electricity meter reading and bill problems

Yashara

jalexa wrote: »

There is no harm however in keeping OVO "in the loop" by explaining what you have told the gaining supplier and asking OVO to cancel the estimated final bill. Make sure you maintain meticulous records of any contacts. I recommend you confirm any telephone agreement by email.

Thanks for the advice, I'll let Ovo know the situation tomorrow and keep an eye on both accounts until it's resolved.

If Ovo did reject my 'impossible' meter reading then I'm really glad, although it's higher than it should be; I'm glad I didn't get a bill for £6,000+ :j

[Deleted User]

yes 2 and 7s and 4s and 9s, very common misreads, especially on digital meters if not getting down slighty below meter

Terrylw1

Your reading is so high, it would have been failed by your new suppliers Data Collector based on your consumption history sent to them by your old suppliers Data Collector.

The new suppliers Data Collector is then able to Deem a reading.

They then send this to your new supplier (who contract to them) and to your old suppliers Data Collector, who passes it onto your old supplier.

There are specific rules regarding switch readings and industry estimates, known as Deemed readings, are used in the absence of customer switch reads, incorrect customer switch reads or late customer switch reads (although the latter can be used by replacing the Deemed reading by revalidating)

If your switch reading is so high that it fails like this, both suppliers get a Deemed reading. So, resolve it with your new supplier as you need their Data Collector to revalidate & reissue them.

Let the old supplier know, asking that they raise an internal dispute of some kind to stop any future collections activity.

It shouldn't take any longer than 6 weeks for everyone to resolve this but its not really any harder than a switch given its a basic error, so if a switch takes 21 days...

I suggest you also ask your new supplier why their process isn't to contact you to resolve it. A bit shabby IMO.

Yashara

Just a bit of an update. I called Ovo (old supplier) and let them know the situation, they informed me that they can only now deal with the new supplier which I appreciate as I am no longer their customer since the switch.

They did tell me however that they had accepted an estimated meter reading on the electricity bill fom EDF and have added a note to my account to say they should expect the correct one from EDF once it is updated. I also asked them to add to the note that I wouldn't be paying until it was corrected. I said that I wasn't sure how long it would take since EDF didn't say but that I would pay as soon as the correct bill arrived in my inbox.

I checked my EDF account online today and it still shows the old reading and since I wasn't given a time scale last time I contacted them I got on to them again today to check how long it might take. They said it had been passed to the relevent team and should be resolved some time next week. (not sure if they meant by this week we're currently in or the week after but I'll keep an eye on it and get back on to them if nothing changes)

I have since received my final gas bill from Ovo, this one has the correct readings on it. The only problems with this bill are the start date is a day early (but the reading is correct) and the end reading states it is estimated (but again it is the correct reading). Do I leave this bill as is or is it important to have the correct dates and for it to state that it was an actual reading and not an estimated one?

I want to settle something with Ovo as I just want rid of them so should I pay the correct gas bill portion or leave it until the whole thing is correct? If I want to make a payment online it will let me put in the amount I wish to pay of the full bill (gas + incorrect electricity) but I want them to know that I'm only paying for the gas portion, this is why I'm not sure whether to go ahead or leave it till the whole dual fuel bill is correct.

Any advice?

jalexa

Yashara wrote: »

so should I pay the correct gas bill portion or leave it until the whole thing is correct?

You must pay any bill by the due date unless you dispute it (formally), in which case you are bound the pay the undisputed amount by the due date.

Yashara

jalexa wrote: »

You must pay any bill by the due date unless you dispute it (formally), in which case you are bound the pay the undisputed amount by the due date.

I appreacite what you are saying but there is no due date on the bill I have received.

Ovo's policy is to have an active direct debit set up on an account of an agreed monthly amount to be taken either on the 1st or 15th of each month. (this agreed amount might change with regualr meter readings but is based of previous usage to start with)

Since I had a lot of trouble sorting out who actually supplied my address to start with and after finding out the monthly amount that Ovo wanted, I decided to switch almost right away so I never set up the direct debit, I was always just going to settle the final bill when it arrived by paying online with my debit card.

I appreciate that the mistake with the electricity reading is my own fault and so this is why I wanted to settle the gas portion of the bill, but since they have sent seperate bills but then grouped the whole balance as one I want to make sure they know I'm only paying the gas portion, should I pay it and send an email to confirm my intention? How am I supposed to know when the bill is due by?

As I said in my last post there are mistakes with the gas bill itself (wrong start date and stating that the final reading is estimated when it is an actual reading) do these mistakes matter as long as the readings are correct?

jalexa

Yashara wrote: »

I appreacite what you are saying but there is no due date on the bill I have received.

"I want to settle something with Ovo as I just want rid of them so should I pay the correct gas bill portion or leave it until the whole thing is correct?

Any advice?"

I responded to the question you asked and "paying" (not due date) was the important piece of advice. Almost certainly payment terms will be defined somewhere in the terms & conditions.

Or to put the advice differently also for the benefit of others, doing "nothing" is never a smart option.

Yashara

jalexa wrote: »

Or to put the advice differently also for the benefit of others, doing "nothing" is never a smart option.

I wasn't suggesting I do nothing, I asked if I should leave it till the whole bill was resolved because the balance includes the electricity which I am disputing. I have said a couple of times that I want to settle the portion of bill for the gas, but I want Ovo to be clear that this is all I am doing. I don't want to make payment for the gas and then have them think I am going to pay the incorrect electricity bill as well. Since the two bills have been grouped together as a single balance; I am unsure as to how to make it clear to Ovo what I intend to do, hence why I asked if I should send an email to confirm my intention.

I'm also unsure as to whether to dispute the gas bill as although the meter readings are correct, the bill states that the original reading took place the day before I moved in and that the final reading is an esitmated one (which it isn't, although it is correct). I'm not sure if these details are important or just the fact that the actual readings are correct. Please can someone advise on this element of my question as well as I don't want to pay the bill and find out that these things matter.

I'm still unsure as to how long I have to pay the bill with Ovo, I have checked over all the information I have from Ovo and in the customer agreement letter in my welcome pack, all the parts that should be filled in with my DD amount and DD date etc are all blank or zero. The only details filled in are the tariff and the date I moved in. I can't see anywhere in the letter a timescale for paying bills (or on their website), just the passage that states that customers should stay in credit by setting up in advance DD to be taken on the 1st or the 15th of the month.

I would email them and ask but it takes them ages to get back to me and often multiple emails before they respond and their call centre is only open when I'm at work. I have had it suggested that I contact them via twitter as they respond pretty quickly so I'll try and find out how long I have to pay this final gas bill and if I can just pay the gas without the disputed electricity being brought in to it as well. If I get a responce I'll update.

anniecave

I wouldn't worry about the reading being listed as the day before. And I wouldn't worry about it being listed as an estimate. As long as it's the correct reading, then it's fine.

Terrylw1

OVO are incorrect, you are completely entitled to discuss issues with them in finalising your bill.

What they probably meant is that the switch readings go through various industry parties and the new supplier will manage that for you.

In terms if resolution, it can take 4-6 weeks but hopefully it should be less with your switch reading issue being fairly straightforward.

Question though, do OVO and the new supplier show the same switch reading? If not, per my earlier post, it could help speed the issue up if OVO have not used a validated reading (which is the industry obligation).