SSE Gas

odessey10

I had a huge bill 4+ years ago and complained i felt it was wrong, 15 days ago i get a call about my meter, somehow it has been read wrong for 4 years! resulting in a £1200 credit on my account, any advice on what level if compensation i should ask for? i have been unemployed for some of the period but still made the direct debit payments on time, no matter what, i asked for some compensation noone seemed to know if they could do anything, 1 "helpfull" asssitant pointed out it was a nice way of saving!!!!!!! and i have a nice nest egg. so what would you ask for? an inflation busting 16% interest? or £10 for phone calls made about the problem. let me know please of if you have had a similar problem what did you get back?

pooch

odessey10 wrote: »

I had a huge bill 4+ years ago and complained i felt it was wrong, 15 days ago i get a call about my meter, somehow it has been read wrong for 4 years! resulting in a £1200 credit on my account, any advice on what level if compensation i should ask for? i have been unemployed for some of the period but still made the direct debit payments on time, no matter what, i asked for some compensation noone seemed to know if they could do anything, 1 "helpfull" asssitant pointed out it was a nice way of saving!!!!!!! and i have a nice nest egg. so what would you ask for? an inflation busting 16% interest? or £10 for phone calls made about the problem. let me know please of if you have had a similar problem what did you get back?

A couple of million quid perhaps? Or would you like some more? :cool:

penrhyn

Wot are you stuck in the '60s, what OP wants is..................................

odessey10

pooch wrote: »

A couple of million quid perhaps? Or would you like some more? :cool:

No that would be far too much, i was thinking 15% of the total, only they just offered £20! i said you get that for a missed appointment, you have had my money for 4 years, i would get better interest in a bank

molerat

Not a legal requirement for non b2b debt but BOE + 8% and £70 compensation would be considered fair. https://payontime.co.uk/late-payment-legislation-interest-calculators

odessey10

molerat wrote: »

Not a legal requirement for non b2b debt but BOE + 8% and £70 compensation would be considered fair.

thank you, a sensible answer at last.

neil9313

So you never read your meter once yourself in 4 years?

jalexa

neil9313 wrote: »

So you never read your meter once yourself in 4 years?

It's the supplier not the customer who has an obligation to read the meter at least once every two years and I've never heard of SSE defending the failure of that requirement (since it is a statutory safety inspection).

The supplier's tariff may require a customer response to a meter reading request. The post is silent on that but for elimination purposes I infer an imperial/metric problem which is a billing issue not (directly) a meter reading issue, so your question is the wrong question, though I agree that "4 years ago" and no explanation, is curious.

dogshome

This is a Gas meter problem and I suspect that a £1200 OVERCHARGE over four years is due to a Metric/Imperial meter mix up by SE

If this is the case it would not matter how many times the OP read the meter, the problem would not show up - Rather than taking SE's word for the amount overcharged I would strongly recommend the OP takes all the affected bills to the Citizens Advice Bureau for an independant check

So far as recompense is concerned it would seem the only fair formula would be to calculate inflation for each year on the amount overpaid for that year -
Inflation was 5% in 2011

odessey10

Thanks for the replies, this was indeed a metric / imperial mix up, but my property was built in 2003, by that that time by their own admission they did not install imperial meters by then, i had raised the large bills issue 4 years ago, and yes i read my own meter and submit my own readings rather than get estimated bills, if it too then 4 years to realize their own error what chance did i have, trying to track down the previous occupant of my place as they lived here from 2003 - till i moved in. they must be owed a few £ also.

jalexa

odessey10 wrote: »

this was indeed a metric / imperial mix up,

First things first, the previous occupant is not relevant to the conduct of your account.

Next, are you satisfied that £1200 is the correct credit for your account correctly rebilled for the correct meter type? That seems low to me for 4 years of the problem you describe. Post your consumption and gas monthly payment amounts.

Next next, if "somehow it has been read wrong" was what you have been informed either verbally or in writing, get the record set right, if necessary using the complaints process. The meter has not been "read wrong", the bill had been wrongly calculated something you have no responsibility for.

Regarding "compensation", in the normal course of events the threat of Energy Ombudsman referral and its circa £350 case fee for the supplier, is a customer weapon, sometimes feather duster, but the process has eligibility timescales and I worry about what happened 4 years ago. Did you complain then? If so why did you accept the outcome and carry on paying the wrong amount?

Perhaps another poster can clarify whether the EO route remains open.