Why do energy suppliers make up opening meter readings ?

cing0

This happens across suppliers but despite sending opening meter readings to your new company, they have a tendency to use their own even when they confirm what you have sent them. This appears estimated on your bill months after taking supply so without getting confirmation from them, they essentially say you didn't give it to them.

Here are my observations related to the issue submitting readings online for gaining suppliers.

British gas - sends you a confirmation email automatically when submitted online but uses whatever it wants.
Scottish power - says don't bother us in reply to requests as it takes upto 45 days to update the account so you need to complain in order to obtain reading confirmation.
[Edit opening meter readings supplied via your personal website show an estimate from 'old suppler' of what this reading should be]
E.on - supplies confirmation on request.
Npower - won't confirm meter readings submitted, only what they start the account with.

Are there any previous forum posts covering this issue ?

Terrylw1

Its because all readings that go into industry settlements, creating the bill from the distributor, have to go through the suppliers contracted reading agent, the Data Collector. For gas its called the MRA.

These guys, if we consider a simply example, get a copy of your previous year or more of consumption from the equivalent agent that your old supplier had appointed. The supplier takes your reading, gives it to them, they attempt to validate it and send a copy back with their decision to the supplier. If the Validate it, your supplier uses it and this agent sends it to the old suppliers equivalent who send it onto your old supplier. If they Fail it though, it doesn't exist anymore and they have to Deem one based on the energy history they were sent. The Deemed one is then passed on in the same way.

Its more complex in that it is all timed and a later reading off you can be discounted in favour of a Deemed one (but your supplier can insist they validate yours to replace this), plus there are other factors.

Wywth

I can't say I've ever noticed such a tendancy.

I found the suppliers I switched to tend to use the meter readings I supplied.

(Will be interesting to see what EDF do as they appear to have wiped my gas reading I submitted)

cing0

That's what I've discovered that it is the new supplier that makes up the meter readings and if they are close, yours are used instead.
This process falls down in summer for gas almost predictably.
The new supplier never bothers to query opening meter reads or tell you they will silently discards them except British Gas who seem to be able to validate them within hours.

Terrylw1

They follow the industry processes why only allow a customer reading to be used if they pass validation, otherwise one is Deemed.

Blee88

If you dont tell the new supplier in time or one of the suppliers old or new disagree with the readings/didnt receive, they usually just estimate, if you took a reading around the live date you can just call the OLD supplier with it (also take an up to date reading) and they just raise it on their systems and agree the reading you give then amend both bills (final and new) its called a SAR (shipper agreed read)

Terrylw1

Blee88 wrote: »

If you dont tell the new supplier in time or one of the suppliers old or new disagree with the readings/didnt receive, they usually just estimate, if you took a reading around the live date you can just call the OLD supplier with it (also take an up to date reading) and they just raise it on their systems and agree the reading you give then amend both bills (final and new) its called a SAR (shipper agreed read)

Not in elec, the reading passes via the Data Collector who are under no obligation to accept as valid. If the reading is validates and within X days of switch date, the new suppliers Data Collector could make use of it if the old Data Collector set it to Valid.

Not sure on gas about the X days issue, which I presume you are referring with the shipped term being a gas one?