E-On Threatening Court Action/Credit Affected

undaunted

A code of practice is just that - it does not place an obligation on the consumer or have any legal force.

Personally I think 14 months is generous never mind two years and as for trying to read the meter how about suppliers send meter readers when most people are at home - eg evenings or weekends rather than just at their own convenience? - ensure meters are in places they can be accessed when you are not at home, try to ring the consumer & ask if they would mind reading the meter etc when they have failed etc.

To my mind 6 months - two bills - would be more than enough to rely on an estimate for.

It's about time the energy industry realised that they are a commercial service and not some form of dictatorship

As to taking you to court, do you think you owe the money or not? Assuming you genuinely don't if they take you to court so what? Providing that they lose, incur some costs, you win etc, what is the worry?

chanz4

Would people be willing to pay more for out of hours readers? Someone after all has to pay for them. The soloution is smart metering, but the government and consumers dont like them and are no longer making they compulsary

Terrylw1

Its set at 14 months before data becomes crystallised and can only be changed (well, should be!) If the TDC open a trading dispute in which case. They extend to 24 months, but this is when the industry is underperforming...its happened over the years.

This 14 month deadline covers any and all data affecting payments to distributors so its crucial to the sector operating. Its not about reads, but if its all been estimated for a year, getting a reading shoves in some firm data to settle on hence the supplier achieves targets, hence its a popular way which is in the customers interests.

The subject of calls is preference since some customers seem to loathe it, but if they've tried to read it I can't see why not.

It might be nice if suppliers woke up to the modern world and upon taking customers on, asked how and when they can be contacted as well as find a way to agree a date to call.

Out of hours would be good, but it is all cost. It would also be better to stop going out to sites readers have got no chance of getting in without the customer there. Just old fashioned practice really from the days off wife bring at home with kids!