Could our Economy 7 readings be around the wrong way ?

Tom99

macman wrote: »

If you have night storage heaters and an immersion heater running on E7 and the readings have been reversed, then you should be owed a substantial refund, as the night rate units will be the bulk of your total consumption, and will have been billed at the expensive day rate. Your units used in the daytime will only be maybe 20% of those used in total, across the year, so you are not benefiting at all.
If you don't have NSH's, then E7 is probably not the right tariff to be on. If you do, then switching to a single rate tariff will triple your heating costs.
I'm also dubious about your quoted annual usage, as 4,500 kWh in total is incredibly low, even for a tiny property. Do you have some other form of heating? I suggest you refer to your annual statement or bills to get proper kWh figures. 13,000 kWh wold be nearer the average

I use 1,100kWh for a 2 bed semi, obviously no electric heating.

[Deleted User]

MrsOs wrote: »

What if I switch supplier to one that has the same rate for day and night? Would that not sort the problem without me having to pay about £2k In bills going back 6 years ?

Good idea..Check out Yorkshire Energy.They have been the only supplier who have a tariff which appears to be aimed at the customers who have Eco 7 electric meters but who have gas central heating. The day/night tariffs are very similar and competitive with the cheapest single tariff suppliers.
There are many areas in the UK which have Eco 7 meters installed as standard but have always had GCH.
Possibly a switch of meters to a single rate meter in the future would be a good idea if you are searching out the absolute lowest rates. Some suppliers can also total the two together and bill you single rate..BG can and so can Eon

David_Aston

Surely on switching, the existing supplier gets final meter readings, which will show a rebate or a final payment to be made to them?

nigelbb

Houbara wrote: »

As a meter reader for Scot Power for many years my advice is to switch supplier . Lots of people over the years have been in this situation. Its originally Scot Powers fault for taking notice of MDS and G4S meter reading data and not having the common sense to decipher the mistake.
I ve told my bosses many times about the way our data collectors are set up will lead to many reversed readings but they put the onus on the supplier to switch the rates at their end. We also read for EDF and they have managed to do it.
The customer also has a obligation to inform the supplier of the discrepancy so its not all one way.
You certainly won t get into trouble..Nothing illegal has happened..
If anyones at fault its a company called Accuread who used to read for Scot Power and BG/EDF.. They set their original program on their data collectors, and when they sold to G4S it remained in place along with another switch to the current holder of the contract MDS.
I could send you a photograph of the meter reading screen which we use which would show you why many meter readers would mess up the readings.
Eventually Scot Power will install a smart meter and find out .These meters should never make this mistake. Suppliers can only go back 6 years to reclaim billing errors.

Energy suppliers can only back bill for 12 months when the error is their fault https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/who-contact-if-its-difficult-paying-energy-bills/energy-backbilling-your-rights

[Deleted User]

nigelbb wrote: »

Energy suppliers can only back bill for 12 months when the error is their fault https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/who-contact-if-its-difficult-paying-energy-bills/energy-backbilling-your-rights

It only needs the occupier to use the same reversed readings themselves sometimes in all the years to make them liable for full back billing.They cannot sit back for "donkeys years " as the OP has knowing that the supplier is getting it wrong.
Deep within the T and C s there will most probably be something to cover the supplier about informing them as ap about billing errors.
I have seen Npower bill a young lady over 2k for exactly the same thing, transposing the day/night rates , then end up force fitting a prepayment meter to collect the "debt " back..
I think even if Scottish Power do backbill then its possible a complaint to the Ombudsman will be upheld and Scot Power would greatly reduce it or even scrub it.
A BBC TV program also ran a story about EDF doing the exact same thing to the customer and suddenly sending a huge back bill.
The same logic applies to occupiers sitting back and doing nothing about stopped meters, meters reversing, faulty, or bypassed.. I agree that Scottish Power are compliant but I would nt take the risk and it would be beneficial to get away from Scot Power s not especially cheap tariffs onto a reliable smaller supplier who is cheaper than Scot Power

[Deleted User]

David_Aston wrote: »

Surely on switching, the existing supplier gets final meter readings, which will show a rebate or a final payment to be made to them?

Hopefully the OP will keep to the transposed readings at the switch and the new supplier will accept the historic data of many years for that property..Digital meters are usually Rate 1 day Rate 2 night but many of the older digital meters in my area ( South Yorks ) are also Rate 2 day, Rate 1 night.

nigelbb

Houbara wrote: »

It only needs the occupier to use the same reversed readings themselves sometimes in all the years to make them liable for full back billing.They cannot sit back for "donkeys years " as the OP has knowing that the supplier is getting it wrong.

The OP has not provided meter readings & has only just discovered that the meter readings are transposed. The official meter readers have been getting it wrong for years. The OP cannot be held responsible for the failings of the meter readers. There is no requirement for consumers to provide meter readings. The OP can never be liable for more than 12 months back billing.

[Deleted User]

nigelbb wrote: »

The OP has not provided meter readings & has only just discovered that the meter readings are transposed. The official meter readers have been getting it wrong for years. The OP cannot be held responsible for the failings of the meter readers. There is no requirement for consumers to provide meter readings. The OP can never be liable for more than 12 months back billing.

Seems that the OP has provided meter readings .she says " I ve always provided rates 1 and 2 not knowing what they meant hoping the supplier knew "
The suppliers don t know neither ! and neither do meter readers if they are not trained properly. We have never have received any instructions in how to recognise which rate is active. But the real problem is the way our hand held data collectors are set up with R 01 = night/ low R 02 =Normal/Day and have been for approx 14 years. So if an agency worker or a badly trained one see s a digital meter displaying the number 1 in front of a reading he/she automatically places that reading in the night field when most digital meters r1 is day rate.

The analogue timers can be way out of sequence too with night rate coming on in the middle of the afternoon or anywhere within the 24 hrs..
Smart Eco 7 will end all these mistakes.
Personally I would do a switch away from Scot Power and not give them a chance to pressure me to pay what I really owe.