£4000 Final Gas bill from Scottish Power

M0stly_harm13ss

Well this sort of spoilt my Indian Summer Saturday! :eek:

I am in the process of changing energy suppliers and have received a final gas bill from Scottish Power for just over £4000 (for less that 2 years of gas supply). That's quite a lot of gas.

Looking over my bills it seems all have been based on estimated use even though I'm sure I opened the account with a true reading in December 2009 (and it must be added I've not been underpaying in talking to friends, my total energy bills have been about £1300 a year for a 3 bedroom semi with one occupant).

I would appreciate some advice on how to take this forward from you guys. So far I have;

1) got out every bill since the account opened.
2) checked the meter reading provided at account closure and is the end reading on the final bill (which is correct)
3) taken a meter reading tonight (which is approx 45 days later) to check there are no leaks, or simple faults.

I plan on calling Scottish power first thing Monday morning to dispute the bill and formally register a complaint, but is there anything else I should be doing? It seems by my estimate, they think I've used nearly 10years worth of gas in 2 years!

jalexa

M0stly_harm13ss wrote: »

I would appreciate some advice on how to take this forward from you guys

If you want meaningful advice here you need to post a few readings and dates, for example the opening, closing and your check reading yesterday.

Also the reading, date and account balance on the bill before the closing bill.

M0stly_harm13ss

Thanks very much. The last bill looks quite strange to be honest

Start reading is 9051 estimated 8 July 2011
End reading is 1087 estimated 1 August 2011
63506 KWh for a charge of £2203
Then
Start reading is 1087 estimated 1 August 2011
End reading is 2402 actual 17 August 2011
41017 KWh for a charge of £1654

My reading on 1 October 2011 2470 (so an actual difference of 68 m cubed in the 45 days since the last actual reading).

Opening balance was £0 as I paid quarterly in full as each paper bill was received. Looking through all my previous bills all seem to have been estimated.

MFSaver

What is your start reading in December 2009?

Figure out how much KWh you have used between Dec' 09 (your start reading) and 17 August 2011 (the end reading of 2402), and calculate its cost. Then compare that with how much you have paid for your gas in the same period.

Also, is the start reading of 9051 on 8 July 2011 consistent with the end reading of the preceding bill?

mattcanary

I think something fishy has gone on here.

The meter was estimated at 9051 on 8 July 2011 and at 1087 on 1 Aug 2011.
This looks totally wrong to me - as if you used over 1000 units of gas during 21 odd days in the summer!

I am almost certain your bill is wrong. Don;t pay it. Question your supplier on how they estimated you to be using this much gas in the summer!

Was your meter changed at some point in July or August this year? This may have produced this garbage-like bill!

EDIT - the supposed usage between 1 Aug 2011 and 17 August is even more ridiculous. There looks to have been serious billing problems here. The usage between 17 August and October is far more realistic!

jalexa

M0stly_harm13ss wrote: »

My reading on 1 October 2011 2470 (so an actual difference of 68 m cubed in the 45 days since the last actual reading).

Uness you are running a hotel or heating a big swimming pool (from cold) the consumption is "impossible".

I cannot explain from the figures except for one thing, you mention "m3" except "4 digit" numbers are usually "imperial" (100s of ft3), and have been converted as such (x32). Where did you get the m3 from? Does the meter say m3 or ft3?

Metric/imperial confusion is an occasional billing issue, maybe implicated somewhere, but by itself cannot be the reason (for the "impossible" consumpton) unless it is a "system artefact" resulting from a "final bill", metric/imperial confusion and the previous estimates working (badly) together, maybe with a dose of manual incompetence thrown in. A "sound" billing system should not allow "impossible" billing. This may be further evidence that the Scottish Power billing system and/or processes are "far from sound".

I asked for readings (also) from the "bill before the closing bill" for a reason and it would be helpful if you posted these details.

ihateyes

i hope you sort this out, but i also hope thi teaches you to take a reading each month......
I doesnt matter if you pay quarterly or not, but this keep the meter reading accurate.

All too often people are on here griping from catch up bills, when they totally ignored their responsibility.... it gets boring after a while.

dogshome

The figures you have given show that you are being charged on the basis of having an "IMPERIAL" Gas meter where each unit equates to appx. 31.5 Kwh of chargeable gas

However the massive billing could point to you actually having a METRIC meter where each meter unit equates to appx. 11.2 chargeable Kwh of gas - In which case you have suffered a 181% overcharge

CHECK your meter - On the front it will marked ft3 if it's Imperial or m3 if it's metric - If it is a Metric meter phone Scot' Power immediately, and photograph the meter and send it to SP with a snail mail LETTER headed Complaint

M0stly_harm13ss

Thanks to everyone for the assistance. You are correct, the meter is metric but the bills are imperial.

The starting reading was 8233 back in December 2009, the closing reading 2402, with me paying for approximately 1000 units according to my bill (of course based on an imperial calculation not a metric one).

The shortfall is therefore around 3000 units, which would be around £1000 (which I was expecting to be honest, and had set the money aside, I figured it was better in my bank earning o.ooo1%) but that will have to be recalculated based on the miscalculation from December 2009.

And yes, I know I should read my meter regularly! I was not complaining about the shortfall bill, just asking for advice on how to take the issue forward.

jalexa

M0stly_harm13ss wrote: »

And yes, I know I should read my meter regularly

I'm not being judgemental about that except to express disappointement that that behaviour can seriously undermine your rights when there is a billing problem.

Under the Code of Practice for accurate bills, in certain circumstances, unbilled energy supplied more than 12 months prior cannot be charged for. The circumstances include "industry error" and the wrong type of meter being registered is clear "industry error". The supplier will likely say that your failure to provide customer readings delayed detection of the problem but I do not think it is certain that customer readings would have identified the meter registration problem. Personally I don't think it is "black and white", and you may wish to take a punt on the Billing Code.

Normally the metric/imperial problem (with actual or customer reads) results in the consumer being overcharged. I think in this case the supplier has "estimated" consumption (in kWhrs) and back converted to an estimated "meter reading", the estimated "readings" (but not the kWhr billing) being x2.83 low.

An "issue" is whether the supplier's kWhr "estimates" were accurate or not. (Based on the supply opening and closing reads (assuming a metric meter) you seem to be quite a high user of gas, approaching double the "average"). Is that right?

Also have you actually got a "4 digit" metric meter? (5 digit is more common).

There is another issue regarding the supplier reads. While there is only a statutory requirement to make every effort to read a meter at least once every two years, IME most suppliers achieve more frequent readings, in particular when there has been a change of supply. It's possble Scottish Power (or their meter agents) have been "delinquent".

I don't know what the revised account balance will say (you have only said you paid £1300 a year total energy bills), but *if* there is a "debit balance" I would say you should ask for and expect terms under threat of a Billing Code referrral.

vax2002

I would like to see them try court on this, They would loose the case.