Day & Night Electric meter mix-up

gdcoey

Hi

I have just found out when providing my electric supplier with an up to date meter reading that my day and night rates have been mixed up since we moved in 6 years ago. I am waiting for the supplier to contact me once they have "reviewed" the problem.

I am fully expecting them to come back to me and request payment for the past year on the "correct" rates (which will double my bill) but how will I stand if they ask me to pay for the past 6 years and I refuse or I indeed refuse to pay the higher amount for the past year as it was not my fault.

The meter was installed (according to them) in 1997 and we moved in July 2007. The meter has not been touched by anyone since we moved in. No readings have ever been taken by someone other than me. Surely the responsibility to ensure the meter is installed correctly is theirs and not mine.

Even though I have benefited from their error am I actually liable for a mistake that was made by whoever installed the meter before my residence in this house?

Thanks in advance.....

Nada666

I don't want to raise your hopes but it is possible that you may only be liable for the difference for the last twelve months. As I don't know for certain I probably shouldn't post. But until someone who knows suggests differently... the back-billing limit to the last twelve months may apply to you. As the error is in your favour you are only liable for twelve months - if it was in their favour you could have claimed six years refund. But don't quote me.

gdcoey

That's what I had hoped. Any idea where I can find out the regulations to confirm before they contact me back?

Nada666

Nope. Your googling will be as effective as mine. (I have only just noticed the coincidental fact you moved in six years ago - when I mentioned six years I meant just the usual limit on civil matters (five years in Scotland)).

MoneyMate

gdcoey wrote: »

Hi

I have just found out when providing my electric supplier with an up to date meter reading that my day and night rates have been mixed up since we moved in 6 years ago. I am waiting for the supplier to contact me once they have "reviewed" the problem.

I am fully expecting them to come back to me and request payment for the past year on the "correct" rates (which will double my bill) but how will I stand if they ask me to pay for the past 6 years and I refuse or I indeed refuse to pay the higher amount for the past year as it was not my fault.

The meter was installed (according to them) in 1997 and we moved in July 2007. The meter has not been touched by anyone since we moved in. No readings have ever been taken by someone other than me. Surely the responsibility to ensure the meter is installed correctly is theirs and not mine.

Even though I have benefited from their error am I actually liable for a mistake that was made by whoever installed the meter before my residence in this house?

Thanks in advance.....

I have recently changed supplier, my gas meter is outside and electric inside for both Day & Night time readings.
I made a mistake with the Day readings luckily this has now been put right but surely your supplier comes around to check your readings from time to time ?
Hope you get this sorted soon, I must admit it's hard to see my meter clearly, I have to go into a small room up on steps to gain electric reading pushing buttons to change from Day / Night readings.:beer:

davehsug

You will find the back billing rules on the energy uk website. Some companies actually go further than the rules require, others apply them more rigidly. Generally speaking, with transposed meters, unless you have ignored or failed to reply to a company's requests for help in investigating the issue, back billing will be applied as a matter of course & you will only be charged for the last 12 months. I don't see why this is unfair, after all you have used the electricity & have "got off" with the previous usage.

Wywth

Each case that may fall under the 12 month back billing rule is looked at individually.

However, the basic essence of the code is that you will not be charged any extra for usage going back more than 12 months where the supplier is deemed entirely at fault for not charging you previously.

If you had alerted the supplier to the error previously (and can prove it) and they failed to take action then the supplier would usually be deemed entirely at fault.
If you didn't, they could back bill you up to 6 years (5 years in Scotland)

As you say you are the only person to have ever read the meter, then it is likely you are wholly responsible.

I know that is not what you propably wanted to hear, but I don't wish to get your hopes up unnecessarily either

The code of practise for accurate bills (which includes 12 month backbilling) can be found here:
http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/publication/finish/43/412.html

(Note that not all suppliers subscribe to this voluntary code of practise)

macman

Why has the meter not been read by the supplier in 6 years-they are obliged to read at least every two years. Have they attempted to gain access to read it?
I don't understand your comment about 'it being the responsibility of whoever installed the meter'? There is no fault with the meter itself, only with the transposed readings given by yourself.

Fire_Fox

Is the fault with the installation or readings? Why hasn't the supplier ever read the meter in six years, have you been blocking or not facilitating access?

If the fault is with the installation not the readings write to the company using their formal complaints procedure, if you reach stalemate or they fail to respond to several letters bring in the ombudsman. But understand you are expected to exhaust the complaints procedure first.

Raksha

I have a meter which was installed about 10 years ago, for whatever reason it was set up wrongly, but I've lost count of the number of times I've tried to get it corrected. Its been read by official meter readers regularly as well.

[Deleted User]

Most of our meter readers here at G4S cant tell day from night on the meters and are not at all bothered whether they are correct or not. even my manager has said that they (BG,EDF,ScotPower ) get the readings its up to British Gas etc to work it out themselves. On all digital meters , anything which shows rate 1 will go into the low/night field on our handheld , anything with r2 goes into the day/normal field