estimated energy bills

jennyc85

Hi everyone,

I am in a rented flat, and due to a combination of not being able to find the meters, and then being really busy and generally forgetful, 9 months down the road I am still paying estimated energy bills. I am with eon and pay gas and electric as one bill... I live with my boyfriend in a one bed flat with central heating. My bill over winter has averaged about £75 per month, in summer it was about £35. Do you think this should have covered it? Im terrified of taking the meter reading now incase it turns out we owe hundreds of pounds

Wywth

jennyc85 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I am in a rented flat, and due to a combination of not being able to find the meters, and then being really busy and generally forgetful, 9 months down the road I am still paying estimated energy bills. I am with eon and pay gas and electric as one bill... I live with my boyfriend in a one bed flat with central heating. My bill over winter has averaged about £75 per month, in summer it was about £35. Do you think this should have covered it? Im terrified of taking the meter reading now incase it turns out we owe hundreds of pounds

How can you know what your bill averaged out if you don't have any actual meter readings? :huh:

Maybe the supplier owes you hundreds of pounds. :beer:

Suppliers are usually pretty good with estimates ... assuming you are pretty good over consumption.

There is only one way to find out ...

jennyc85

I just mean over the summer months my bills varied from about £33 - £40, and over the winter from £70 - £85. I may just have to bite the bullet & cross my fingers... assuming anyway that when we move out and next tenants give the readings then we will only be chased for money at that point if we have been underpaying. Would be amazing if they owe us money! :beer:

macman

Why don't you just read the meter, and then you'll know instantly? Putting your head in the sand will only delay the moment of truth and make any arrears worse.
If you don't, then sooner or later you'll get an agent read and your DD will be hiked if you have arrears.

Torry_Quine

I hope you read the meter and told the company when you moved in.

Fire_Fox

Speak to the landlord about getting the meters read, they are often locked away from tenants/ residents in apartment blocks. If you do not have regular contact with the landlord use the 'address at which to serve notices' which should be on your tenancy agreement. Our meters are in the basement and can only be accessed with a gate key or through the back of a shop!

Being terrified is a waste of energy/ unhealthy, the sooner you resolve this the faster you can either apply for a refund or the longer you can spread payments over. If you wait until you move out the supplier will want a lump sum payment unless your next property happens to also be with them.

DO NOT wait for the next tenants to give readings nor trust that they will be truthful, you are responsible for closing and settling your own account, the next tenants are only responsible for opening their new account. It is not one account for the property and the supplier is not permitted to discuss your account with the incoming tenants due to Data Protection. Remember energy accounts are credit arrangements so if it all goes Pete Tong you risk a black mark on your credit files.

jennyc85

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I hope you read the meter and told the company when you moved in.

No we didn't, as I said we couldn't find the meters anywhere.., searched high and low all outside and around... phoned eon to see if they knew but nope. Landlord is impossible to get hold of and never returns emails/calls.

jennyc85

oh and when we eventually found the electric meter (still not found the gas one), it is up on a wall outside about 15 feet up over a flight of slippery steps, so gonna have to try and find a ladder and pray for my life I guess! :O

Torry_Quine

jennyc85 wrote: »

No we didn't, as I said we couldn't find the meters anywhere.., searched high and low all outside and around... phoned eon to see if they knew but nope. Landlord is impossible to get hold of and never returns emails/calls.

Oh dear. It may be very hard to know if the bills you get are accurate as you are relying on how well the meters were read by someone else.

Wywth

jennyc85 wrote: »

oh and when we eventually found the electric meter (still not found the gas one), it is up on a wall outside about 15 feet up over a flight of slippery steps, so gonna have to try and find a ladder and pray for my life I guess! :O

:rotfl:

I think you are getting into the realms of fantasy now, dear. :cool:

You do realise 15 feet is about the height of the centre of a first floor window on a modern house?

I'd love you to post us a photo showing the meter located at the height you claim

jennyc85

Wywth wrote: »

:rotfl:

I think you are getting into the realms of fantasy now, dear. :cool:

You do realise 15 feet is about the height of the centre of a first floor window on a modern house?

I'd love you to post us a photo showing the meter located at the height you claim

our flat is part of an old building, and although is a 'garden flat' it is technically second floor, as there are about 20 steps from ground level up to our garden, and the meter is on the wall over these steps.