Scottish power make up their own meter reading!

denise38

I recently moved from Scottish power electricity to another provider. The changeover happened the day I came home from a 23 day holiday. The only electrical item being on in the house whilst I was away was a fridge freezer. I gave SP a meter reading 10 days before I left for my holiday . At this time I had no idea when the takeover would occur. So on changeover day I gave new provider my meter reading . Roll on a couple of weeks and I get notice of my final bill from SP. I was in credit by £200 so was expecting to get back app £180. No such luck they have disregarded the meter reading given to them by new provider. They have obviously decided I hadn't used enough power since my meter reading and deducyed another £50 . My new provider tell me they have given them orrect reading. It bears no resemblance to one SP have. I called SP and the only thing they had going for them was call centre was in this country. I would have been as well talking to a foreign country. Despite the fact I used word electric on numerous occassions he reffered to my gas meter and failed to comprehend that I couldn't p[ossibly have used all the energy they say I had if house was empty . We got there in the end. Well will wait to see what next notice of final bill is.
Way I see it is they have fraudulently made up a bill and would basically have stolen my money. New provider would have me paying from meter reading I gave them and I would have been paying for electric twice .
Can they really do this surely it is illegal.

Terrylw1

Its not allowed, the switch must start and end on the same reading but there is the ability to add 1kw to the gaining supplier in certain circumstances, which the agents use to get around problems.

If the new supplier has accepted this, ask them to confirm they received your reading as Validated by their Data Collector. If yes, call the old supplier and ask the same. If the old supplier says yes, demand your bill be changed.

If the new supplier says no to it being Validated, there is a problem that your new supplier has ignored and is at fault for. In this scenario, the old supplier will be no as well and the new suppliers Data Collector Deems a reading based on your previous history. This might be why its different but if so, your new supplier us at fault and is telling you lies.

Either way, you can still force your reading to be used if its correct,nits just unclear where the error lies until you know the above.

denise38

Thank you for that. I gave them the meter reading myself. I called new supplier who confirmed the meter reading I gave them . They have told me that is what they passed on to Scottish Power. They have asked me for a meter reading that day which actually back up that I use approx 150 units a week. There being 450 units difference from reading I gave them 25 days ago when they took over. This reading was only about 150 more than SP had me down as a final reading. No way i used 150 units in 25 days.
What is annoying is that had I not actually checked I would have been charged twice for the same units.

jalexa

denise38 wrote: »

They have obviously decided I hadn't used enough power since my meter reading...

...Way I see it is they have fraudulently made up a bill and would basically have stolen my money.

That is virtually libelous (as well as being nonsense). Nor is it "obvious". Treat it as "incompetent" and challenge it appropriately, if necessary using the Scottish Power complaints procedure.

The first step in getting meaningful advice here is for you to post the Scottish Power final bill reading, the type of reading, the date of reading and the date of the final bill. Plenty scope there for Scottish Power to hang themselves on if you focus on the known facts most of which you have passed to the gaining supplier correctly in accordance with the industry switching protocol.

Terrylw1

But did the new supplier get that reading back from the Data Collector set to Valid? If not, their agent didn't agree your reading was inline with previous consumption so they would Deem one.

This Deemed switch reading then gets passed to everyone to use. The new supplier should then amend your start reading on your account and reissue the bill. If the new supplier doesn't, you will think its all the old suppliers fault in over billing but what if your new supplier should have challenged their agent to get your reading validated and passed to everyone?

Most of the switch process is driven by the new supplier, so rule this part out first as it tells you that the old supplier has to abide by your reading unless they use the industry Disputed Readings process where you new supplier would be involved.

If you know its been validated, you have the weight to force the old supplier to change it since the old supplier has broken the industry process and forced you to be double charged...which is directly referenced as not allowed in industry documentation.