Transposed Meter Reading

nixdagoldfish

Hi everyone - so very long story short as poss!

Gt a bill from E.ON that looked a bit big. Saw the last two bills were estimated so though I would give them new readings.

When I phoned up was told to call back in two hours with new readings as may have been a mistake made between rate 1/2

When I called back it turned out that the reading had changed for my night rate at 3pm.... thefore clearly the wrong way around.

I pay less for my night and more in the day (or should do!!!)

I was put through to someone who is opening a case to investigate but who has assured me I will only be backdated the last years difference.... that could be huge!!!

after checking my last bills I can see that every bill (both estimated and read) are incorrect and always have been.

On investigating the meter box I now know why. There is a printed sticker on my EDF box that reads "rate 2 00:30-07:30" however rate 2 was the reading that changed today!!

So basically the last time my meter was read was Jan 2012... but that was wrong anyway... all my readings have been wrong and we havent paid enough.

So with the billing code I can expect to be charged the difference of the last 12 months... a very scary thought!!!!

I don't own my flat, it is rented and the boxes are all downstairs in a cupboard together and it seems everyones has the same incorrect sticker. It seems unfair for this bill to fall to me when the E.On meter readers have never moticed their comtinous mistake and the box being incorrect to start with!

Any help greaty appreciated and if anyone has been through this... how much did you have to pay back?!

dogshome

I'm afraid that Eon, and all the Utilities, can re-vist and adjust old bills for up to six years.

Eon are complying with the 12 month back-billing agreement anyway by only billing you the error for the last 12 months - However that 12 months back calculation starts from the date you get written notice, ( Adjusted Bills ? ), of the error

So far as any debt is concerned, Eon will probably offer you a year to pay it off in installments, you don't have to accept this figure and can negotiate for lower payments over a longer term
Whatever is agreed, it's important you get it in writing from Eon - There have been cases of customers makeing a verbal agreement, but a few months later the supplier goes into "Wolverine collection mode" and demands the whole sum be re-paid immediately.

[Deleted User]

Its a very common occurance, the meter timer is out, and switching over at wrong time. Usually the suppliers will scrub the difference, especially as its their meter reps messing up. You can observe the meter switch over times and make better use of the cheap rate. No one seems bothered about coming out to correct a faulty timers. The old style analogue circular ones with a pointer at the bottom are usually nowhere near the correct time

mazziem

The meter may have been read wrong but you still used the electricity . Dependant on what you was paying surely you didn't think it was correct?

Speak to eon and they will help with a payment plan. Unfortunately there is no way of not paying it simply because you have still used that electric. Just be happy that the 12month billing code is in place. X

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi nixdagoldfish

Sorry for the late reply; been out of the office since last week.

This sounds more like a faulty time switch than transposed meter readings.

With time switch issues, we'll arrange an appointment to fix the fault. I suspect the advisor you spoke to is arranging this.

Once this has been done, we'll go back to when the time switch became faulty and re-bill from there.

To re-bill, we'll use estimated meter readings usually based on usage before the time switch became faulty. Where we don't have past history to go on, we'll do a straight 60/40 day/night split.

As you've said, it looks as though we're applying the Billing Code. This means, where we're at fault, we'll not back bill more than 12 months usage from the date we correct the issue.

As dogshome says, we'll be happy to look at spreading any resulting balance over a more manageable period of time.

Hope this is of interest. Let me know if you need any more info as will be happy to help.

Malc