Do utility companies actually use customer supplied meter readings.....

philwakely

....apart from when a bill is due?

I religiously record my meter readings every week and always submit my meter readings to the utility company when I know that the price is due to change (in the last billing period, there have been three price changes to my tariff).

Once I submit my readings, I always get an acknowledgement email from the utility company that says they will use the readings to adjust my account.

However, I have just received my latest bill, and...surprise, surprise... they have estimated the readings for each price change and each time the estimate has been in the utility company's favour. The overall result is only a matter of a few pounds more than my own calculations, but it is the principle that irritates me.

I contacted the company by phone and was given the excuse that they 'must have lost my supplied readings'. I can understand that happening once, but three times in six months ???

beedeedee

Atlantic use mine. I check almost weekly during winter, so we don't get any unexpected shocks and they always use the latest one I give them. It would be interesting to know if this is the "norm" or not?

chanz4

Its dependant if yours reach the billing windows intime, also if they fall inline.

philwakely

I have always assumed that price changes take effect at midnight on the day in question, so have submitted a reading as near as midday as possible on the previous day. I can understand a small allowance for the twelve or so hours between times, but not to the extent that has appeared (almost one weeks usage in one case and the estimate was lower than the supplied reading when the price was due to be increased).

chanz4

Billing windows are a little different, it normally works on 3/6 month window dates. you have to request a rebill each time you submit, as some will just place it in for info only

philwakely

Ah, thanks for that explanation! I think I'll be a little more proactive then and request a revised up-to-date bill each time the price changes. Possibly a little OTT, but given my experience that mid-bill estimates have always been in the favour of the utility company, it should be a little fairer.

lithopsian

My readings are almost always used for billing. I have an online tariff and I get reminders each time. Sometimes I get the bill before I submit the reading and then get a revised bill a day or two later. This should be an automated process at all the big suppliers. It does them no harm to issue correct bills, especially when they are getting paid exactly the same by direct debit either way. I also submit readings at the time of any price changes. If the company decides to fudge the numbers a little in their favour (and they always do!) then I have the actual reading on record. I've twice had to do this when the company pushed far too many units into the higher price. Once with British Gas which resulted in a full-blown complaint process (why do they always fight the inevitable?), and once with E.On who just recalculated the bill.

chanz4

It should change for all suppliers that are going onto sap, suppliers like Scottish power, BG are all using it so produce instant bills. Dont think the others have it fully rolled out yet

Terrylw1

Phil, it can take a day of several for a reading to reach the back end table in a billing engine as it has to be processed in overnight batches. Sometime batches don't run on certain weekend days and sometimes they delay them a few days due to larger rollouts and then there are always faults.

If a mass tariff change is scheduled it should be set to retrieve firm readings that have passed for billing even if stored for info as its always best practice to chose validated firm readings over estimates...it saves suppliers a lot if problems later so they are greatful for more reading data (most customers may not realise that suppliers get over charged on yearly forecasted estimates to buy your elec so the more readings, the more accurate the forecast and less likely they suffer paying at a higher rate in one year than when they need to purchase the elec...just like your issue over it not being in your favour).

Tariff change, reading use and bill production s all down to the system and the decisions made by the project team implimenting the change. You can prote t yourself as much as possible with your reads but its not guaranteed as a project team can decide to go a different way...I.e. make a bad decision. SAP s not the saviour here but it has the potential to make things better as they move away from ancient systems...as long as they build it right!

Richie-from-the-Boro

On-line accounts are easy, instead of being managed by a BOT, pro actively manage the BOT yourself.

It takes a mere minute or so once a month to submit on-line readings, in the O/P's case if s/he is taking them weekly then submit them weekly. In a 13 or 26 week cycle your accuracy can only ever be out a fraction, ie, a maximum of 1/13th or a 26th.

Always check while on-line and verify that the meter readings have been 'logged' and are accurate. In the case of SP they 'back-mail' an instant verification of the numbers submitted.