Just been hit with a huge bill - this can't be right?

golf_maniac

Hey everyone, I was hoping someone who knows more about this sort of stuff can give me (and my ex-housemates) some advice on what course of action to take, it would be very much appreciated!

Basically I moved into a rental property with 3 housemates on the 1st of July 2011, on a 1-year contract. Our landlords advised us to sign up with a service called Glide (www .glide.uk.com/), which seemed like a good idea as they bill each person individually, rather than taking it all out of 1 account as is the norm (and then the account holder having to chase the other housemates for payment). They took the money out monthly, and it was an estimated usage... OK so far so good, worked out at £46.89 a month each for water, gas and electricity, maybe a little steep but they said we would be reimbursed at the end. I can't remember if I gave any meter readings myself, but some guy would come round regularly to take the meter readings (I don't think he was from Glide specifically, just a general meter-reading guy, although I never asked).

We have now moved out and been given a final bill of £595.75 each! Obviously we were shocked at this, to break it down our total costs for gas have been £740.40 each, for electricity £265.38 each and water was negligible. Now I am looking at our meter readings which I can view on the Glide website. They are as follows: (I left out the ones before this point as they aren't relevant) 11757 31/12/11, 12296 31/1/12, 12811 29/2/12, 13017 31/03,12, 15440 (!) 20/4/12, 15729 reading given by new tenants. Can someone please tell me if it would be physically possible for us to use 2423 units of gas in 21 days? It seems like there must be some sort of mistake, but I don't really know where to turn, I have already contacted Glide but they were, as expected, unsympathetic. All I can think of is there was alot of utility work taking place in front of our house, it seemed to go on for a long time and the road was dug up at least once.

Could it be possible there was some sort of leak? Or a problem with the meter/boiler? The electricity meter readings are a little bizarre as well: 11537 31/12/11, 13290 31/1/12, 12726 29/2/12 and a reading for 13971 on 29/2/12, 15016 31/3/12, 16859 reading given by new tenants. It shouldn't go down, then back up, then take a huge jump on one day, should it?

Any comments or advice on this situation would be much appreciated, as we can't really afford to pay such an extortionate bill. If you want any more info just ask, thanks for reading.

welshee

golf_maniac wrote: »

Hey everyone, I was hoping someone who knows more about this sort of stuff can give me (and my ex-housemates) some advice on what course of action to take, it would be very much appreciated!

Basically I moved into a rental property with 3 housemates on the 1st of July 2011, on a 1-year contract. Our landlords advised us to sign up with a service called Glide (www .glide.uk.com/), which seemed like a good idea as they bill each person individually, rather than taking it all out of 1 account as is the norm (and then the account holder having to chase the other housemates for payment). They took the money out monthly, and it was an estimated usage... OK so far so good, worked out at £46.89 a month each for water, gas and electricity, maybe a little steep but they said we would be reimbursed at the end. I can't remember if I gave any meter readings myself, but some guy would come round regularly to take the meter readings (I don't think he was from Glide specifically, just a general meter-reading guy, although I never asked).

We have now moved out and been given a final bill of £595.75 each! Obviously we were shocked at this, to break it down our total costs for gas have been £740.40 each, for electricity £265.38 each and water was negligible. Now I am looking at our meter readings which I can view on the Glide website. They are as follows: (I left out the ones before this point as they aren't relevant) 11757 31/12/11, 12296 31/1/12, 12811 29/2/12, 13017 31/03,12, 15440 (!) 20/4/12, 15729 reading given by new tenants. Can someone please tell me if it would be physically possible for us to use 2423 units of gas in 21 days? It seems like there must be some sort of mistake, but I don't really know where to turn, I have already contacted Glide but they were, as expected, unsympathetic. All I can think of is there was alot of utility work taking place in front of our house, it seemed to go on for a long time and the road was dug up at least once.

Could it be possible there was some sort of leak? Or a problem with the meter/boiler? The electricity meter readings are a little bizarre as well: 11537 31/12/11, 13290 31/1/12, 12726 29/2/12 and a reading for 13971 on 29/2/12, 15016 31/3/12, 16859 reading given by new tenants. It shouldn't go down, then back up, then take a huge jump on one day, should it?

