Southern Electric over-estimating on estimations but are saying they under-estimated

liambyday

I have just received my final electricity bill from Southern Electric and was shocked to find it being £250 or more over what I thought it would be.

The reason they say for this is that they were under-estimating our bill for roughly 8-9 months (although i thought they were using actual readings) and then when they took an "actual reading" they compared the "actual reading" with an estimated reading and came up with 2447 day units - compared to 910 day units on the estimated - per quarter. The night units went from 850 on the estimated to 4704 when they received an "actual reading".

I not only have a problem with the electric company comparing the estimated reading with an actual reading and it being way off, but I am also concerned that when i gave my final reading (for half a quarter) it only came to Day units:300 and night units:140. This would make my "actual consumption": 600 day units and 280 night units per quarter.

How can Southern Electric say that they have under-estimated when they have clearly over-estimated? Please can someone help?

spiro

So you have moved from SE to another supplier? The new supplier (in the case of change of supplier) provides the change of supplier reading not your old supplier. Does the reading on your final bill match the reading you took on the date concerned?

Were your previous bills based on estimated or actual readings? Sounds like you have received a final bill based on an actual reading an this has caused you to catch up on previous underestimating.

liambyday

No, just moved house and cancelled Southern Electric because of that.

I have 4 bills in front of me from October 2010.

From 19 October until 22 January it was estimated: 950 (day) 793 (night).
From 23 Jan until 18 April it was estimated: 910 (day) 861 (night)
From 19 April until 14 July it used an "actual reading": 2447 (day) 4704 (night)
From 15 July until 30 August it used an "actual reading": 294 (day) 140 (night)

This is for a one bedroom flat, I am out throughout the day 5 days a working week and in in the evenings - economy 7.

spiro

liambyday wrote: »

No, just moved house and cancelled Southern Electric because of that.

I have 4 bills in front of me from October 2010.

From 19 October until 22 January it was estimated: 950 (day) 793 (night).
From 23 Jan until 18 April it was estimated: 910 (day) 861 (night)
From 19 April until 14 July it used an "actual reading": 2447 (day) 4704 (night)
From 15 July until 30 August it used an "actual reading": 294 (day) 140 (night)

This is for a one bedroom flat, I am out throughout the day 5 days a working week and in in the evenings - economy 7.

Can you provide the readings in addition to or instead of the number of units used.

Also when was the last bill that was based on an actual reading? Oct'10? Earlier?

liambyday

liambyday wrote: »

No, just moved house and cancelled Southern Electric because of that.

I have 4 bills in front of me from October 2010.

From 19 October until 22 January it was estimated: 950 (day reading previously: 5689 reading this time 6639) 793 (night reading previous 4448 reading this time: 5241).
From 23 Jan until 18 April it was estimated: 910 (day reading this time: 7549) 861 (night reading this time: 6102)
From 19 April until 14 July it used an "actual reading": 2447 (day reading this time: 9996) 4704 (night reading this time: 10806)
From 15 July until 30 August it used an "actual reading": 294 (day reading this time: 10290) 140 (night reading this time: 10946)

This is for a one bedroom flat, I am out throughout the day 5 days a working week and in in the evenings - economy 7.

I have added the readings. Unfortunately no idea when estimated readings started or what previous actual reading was to these dates

mattcanary

The previious actual readings were probably taken a long while before October 2010 and the usage had been estimated at the house for a long while before Oct 2010.

When you moved into the house in question, did you give the supplier there the startingh meter readings when you moved in? If not, your account may have been opened on wrong (too low) estimated readings.

liambyday

we had a problem when we moved in where i couldn't read the meter because it was too complicated/old...so, after many phone calls i managed to get a rep out to read it for us. The first actual meter reading came from the SE rep.

I am supposed to have the manager call me back today, i suppose it would be a good idea to have all the meter readings and bills in writing...

Mugget

liambyday wrote: »

No, just moved house and cancelled Southern Electric because of that.

I have 4 bills in front of me from October 2010.

From 19 October until 22 January it was estimated: 950 (day) 793 (night).
From 23 Jan until 18 April it was estimated: 910 (day) 861 (night)
From 19 April until 14 July it used an "actual reading": 2447 (day) 4704 (night)
From 15 July until 30 August it used an "actual reading": 294 (day) 140 (night)

This is for a one bedroom flat, I am out throughout the day 5 days a working week and in in the evenings - economy 7.

There is your problem the 2 bills for the winter period were estimated and from the result underestimated, so ur april to july was a catch up bill.