reading. If thats the case it becomes a third party dispute and you have to go after them for the money.

The problem is LLs record the meter readings when tenants move in and out but I'm not sure they check the final/inital bills are based on these readings. Personally I think on moving out they should withhold the deposit not only until you say you have paid the final bill but until they have checked the final bill is to the correct reading.

Internets

spiro wrote: »

If there was a change of supplier by you after you moved in or by the LL between tenants then I agree with NPower that a Change of Supplier meter reading can only be changed within 12 months of the CoS.

Like I said 99% sure NPower was already the supplier. Otherwise, where would the original estimated reading come from?

You say the current bill is Oct-June but the move in reading is for May. This implies there was a bill covering May-Sept, didn't you check this bill? My guess is not because you would have found the problem then and resolved it.

We got a bill for June-Sept and you're right; we should have checked it there it then, but as it was not astronomical we had no reason to suspect any problems and were happy to pay.

If NPower has been the supplier all along then the issue is the reading used when the old tenant moved out which from what you are saying was below the actual reading. If thats the case it becomes a third party dispute and you have to go after them for the money.

Yes, it is the case that the reading they have is much lower than the actual. However, there's no way I'm running around after previous tenants. If NPower wish to take that up with the letting agency they may do so. My goal is to receive an accurate bill using accurate readings that I can provide (and prove). I do not see why it is proving so difficult.

spiro

Internets wrote: »

Like I said 99% sure NPower was already the supplier. Otherwise, where would the original estimated reading come from?
We got a bill for June-Sept and you're right; we should have checked it there it then, but as it was not astronomical we had no reason to suspect any problems and were happy to pay.

Yes, it is the case that the reading they have is much lower than the actual. However, there's no way I'm running around after previous tenants. If NPower wish to take that up with the letting agency they may do so. My goal is to receive an accurate bill using accurate readings that I can provide (and prove). I do not see why it is proving so difficult.

a) If the first bill (June-Sept) started with an estimate then it means you did not provide NPower with a move in reading or the reading was rejected because it did not follow on from the end reading provided by the old tenant. As you failed to check the bill you did not realise this was the case and the supplier had no way of knowing unless you tell them.
b) As the reading was 'much lower' it either means either the old customer gave an incorrect reading (mistake or deliberate), they had been receiving estimated bills which were always low so they did not correct this situation or there was a large gap between tenants (this sounds unlikely.

The bottom line is that the energy has been used, you have failed to check you bill and NPower want paying. The reading used on change of tenancy (assume no change of supplier took place) is effective an agreement between the tenants or LL and the supplier has no interest or I believe an obligation to get involved.

Personally I would contact your LL and ask them what the meter reading was when the old tenants moved out. If this reading is nearly the same as the one they took when you moved in then I would complaint to them that they have failed to check that the correct bill has been paid which has left you £x out of pocket which should have been paid by the old tenant. If the readings are vastly different then I would query with them why this was the case because that bill should fall to them.