Energy Company Rip Off

EdwardB

I have a dispute with an Energy company, after getting weird bills that did not match my usage, I requested they do a check.

They said they would put in a check meter but when the engineer came he found a faulty timer switch and refused to put a check meter in. I felt this was important because it would show that both the timer and the meter were faulty. I pushed him to fix the check meter, but he said it was more than his job was worth as they have a policy.

The reason I felt the meter was faulty as well as the timer was because both the day and night time were erratic, I got historical readings and the night time reading for me were 5 times the maximum ever recorded. The timer made the heating and water come on 24/7 so the readings should have been 71% higher but they were way higher, even at night. All of this at a time when I was very careful.

I spoke to the company after the engineer visit and they said they would definately put a check meter in when the engineer came to replace the timer switch. Again this did not happen despite their promise, the guy spent some time working there and for all I know he fixed the meter, it had a new seal on it but as the timer feeds into it I am guessing that is normal, although why not use the same wiring that went to the old timer? In my experience it is quite feasible for one damaged component to affect another, to spike and cause erratic readings.

I turns out that the readings were erratic for 4 years, 3 of which I was in the property. So I demanded that they recalculate my bills and refund me.

I got passed on to a different team and they are obviously there to minimise their losses. They came up with some random way to work out the usage that was based on the readings of the faulty meter.

Of course I disputed this because as far as I am concerned the meter AND the timer switch were faulty. They say the meter is fine but because they deprived me of a check meter that was promised by the call centre staff they have prevented me of any right to audit.


They also wanted to refund me the difference between the day and the night rate but the it should not be the difference, if theIr equipment had been working there would be no readings for the day, that in itself is 71%. When I raise the huge spikes they just ignore it and just repeat themselves.


They then offered to base the recalculation on my next 12 months usage; that is not acceptable because I am now at home during the day so my current usage is higher. They have ignored this.

I have been to various consumer organisations; some have suggested that if the energy company has faulty equipment for so long that I should be refunded 100% of the bills. Others suggested that I should have refunded the standing charges for the bills and charged at the lowest rates recorded for the property, plus be paid interest. Of course the Energy company want to save themselves money so they decline this.

I am now at a position where I have a choice of going to the ombudsmen, taking them to small claims Court or waiting for them to take me to Court once new bills exceed the disputed amount.

What I want to know is whether the ombudsmen, is worth it, I gather that if I choose that route then their decision is final and I can't go to Court after.

I have always found Ombudsmen favour the industry over the consumer, so I would need some industry regulation to depend on.

As far as I am concerned they had a duty of care to have accurate recording equipment and as they did not they should bear all the costs. We ought to be able to complain to OFGEM but they are toothless and not fit for purpose, the fact that they do not take consumer complaints says it all.

The period in question was very difficult for me, it really was a heat or eat situation. I got into serious debt funding these bills.

It seems to me that the energy companies simply do not give a damn about their responsibilities, they know that they can get these accountants to come up with some method of calculating things so the consumer loses out. They do not check the accuracy of their equipment because they do not get punished and can always make the consumer pay.

I would be grateful for any advice or regulations anyone may be able to point me to that will support my case.

I would also be interested in hearing from anyone who has had similar issues. PM me if you do not want to post.

EdwardB

Anyone with advice?

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

Using the Ombudsman doesn't prevent you the opportunity of going to the small claims court if you're still dissatisfied.

sheffield_lad

The problem you have here is it is only you're opinion that the meter is faulty. Usually you can press the co into doing an accuracy test (although they may charge you if it's working OK).

I would give them another call to request such a test and await the results before bothering with the ombudsman.

GL

wiogs

Font too big and post too long

Try and trim it down.

Cardew

I am not sure I understand the situation. What I have gathered:

You are on Economy 7 and you say:

The timer made the heating and water come on 24/7 so the readings should have been 71% higher but they were way higher, even at night.

I understand that 71% corresponds to the 17 hours in 24 hours at peak rate.

1. Are you saying that you never got any cheap rate electricity for 7 hours?

2. Instead of the timer switching power to immersion heater and storage heaters for 7 hours, did it supply power to immersion heaters and storage heaters 24/7 and this was at peak rate?

3. In your house does all electricity go to off-peak rate for 7 hours or only the power to immersion heaters and storage heaters?

[Deleted User]

Yes , I also could nt understand the full gist. All I can add is that its extremely common for the timerswitches on the old analogue meters, the ones with a 24 hour clock,to be not actually set to the correct time of GMT, but have drifted so much that the cheap low rate 7 hours could be anywhere in the 24 hours,middle of afternoon , evening etc. The night storage heaters are wired in to the 7 hours regardless of where it is . If occupiers are aware of their own meters then its to their benefit to make use of appliances at the half price rate. If the drifting is due to power cuts , then the timerswitches are not actually faulty, they just need resetting. This is something I ve mentioned to one of our managers for meter readers to reset on their rounds as it looks an easy job

EdwardB

sheffield_lad wrote: »

The problem you have here is it is only you're opinion that the meter is faulty. Usually you can press the co into doing an accuracy test (although they may charge you if it's working OK).

I would give them another call to request such a test and await the results before bothering with the ombudsman.

GL

That would be closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, there is no point doing the accuracy test now as they have fixed the problem.

I specifically asked for the accuracy test to be carried out BEFORE they carried out any work and that is what the rep promised but the engineer said it was company policy to NOT fix an accuracy check meter.

This denied me my audit and of course saved them money.

My "opinion" was based on the fact that not only did the readings did not match the usage but they were 500% higher than anyone had ever used by previous tenants in 5 years.

If it was just a timer switch, the night time usage would not be affected, but previously the maximum night time usage was an average of 10 units, mine had 50 units recorded.

EdwardB

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

Using the Ombudsman doesn't prevent you the opportunity of going to the small claims court if you're still dissatisfied.

I was reliably informed that the ombudsman's decision is final and that if they did not find in my favour that was the end of it.

Does anyone have any experience of what they are like, do they just serve the industry or the consumer?

EdwardB

wiogs wrote: »

Font too big and post too long

Try and trim it down.

Sorry you could not cope with that, font has been reduced

sheffield_lad

Fair enough but I have never come across a meter which has been fixed onsite. They are calibrated instruments and generally the only way's to confirm a faulty meter is to piggy back with an accurate meter or run a basic load test and record the results.


GL