wrong closing meter reading

Rockart

I haven't posted a thread before and hope this is the sort of topic. Here goes - November 2013 we changed power suppliers from npower to Scottish power, the account closing meter reading from npower was inputted into the computer wrongly and the problems have escalated since. The electricity reading even now, a year later, is not up to the reading npower gave Scottish power. We are paying over £300 each month and this figure should be half that for the amount of power we use. This apparently is to refund npower for the electricity we used! which was down to their mistake. Has anyone else had this problem and what do we do? I was considering taking npower to court but as we have been paying all this money to Scottish power I just don't know. Please help.

molerat

Did you give SP the correct reading ?
Have you raised a formal written complaint to both SP & NP ?

System

Hi. Do your closing readings with NPower agree with the opening readings on your Scottish Power account? If they do, then the chances are that you will not lose out in the longer term. Scottish Power as the gaining supplier is responsible for the switching process. You provide them with meter readings which they pass on to NPower. I assume from what you say, you are not paying Scottish Power for the energy. If you complain and the parties agree to a correction then surely this just means a refund from NPower that you will then pay to Scottish Power? Is it worth all the hassle given that you are a year down the line? I assume that you must have a big credit with Scottish Power that you could request back which you could use to pay off NPower?

If the closing and opening reads are not the same then complain to NPower. I would send them a copy of my opening meter readings with Scottish Power as evidence of the problem.

molerat

Hengus wrote: »

Hi. Do your closing readings with NPower agree with the opening readings on your Scottish Power account? If they do, then the chances are that you will not lose out in the longer term. Scottish Power as the gaining supplier is responsible for the switching process. You provide them with meter readings which they pass on to NPower. I assume from what you say, you are not paying Scottish Power for the energy. If you complain and the parties agree to a correction then surely this just means a refund from NPower that you will then pay to Scottish Power? Is it worth all the hassle given that you are a year down the line? I assume that you must have a big credit with Scottish Power that you could request back which you could use to pay off NPower?

If the closing and opening reads are not the same then complain to NPower. I would send them a copy of my opening meter readings with Scottish Power as evidence of the problem.

The main problem is as below though

Rockart wrote: »

.................... November 2013 we changed power suppliers from npower to Scottish power, the account closing meter reading from npower was inputted into the computer wrongly and the problems have escalated since. The electricity reading even now, a year later, is not up to the reading npower gave Scottish power. ............................

To the OP, NP should not have given anything to SP, the new supplier gives the losing the supplier the reading and date of supply. You need to formally complain in writing to both. Again, did you give SP the read at takeover ?

System

Thanks but I understood that point. What I do not understand is why the OP accepted the final bill from NPower as being correct? What is not made clear is the relationship between what is on the meters and what is showing on the closing and opening bills. The OP also doesn't make clear how the £300 pm payment is being divided. I assume that the OP is paying both suppliers: (a) to re-pay the alleged 'debt' and (b) to pay for energy used with Scottish Power.

If the OP accepts that the opening reads with Scottish Power are correct then what would be the purpose of a complaint against them? They would appear to have done nothing wrong.

I know from my own experience that closing bills can be wrong. It usually requires nothing more than a Complaint and a copy of the bill from the new supplier to resolve. If NPower disagrees with the opening reads provided by Scottish Power then it is up to them to raise a dispute via the third party.

The OP has a lot more patience than I have. By now, I would have been months past the Ombudsman stage.

molerat

Agreed, the problem seems to be that the OP has jumped out of the frying pan into the fire as far as supplier competence is concerned and is suffering the consequences