Electricity company charging an extra grand 6 months after moving out

gixxerman_2

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me?

We were renting a relatively small 2 bed flat from the summer of 2013 to the summer of 2014, for 1 year. The flat was run on electricity and no gas. We paid approximately £780 between us over the year according to estimated bills we had sent through every 3-4 months. (We asked the previous tenants what they paid on average for electricity before we moved in and they said £33/month - I assume that's each).
I had a phone call from our electricity company recently, 6 months after we moved out, closed our account and paid our final bill, saying that they've reconsidered our bills using the moving out meter readings in July 2014. They noticed that our off peak night time readings had stopped and therefore the meter had been broken for the year that we were there. They then said that because of this we owed them close to a grand on top of the £780 we originally paid. I wonder whether this is possible? And if the night readings stopped and the meter wasn't changed, whether this is actually their problem, not ours 6 months later?
My housemate is still living there and said that when the electrician came round to change the meter, he was told that because the night readings had been broken we would be charged for double day time readings instead. I'm worried that we are being chased for a bill we shouldn't be paying. The company said that they would lower it by around £300 because it was their fault that it hadn't been picked up before, but I still feel the original figure is far too high.

If anyone has had a similar problem or knows anything that may be helpful, I would very much appreciate your input!

Thank you in advance.

thozza

you might want to repost in the main Eergy thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=13 which is read by many more people, this thread is about LPG, Heating Oil, solid fuel etc.

Cardew

I don't think there is any regulation that covers your situation.


Presumably you had night storage heating and hot water on your Economy 7 tariff??


It is up to the company to justify in writing their reasons for the £1000 claim for the faulty meter. The fact that you were phoned indicates that an operator was 'trying it on'.


The only weak point in any case to dispute their claim are the bills based on estimated meter readings. You should have checked those estimated readings against the meter and notified the company of the discrepancy - not that many people do check.


I would write/email(not phone) and ask them to write to you detailing the reasons for their claim. If you are not convinced by their arguments and offer of a £300 discount, you can either make a counter offer or submit a formal complaint.

gixxerman_2

Thanks very much for the replies. I have reposted in the correct forum now.

Cardew, Thanks for the advice, I will be sending a letter to them asking for details of their claim against me.