Can I request an itmeized bill?

Sunblind_Duck

Hello. I change energy suppliers in June, this year, and gave up on the co-op closing the account, as they failed to do what they promised. I have now received a final demand ( I have had no previous demands) for exactly £71. There are no details on the invoice, and I am concerned that they may have plucked the figure out of thin air. Can I demand an itemized bill, displaying exactly what I am paying for?

matelodave

If you had been checking your previous bills against meter readings & payments then you should know whether you had paid for all the energy that you'd used or whether there was any outstanding debit or credit when you closed your account.

It's not hard, just take away your opening reading from the closing reading, multiply it by the cost per kwh, add on the standing charge for the number of days you were a customer and that will tell you how much you should have paid. Take away what you've already paid either in DDs or bill payments and you should be able to determine who owes what.

Sunblind_Duck

Thanks for that. Sadly, the Co-op were absolutely appalling when it came to billing. At one stage, they deleted all my monthly records from my online account and gave me a figure which covered the whole period. When I went to access my account to-day, I discovered that it is no longer on line. At eighty years of age, I was trying to avoid trying to wrap my head around their accounting. I merely would have liked to know if I could ask for an itemized account, in case they try to fob me off. Thanks anyway. I'll give them a ring.

energyworker

Yes, ask them to resend your final bill with the owed amount clearly displayed alongside the closing readings.

Sunblind_Duck

Thanks for that. I wasn't able to get through to them as they were busy, but I will try again after the Christmas break, now that I know where I stand.
I am now with British Gas, and their billing system is great. Very straight-forward.
I have been waiting for this final bill from the Co-op since June. I got fed up with their promises to get back to me, so eventually gave it up. They may well have the final figure correct, but I would still like to see some details. Just telling me that I owe £71, pay up or else, isn't good enough.
Thanks again for your help.
SD

lvf

You are entitled to have a final bill, and this is something they are actually required to send to you, for exactly the reason you want it, so you know what you are paying for.

As previously mentioned, call them and request a final bill, but if I was in your position I would request it to be sent by post and not through your online account or by email, as it sounds like they were having issues with your account previously.

Sunblind_Duck

Belated reply, apologies. The matter has now been resolved, as they eventually agreed to send me an itemized bill. However, I would never recommend the Co-op as an energy supplier. Must be the worst service I have ever experienced. They seemed to have constant problems with the billing system, plus the bills themselves were difficult to interpret. Thanks to all posters for their assistance in this matter.
SD