SSE Pre payment meter disputing bill

growls

Is there an online guide detailing how to dispute a bill I have contacted the company SSE directly but I am being given the person to person run around.

There was no existing meter and I wanted to sign up with Ebico for a prepaymentmeter. They advised me they couldn't fit a meter but contact their Partners SSE who could. I explained the situation to SSE who agreed they could fit a meter and after a month there was no charges for either fitting the meter or changing supplier after the inital month subject to 28 days notice. The meter was then fitted at the begining of Septemeber and the required notice given and the Switch went ahead.

This week I got a letter from SSE claiming I owed them arrears and contact them immediately . This isnt a demand from SSE acting as agents for Ebico (apprently Ebico do subcontract out billing to SSE) but SSE Claiming I owe them nearly £3,500 in arrears for 1 month!

I know the switch went ahead because I had to contact to Ebico as the meter was still taking a standing charge . In order to correct this I made a payment of £5 , the meter is till showing me in credit. The only item that uses gas is the central heating and it hasnt been switcted on during that period!

I'm on ESA so obviously I cant afford to pay that! So advice on what to do next is needed.

Thanks

chanz4

if this is for a new supply install, it could be this amount op you are missing vital details please give the full story of events

growls

What Information am I missing ? it wasnt for a full install , the pipe work etc was allready present and was checked out for safety etc before I placed a call to SSE. The only item SSE installed was the meter itself.

I haver never been with this company prior to this (over a year) ago I was with british gas and I wasnt in arrears with them. The facts are I have had had a pre-payment meter installed for less than 3 months and now SSE are saying I owe them over £3k for arrears for the period I was with them!

chanz4

did they have todo anything at the road?

growls

No they simply did another gas flow check through the pipe and then fitted the metter to the existing 2 pipes. My landlord the Local housing auhtority then had to send a gas engineer out to remove the 'blanking plate' they fitted for health and safety reasons!

The only way I can seee how they have got this figure is the they have taken the existing reading that was allreay on the refurbished meter as usage and then set my start figure to 0 as 0 ->5760 units at 4.5 aprox works out around the arrears they are claiming I ower them.

Nada666

Have you told them this? In writing? If the figures add up, then that is simple enough.

Nada666

(And if you are on ESA why do you want to pay extra through using a prepayment meter? Why did you not choose a credit meter so you could pay cheaper prices and not have to cut yourself off? If money is tight why choose the most expensive option?)

growls

Yes I have contacted the company but I have allways found it better to be informed of what should happen rather than rely on them to act in my best interests.

It dosnt make sense to pay upwards of £45+ pounds in standing charges each year when all the gas is ever used for is hot water for washing up. My standing charge tarrif is 0% and at least when It is paid for it has beeen budgeted for.

It costs me a fraction of a penny more for each unit and no messing around with larger than expected quatertly or estimated bill. Nor having to ensure there are enough funds in my account to cover a direct debit when it falls due one day before you next ESA payment. Getting a free bank account AND overdraft isnt easy when you dont have a monthly wage to put in.

chanz4

I suspect a live dead test was done, and then new mpr has been issued as a new service