Huge overcharging help please!

redzombii_2

I live in a one bed new build house on my own. My electricity use with my previous supplier, British Gas, was around £30 per month average. In July of last year I received a bill from my new supplier, e.on, for 6 months of electricity totalling over £1200.. no matter how many times I have contacted them to say not only is this physically impossible but I have no means of paying such a bill, they refuse to credit any amount and continue to threaten to cut off my supply unless I pay an extra £200 per month in arrears repayments.
Is there anything I can domo get this ridiculous bill written off?

Robin9

Could you post details of your meter readings please - when you moved in and those on your bill and also show if they are actual or estimated. This may be as simple as a meter reading error.

spiro

Also do you have GSH or is it all electric? If it is the latter £30pm seems very low.

Cardew

Did you check the opening meter readings when you moved into the new house? If you didn't you could be paying for all the electricity used before you moved in, as well as your consumption for 6 months.


What are the meter readings on the bill for £1200 and the meter readings now?

redzombii_2

Thanks all who responded. I will have to dig out the actual readings but I remember that I checked the bill against the meter readings and they appeared to be accurate. I only have electricity spiro, but I don't spend much time at home and only use the heating for at most a couple of weeks a year. I am also have an Economy 10 meter if this makes a difference. The meter reading on the bill was estimated and they did take off almost £400 from the original bill leaving £1200 when I gave an actual meter reading.


This is exactly why I think I am struggling to get them to do anything, as it does seem that the consumption figures, according to the meter readings at least, are correct. However I am trying to rely on my consumption averages prior and post this huge bill to demonstrate to them that it is not possible for me to have used so much electricity!

Horseunderwater

Economy 10 is only cheap if you heat up the water/storage heaters during 12.30am to 07.30am. Have you left the water heating on, ie immersion switch during day, if so that may be where the consumption lies.

Robin9

It wouldn't be the first time that the meter has been set up with the low/normal registers the wrong way around. Read your meters several times a day and see if your consumption is recorded on the right register.

Robin9

Also could you post the readings from.your bills please - it should show the low rate units much higher than the low.

spiro

You need to check the Change of Supplier reading, if this was an estimate it's possible that an actual reading has resulted in a catch up bill.

redzombii_2

spiro wrote: »

You need to check the Change of Supplier reading, if this was an estimate it's possible that an actual reading has resulted in a catch up bill.

Thanks - I have checked my change of supplier readings and they are estimated.


Here are my readings:


16/01/2015 04996 Customer Low / Rate 2 / Rate 4
16/01/2015 07250 Customer Normal / Rate 1

25/10/2014 4411 Estimated Low / Rate 2 / Rate 4
25/10/2014 7235 Estimated Normal / Rate 1

24/07/2014 4191 Estimated Low / Rate 2 / Rate 4
24/07/2014 6551 Estimated Normal / Rate 1

11/05/2014 4035 Customer Low / Rate 2 / Rate 4
11/05/2014 6044 Customer Normal / Rate 1


13/02/2014 3630 Customer Low / Rate 2 / Rate 4
13/02/2014 5458 Customer Normal / Rate 1


23/01/2014 1315 Estimated Low / Rate 2 / Rate 4
23/01/2014 2799 Estimated Normal / Rate 1

24/10/2013 740 Estimated Low / Rate 2 / Rate 4
24/10/2013 1820 Estimated Normal / Rate 1

25/07/2013 526 Estimated Low / Rate 2 / Rate 4
25/07/2013 1152 Estimated Normal / Rate 1


21/03/2013 117 Estimated Low / Rate 2 / Rate 4
21/03/2013 209 Estimated Normal / Rate 1




So according to this, I have used 7041kWh high and 4879kWh low over nearly 2 years. According to electricityprices.org.uk/average-electricity-bill/ the average consumption for my type of property is a total of 2000kWh per annum, not the apparent 5960kWh annual average e.on are saying I have used. I am careful with my use of electricity, hardly ever have the heating on and use low energy products throughout my property. My hot water is set to the correct Economy 10 times to use low rate.


My tariff if it is relevant is "Electrical Heating Economy 10".


I have written again to e.on to formally dispute the bills but I guess I will just get the same reply as before - that I need to pay it...


Any thoughts on where to go next?

CashStrapped

To clarify, you were with British Gas (paying £30 per month)? You then switched to Eon (so you are still in the same property) and based on your latest reading, they have charged you this very high bill.

Is the above correct?

If so at what point (if ever) did you last give an actual meter reading yourself? When you switched from British Gas to Eon, did you not take a meter reading to give a final bill to British Gas?

This is the problem if you just rely on estimated bills. You may have been massively undercharged for a long period of time and this is the amount you should have been paying, and now you are playing catch up.

So, you need to find out when your last confirmed meter reading was.

Second Thing:

You need to find out if or why your usage is as high as it is, especially if you are away a lot. Do you understand how Economy 10 works? Do you understand how your heating set up works? When it should come on and go off.

If you are using it incorrectly and it allows you to heat the house on the day rate, then that is why your bill is shockingly high.

Start taking daily meter readings to find out what exactly you are using. That way, you will quickly find out if there is a problem and where the electricity is being used. Based on the above you are using far too much "normal" rate electricity. You need to be using more than 50% of your usage on the low rate for it to be worthwhile.

Out of interest, what are your heaters? Are they storage heaters or panel heaters?

At the end of all this, if you have used the electricity, you have to pay for it!