voluntary overpaying gas/electricity in advance of a switch

rags58

My current tariff contract is due to end and I have been looking for new suppliers with the cheapest still costing considerably more than what I currently pay. My question is can I overstate my final meter readings to my new supplier and therefore pay my old supplier for elect/gas in advance at their tariff rate which will be cheaper than the new supplier rate.
Is this legal...........I am still paying for the gas/elect, but not yet consumed and I will have paid for this in advance but at a cheaper rate to me

[Deleted User]

Is it legal ? NO.

glentoran99

Why are you switching then?

System

rags58 wrote: »

My current tariff contract is due to end and I have been looking for new suppliers with the cheapest still costing considerably more than what I currently pay. My question is can I overstate my final meter readings to my new supplier and therefore pay my old supplier for elect/gas in advance at their tariff rate which will be cheaper than the new supplier rate.
Is this legal...........I am still paying for the gas/elect, but not yet consumed and I will have paid for this in advance but at a cheaper rate to me

This is the third time that you have asked this question. What you are proposing to do is potential fraud. You would be de-frauding your new supplier of money for the energy that it has supplied to you. As I said before, all meter readings on switch are validated by the industry partner that holds all the past meter readings for your property. They will assume that you have misread your meter, and they will pass the two suppliers an estimated (lower) reading based on historic usage to open and close your accounts.

rags58

my current rate deal is coming to an end and I if I don't find a new deal I will automatically go on to a variable rate with my current supplier. My current suppliers cheapest fixed deal is also substantially more expensive than the supplier I am considering moving to which is why I was wondering about the legality of overstating the final reading

rags58

I have not posted this question 3 times, if you check, this is the very first time I have posted on this forum.

System

rags58 wrote: »

I have not posted this question 3 times, if you check, this is the very first time I have posted on this forum.

My response stands. The energy industry is alive your proposed action. If you disagree with the industry estimated reading used to open and close your accounts, then the gaining supplier will probably raise a formal Agreed Readings Dispute, and investigate the discrepancy by sending out a meter reader.

rags58

thank-you for your responses, I will consider what has been said when it comes to transferring to a new supplier and whether or not to overstate consumption

Raxiel

Funny thing is, when I give exact meter readings as part of my switch back to E.ON in a week or so, they'll almost certainly be ignored and increased by third party verification, on account of the fact that various energy efficiency measures in my home have been successful and I've used less than previous years.

teddysmum

The argument that by overstating usage with the current supplier,you are only paying in advance is not true,as you would be cheating the new supplier of the cost of fuel used at the beginning of their contract.


What if you overstated, then before you reached that figure there was a compulsory meter check or regular reading ? How would you explain a 'mistake' on two fuels ?


Unless you were one of those silly enough to insist in staying on the variable tariff , over quoting would not benefit you mid -contract as your monthly payment is fixed. The former could benefit,but only in timing and not financially ,by overstating on the odd occasion as this would mean a reduced bill for the next term and would be a genuine case of paying in advance.

System

FWIW, the industry meter reading tolerances allowed on a transfer are:

1200kWhs (39 units for imperial, 109 units for metric) for gas

250kWhs for electricity

This doesn’t mean that if the meter readings are overstated by these amounts that the system will just accept the readings it is given. It means that if the difference between the industry validated estimates and the customer’s readings exceeds the above, an Agreed Readings Dispute will be initiated between the two suppliers.

I have just looked at the electricity tariff that I am on and compared it to the cheapest available today. The DIFFERENCE in unit price times 250 would come to less than £2.