Any comments or advice on this situation would be much appreciated, as we can't really afford to pay such an extortionate bill. If you want any more info just ask, thanks for reading.

Just as a pure example 3 bedroom house 2 adults and one 17 year old lad.
average usage and i used (12456 gas) (3193 leky)in a year paying a gas bill of £45 per month and electric of £38 pm over 12 months.

Water/sewage is £9 per week unmetered
Also in credit with that.

anniecave

What date did you move out?
What were the meter readings when you moved in?
Did you use any electric heaters at all? If not then the electricity should be fairly consistent throughout the year?
Was there a gas reading taken in September/October as this would help to build up a picture of your consumption as that would be the start of winter?

Terrylw1

The meter reading won't go backwards but where is it even from?

You had suppliers during this period and they collected readings, so where did that one come from.

The problem comes in trusting companies like Glide and not managing things yourself because you are trusting them to do it all...and it really comes unstuck when you allow this.

You needed to make opening and closing readings to protect yourself. You also needed a reasonable payment arrangement and at least the suppliers are bound by the terms of their licence. If Glide haven't assessed your consumption properly, you need to see if their t&c's say anything about this.

Why do you all owe the same value? The suppliers just need the full amount but you wouldn't each pay it as its just a total value. So, if you add all these debts together, does it match the full amount or are Glide overcharging?

macman

You are aware that your landlord will have received a kickback from Glide for signing you up?
You will also have been paying way over the odds for all your energy usage.
Did you not at least take your own final readings?

golf_maniac

Thanks for the replies. No matter what happens, I know I have been naive in dealing with this and will take the advice on board and learn from experience.

Anyway, I've just taken screen grabs of my meter readings, which I probably should have done in the first place. I've actually just noticed another anomalous reading, 14763 for gas on the 30/1/12 (along with two other readings on that date).

It won't let me post the links, so you will have to copy and paste:

img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/Dalix/gasmeter-1.png

img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/Dalix/elecmeter-1.png

The reason the first readings aren't from the move-in date is because of the time it took to switch supplier, we were signed up to Scottish Power initially (should have stayed with them...)

Annie: I moved out on 30/6/12. An electric heater was used in one of the rooms yes. As you can see the gas consumption over the whole of winter was apparently less than the period between 31/3/12 and 20/4/12, which doesn't make any sense at all.

Terry: Like I said lessons have definately been learned. In total we owe £2383.02, but it's split 4 ways because they bill each of us individually, as they always have done. The amounts add up correctly. I've read through the T&C's, the only parts that are really relevant are:


12.3 When We provide You with the Services, We will use reasonable skill and care. We cannot guarantee that the Service will always be fault free or free of interruptions. To the extent this is beyond Our control, You agree that We shall have no liability for such matters.

4.10 Should the Readings prove to be inaccurate due to a faulty Meter, Your wilfil misdisclosure of the Readings or otherwise, you agree to pay any Supplemental Charges levied by the Energy Supplier against Us even if such charges are levied after the end of the agreement.

4.11 Should you dispute the accuracy of the Readings with such dispute proving to be unfounded You agree to pay Us any costs that We may have incurred in arranging such a test to occur.

4.12 You agree to take a Reading at the start, the end and quarterly throughout the course of the Agreement and also, if applicable, prior to Your moving premises if the intention is to continue the Agreement with Us at the new Premises.


So the fact that none of us were monitoring the meter readings that were being sent to Glide doesn't bode too well for us.

Mac: Yes I now know that many landlords and estate agents are in bed with these often unscrupulous energy companies, although again I was naive at the time. We never took final readings (I suppose because we were never asked to), although judging by the readings given by the new tenants (which seem in-line) this isn't the reason for the huge bill.

All I can think of is ringing them and telling them it must have been a faulty meter, maybe they can check it out, not really sure where to go after that though. Maybe I could accept that we seemingly used quite alot of gas charged at exorbitant prices, but for the strange meter readings. Any suggestions appreciated, thanks.