Please help!!

Newbielookingforadvice

I have currently been living at my rented address for 4 years and been paying around £85 a month for gas & electricity with untility warehouse.

Everything has been fine where we've read the metres and today got a phonecall saying we owe the utility warehouse £3923 as apparantly I've been giving them 4 digits instead of 5 digits which they've said nothing before about this.

When we first went with them they even said its the 4 digit we have to read please help with what I can do as really there is no way I can get hold of nearly 4k

Thanks in advance.

jalexa

Newbielookingforadvice wrote: »

I've been giving them 4 digits instead of 5 digits which they've said nothing before about this.

This sounds as if it might be an imperial/metric meter issue. In general supply regulations require that you should only be liable for the last 12 months of unbilled energy.

The first thing to do is obtain the Utility Warehouse complaints procedure and submit a Complaint about the issue. Secondly attempt to obtain copy bills for the past 4 years. There may be a charge but if excessive it may be cheaper to make a £10 Subject Access Request.

Keep meticulous records of all your contacts.

Dispute the demand, do not ignore the demand.

A supplier must make every effort to obtain meter reader reads at least once every 2 years. A "4 year errror" cannot arise without meter reader and/or Utility Warehouse billing error.

spiro

Do you have your bills for the last 4 years from UW?
If so you need to check each bill and determine if the meter readings are Actual (meter reader), Customer Own or Estimated. UW are required to read the meter every 2 years at the same time as checking the meter so in 4 years they should have read it twice.
If they have accepted your readings and used them on the bill rather than rejecting them then they have to accept some responsibility for this mix up.
Question - which digit have you been omitting 1st or last?

Wywth

Newbielookingforadvice wrote: »

I have currently been living at my rented address for 4 years and been paying around £85 a month for gas & electricity with untility warehouse.

Everything has been fine where we've read the metres and today got a phonecall saying we owe the utility warehouse £3923 as apparantly I've been giving them 4 digits instead of 5 digits which they've said nothing before about this.

When we first went with them they even said its the 4 digit we have to read please help with what I can do as really there is no way I can get hold of nearly 4k

Thanks in advance.

Do you have an imperial or metic meter?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/consumer_advice/latest_meters_pic.shtml

On what basis have they calculated your bills?

... The only foolproof way of checking if you're being billed correctly is to follow a series of steps, and do a basic calculation....

The number of kilowatt hours you calculate should match the number of kilowatt hours the energy company says you've used. If they don't, then you should query your bill with your energy supplier.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74/features/consumer-advice-reading-meters

macman

Which meter are you referring to (where the error has apparently occurred)?
You read the black numbers, and ignore the red.

Newbielookingforadvice

They recon they've already came round and took photos, this is getting ridiculous they don't seem to be budging.

This just doesn't add it really doesn't.

macman

Answer the questions and help will be possible.

Newbielookingforadvice

She said metric is only used for gas.

They said these were estimates.

Just found out the £3923 was not 4 years it's the last 18 months this can't be right

They also said they've Been out twice and took photos and the lady on the other line was getting really rude and said if they wanted to they could bills not only the £3923 for 18 months but the whole 4 years.

jalexa

Newbielookingforadvice wrote: »

the lady on the other line was getting really rude and said if they wanted to they could bills not only the £3923 for 18 months but the whole 4 years.

In situations like this advisers dig holes for their company by opening their mouths without engaging their brains.

To mirror the previous poster's "answer the questions and help will be possible" have you applied any of my earlier advice?

chanz4

jalexa wrote: »

This sounds as if it might be an imperial/metric meter issue. In general supply regulations require that you should only be liable for the last 12 months of unbilled energy.

The first thing to do is obtain the Utility Warehouse complaints procedure and submit a Complaint about the issue. Secondly attempt to obtain copy bills for the past 4 years. There may be a charge but if excessive it may be cheaper to make a £10 Subject Access Request.

Keep meticulous records of all your contacts.

Dispute the demand, do not ignore the demand.

A supplier must make every effort to obtain meter reader reads at least once every 2 years. A "4 year errror" cannot arise without meter reader and/or Utility Warehouse billing error.

Only if they have signed upto the ERA, some suppliers like atlantic haven't. So wouldn't be suprised if they havent

jalexa

chanz4 wrote: »

Only if they have signed upto the ERA, some suppliers like atlantic haven't. So wouldn't be suprised if they havent

Not quite. The ERA guidance only articulates regulatory requirement for the "benefit" of its members. I think SLC 22.5(f) (which applies to all suppliers) may be relevant.