Advice required regarding a huge bill from E-on

AdamD

Hi,

I live in a small 2 bedroom flat. From 8-6 during the weekdays, it is empty. I have a storage heater system that is on for 2 hours during the evening. Apart from that, electricity usage is minimal and I don't have gas in the flat.

After a meter reading, I received a bill from E-on for £850. It's physically impossible that I have used this much electricity in the past year.

I've submitted a formal complaint, and asked the consumption team to visit my property to ensure the meters are working properly. (They haven't been yet).

Has anyone else had similar problems with E-on? If so, what was the outcome? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Regards,

good_advice

Hello Adam. £850 a year for a fuel bill is a low user rate.
A 2 bed flat or 3 bed semi it does not matter as both will have fridge/freezer, washing machine hot water and heating.

How come you do not pay the fuel bill by DD?.

chris1973

I have a storage heater system that is on for 2 hours during the evening.

If its on for 2 hours in the evening it won't be a storage heater. They 'charge' with heat for seven hours overnight (usually for a pre-determined 7 hour period between 11pm - 8.30am), then output their heat during the day. If you are physically switching on heaters at the mains in the evening in order to obtain heat from them, then It sounds more like you have panel or convector heaters.

After a meter reading, I received a bill from E-on for £850

As you have already been told, this is quite reasonable for a years worth of Energy. Electricity has increased in price by 40% in the last two years, in real terms that means that an household with an annual electricity bill of £500 is now paying closer to £700.

I assume that you also cook and heat water using Electricity?

Electricity is also extremely expensive, around 3 times the cost of Gas and so your cooking, heating and hot water will be more expensive.

Even if you do have Economy 7, then off peak Electricity has increased considerably over gas in price, and is now 6 -7 p kw/h compared to 3.5p - 4p kw/h for Gas.

So in my opinion, given your flat is all electric, your annual bill is extremely reasonable.

[Deleted User]

What has proberbly happened AdamD is that a meter reader has come along and imputted the correct day and night readings on your digital meter and they have back billed you for underpaid electricity. I and a couple of my colleagues are doing this all the time in S. Yorks for G4S ( formerly Accuread ) where the meter readers havent been trained at all in recognising day from night

pooch

AdamD wrote: »

Apart from that, electricity usage is minimal and I don't have gas in the flat.

Are you sure? No running hot water available? No washing machine? No cooking?

macman

How do you work out that you have used (or been charged for) £850 worth of electricity in a year from one bill? Have you not been billed in a year?
No one can help unless you post actual kWh figures and dates. £££ tell us nothing.
Which tariff? E7 or single rate? Previous estimated bills?
As advised above, night storage heaters do not work during the evenings.

Inspectorman

Is this your first bill at the property? Did you provide opening reads? Have previous bills been estimated? Have you compared the readings to your meter (day / night mixed up)?

So many things to take into account.

I'd think twice before getting eon out to check the meter (do some of your own first), as if it's not faulty you will end up with another charge on your account.

AdamD

pooch wrote: »

Are you sure? No running hot water available? No washing machine? No cooking?

I should add that there are times when I do not live in the flat at all. I still believe that I have low usage.

macman wrote: »

How do you work out that you have used (or been charged for) £850 worth of electricity in a year from one bill? Have you not been billed in a year?
No one can help unless you post actual kWh figures and dates. £££ tell us nothing.
Which tariff? E7 or single rate? Previous estimated bills?
As advised above, night storage heaters do not work during the evenings.

I pay via DD £25 or so a month, and have been paying based on estimated readings for the past year. Only recently have I received a meter read and this £850 is the difference between what I have been paying and the actual amount.

I don't have meter readings infront of me, will get back to you.

Inspectorman wrote: »

Is this your first bill at the property? Did you provide opening reads? Have previous bills been estimated? Have you compared the readings to your meter (day / night mixed up)?

So many things to take into account.

I'd think twice before getting eon out to check the meter (do some of your own first), as if it's not faulty you will end up with another charge on your account.

Previous bills have been estimated. I gave meter readings on entering the property a year ago. The previous tenant said she paid roughly £10 a week, I make that £520 over the year. My usage can't physically be much more than hers.

I will double check with them to ensure I won't be getting any further charges before asking the consumption team to visit.

HappyMJ

AdamD wrote: »

I should add that there are times when I do not live in the flat at all. I still believe that I have low usage.



I pay via DD £25 or so a month, and have been paying based on estimated readings for the past year. Only recently have I received a meter read and this £850 is the difference between what I have been paying and the actual amount.

I don't have meter readings infront of me, will get back to you.



Previous bills have been estimated. I gave meter readings on entering the property a year ago. The previous tenant said she paid roughly £10 a week, I make that £520 over the year. My usage can't physically be much more than hers.

I will double check with them to ensure I won't be getting any further charges before asking the consumption team to visit.

£25 a month....Even very low usage without heating will create a bill of £25 a month. You have electric heating so your bill will be higher.

chunkychocky

So if the previous tenant was using £10 per month and that was on the most optimal plan possible at the time and this works out at £520 per annum. Increase that by say 20% because you may not be on the most optimal plan (we don't know because you haven't told us the kWh) this would take it to say £624. Increase that by say 10% because prices have gone up over the course of the last year, which takes it to £686. Then allowing for say a 10% difference in use between you and the previous tenant takes it to £755, and suddenly their figure of £850 doesn't seem so unrealistic.

You need to know how many kWh the previous tenant used to use when comparing it to your use and then look at factors to explain that difference if you are worried about a faulty meter.

spiro

chunkychocky wrote: »

So if the previous tenant was using £10 per month and that was on the most optimal plan possible at the time and this works out at £520 per annum. Increase that by say 20% because you may not be on the most optimal plan (we don't know because you haven't told us the kWh) this would take it to say £624. Increase that by say 10% because prices have gone up over the course of the last year, which takes it to £686. Then allowing for say a 10% difference in use between you and the previous tenant takes it to £755, and suddenly their figure of £850 doesn't seem so unrealistic.

You need to know how many kWh the previous tenant used to use when comparing it to your use and then look at factors to explain that difference if you are worried about a faulty meter.

But the £850 is on top of the £300 they have already paid so £1150pa.

AdamD, are you on an E7 tariff? If so and you actually have the heating on (not just discharging) in the evening then it will be charged at the higher day rate which will cost a fortune.