BROKEN electric meter where do i stand?

harko1986

Got my annual summary from e-on today in the post. As usual couldnt understand a word of it but didnt say i owed them money so thats always a resault. Another letter came in the post from e-on when i opened this one it says and i quote "please call us to change your faulty meter. We think that you electricity meter maybe faulty. This means that we may not be charging you the right amount."

I rang e-on right away as we are due to move house in 10days time so need to talk to them anyway. I stressed my concerns about now being hit with a massive bill. They told me that the meter had not work from June last year after giving them a reading today on the phone. I was told not to worry (easy for them to say) i wont be hit with a massive bill as i have been paying an estmated monthly driect debt, it will just continue as normal after new meter is fitted...

I dont trust what i have been told. Also to make matters worse they can not get a new meter fitted till the 28th of this month we move on the 29th of this month. They said they would estimate what we have use over the last 9months based on what we use after two weeks of having the new meter fitted. This will not be our usage as we rent and the new tenants will be in here by then.

Can any put my mind at ease over this or give me advice on what to do going forward as money is really tight right now with having to move house dont need a massive bill. Also why has it taken them 9months to work out our meter is broken. As ive been paying monthly anyway will that help me??

[Deleted User]

Relax, You will be paying your normal direct debit and that will be the maximum you pay.If your meter has gone blank, like the ampy meter is always doing, then you can use as much elecrticity as you please as the meter is now not recording usage . I find on average one electric meter a week which has either stopped, or gone blank. The Sangamo Weston analogue meter has a habit of stopping by dropping a blank on the last number. a good thump on the side will restart it

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Good morning harko1986,

I'm glad things are being sorted out for you, it does sound like all of the right things are happening.

It may have taken us 9 months to establish the meter was broken due to a number of reasons, it kind of depends what the fault is.

Are the meter reads advancing? Did you notice the read being the same when you've taken a read?

Is the screen blank? Or has it just stopped?

This will all be worked out by the faulty meter guys.

I understand they've already made an appointment to change the meter. They'd normally then use usage from the new meter to estimate charges for the broken meter. This will of course include seasonal variances.

But, you're moving out, so they may just use usage from before the meter was broken to do the calculations.

You can speak to them about the calculations if you need to, also just make sure you let us know about moving out, forwarding address, date of move etc.

You can do this on the phone or you can fill out the form on the website.

I hope it's sorted quickly for you.

Helena

poppellerant

What I think they'll do is use the readings from your new meter to estimate the previous year's usage. So, if I were you, use as little as you can if you want a low bill.

Take photos of your meters on the day that you move out. Make sure that you can read the numbers on the meters in the photos clearly. So, should any disputes arise, you have rock solid proof.

Personally I would advise against using as much electricity as you please while your current meter isn't working. This just amounts to theft.

System

poppellerant wrote: »

What I think they'll do is use the readings from your new meter to estimate the previous year's usage. So, if I were you, use as little as you can if you want a low bill.

.

And might this not be construed as fraud? I am never quite sure why suggestions are made which could result in lower bills for the OP - but higher bills for everyone else. Energy consumed has to be paid for, and that cost generally falls to customers in some form of other.

macman

It's taken them 9 months to work out your meter is broken because you have failed to submit a reading in nearly a year, or to query why all your bills in that period are estimated, or to check them against actual meter readings.
The supplier is not psychic, and if you don't give them readings, at least every quarter, they can't bill you accurately. They are only required to read your meter once every two years-intermediate reads are down to you.
Since you have been paying on a fixed monthly DD, the final bill will simply be an adjustment of your estimated usage against your billed usage-you could be in credit or debit, it's impossible to say which.
But usually when usage has to be estimated, it's in the customer's favour.
What is it you don't understand about your annual statement?

harko1986

Will there be any charge to having the meter repair or replaced and if so would it be down to my landlord to pay??

poppellerant

Hengus wrote: »

And might this not be construed as fraud? I am never quite sure why suggestions are made which could result in lower bills for the OP - but higher bills for everyone else. Energy consumed has to be paid for, and that cost generally falls to customers in some form of other.

I am not encouraging fraud. If anything, it would show to the supplier, in my eyes, that the OP hasn't become used to taking advantage of free electric.

Unlike sacsquacco, I am not encouraging the OP to use as much electric as they please.

poppellerant

harko1986 wrote: »

Will there be any charge to having the meter repair or replaced and if so would it be down to my landlord to pay??

Not unless you caused the meter to become faulty, ie: tampering with it.

System

harko1986 wrote: »

Will there be any charge to having the meter repair or replaced and if so would it be down to my landlord to pay??

Have you actually told the Landlord about this ongoing situation? He/she is the one who should be giving approval for any changes to the property. As you are about to move, the landlord may also want to be present when the meter is replaced.

macman

The meter is the property of the meter asset company, and they have the right to access it, so the landlord doesn't need to give approval. However it would of course be sensible to advise them 'for info'.