Unread meters and huge bills through it!

scottali

Please can anyone advise me?
I recieved a bill for £1500 last June and the reason stated for such a huge amount was that my meter hadnt been read for four years.
I knew it had as after my husband died my electricity dropped dramatically and the company came and read the meter as they thought I'd made a mistake. They have no record surpise surprise.
However I made an agreement with them to up my payment and pay money off my bill at the same time. My daughter visited recently and thinks I was wrong to do this. She thinks there is a clause that stops the electric company reclaiming the money from me if its over a certain amount. I rang and asked but they said this is untrue.
Have I made a mistake by being honest and paying this money or have the electric company not been honest with me?
Can anyone advise please?

james2012_2

What we need are your meter readings. Especially from your last bill that was not estimated.

No one can tell until we know how much you have used.

Farway

There is a time limit but AFAIK not an amount limit

No doubt someone will oblige with the time limit as I do not know it

Adams1

james2012 wrote: »

What we need are your meter readings. Especially from your last bill that was not estimated.

No one can tell until we know how much you have used.

question was:

"Have I made a mistake by being honest and paying this money or have the electric company not been honest with me?"

undaunted

They should have read your meter at least every two years.

Have a look at the back billing code of practice
http://www.energy-retail.org.uk/customerbilling.html

Cardew

undaunted wrote: »

They should have read your meter at least every two years.

Have a look at the back billing code of practice
http://www.energy-retail.org.uk/customerbilling.html

The 2 years applies to gas meters, the OP refers to electricity.

Not all the companies have signed up to the billing code of practice, but the big 6 have!

Provided you were getting bills based on estimated readings during the 4 years the meter wasn't read, the 12 month back-billing rule doesn't apply. You should have checked the meter readings and informed them of any discrepancy.

There might have been grounds to have sought a reduction on the amount owed, but it appears you have made an agreement now and I doubt if they will re-negotiate.

There is no limit on the size of any outstanding debt.