Advice on ridiculous energy bill

Greenman87

I live in a 3 bed semi detached house we purchased a year ago. We had storage heaters up until september but had it all switched to electric panel heaters. We are on an electric only tariff witg npower. We have electricity only power and have electric panel heaters. We only use 2 of the heaters, one in the bedroom for about 3 hours across the night. We also use a heater in the lounge for about 4 hours a night. There are only 2 of us in the house who work 9 to 5 for 4 days a week.

Npower had to change the meter from duel (night and day) to a single meter. In the process of doing this they did not record the meter details and so could not accept meter readings from us until February (when they finally sent out a workman to get the details of the meter). As such npower completed estimated readings for October, November, December and January. Currently, npower have advised we used £900 in November, £1300 for december, and £1300 for January. I have absolutely no idea how that is even possible?

I'm currently awaiting their final bill but this seems like a scary and unbelievable amount for 3 months of electric?

Any advice would be very welcome. Thanks!

Robin9

Greenman87 wrote: »

....................... We had storage heaters up until september but had it all switched to electric panel heaters.......................!

Why ? Why ? Why ?

Are these new heaters the ones filled will magic dust that cost a fortune to buy and more expensive to run ? You have swopped heaters which ran on cheap rate at night to a higher day rate. Your bills will go through the roof.

Have you been reading your meters between when you moved in a year ago until September when the meter was changed (presumably to a Smart meter). The meter installer should have left a card with the old and new meter readings on it and these should agree with your own records. The new meter will start at 00000. What is it now ?

Now that nPower has your meter details it will get set up on their records and you will get a new bill following lots of estimates.

Greenman87

Hi, thanks for your response. Npower forgot to add a tag including the previous and current reading when they installed the meter. This is why they had to have a workman come out in February to scan the barcode of the meter to show it had been changed. When it was installed it showed a meter reading of 32000 and not 00000. I have no idea what's happened. The panel heaters were a temporary measure until we could afford central heating later this year (the storage heaters had broken down for the most part).

[Deleted User]

Hi,

Greenman87 wrote: »

We have electricity only power and have electric panel heaters. We only use 2 of the heaters, one in the bedroom for about 3 hours across the night. We also use a heater in the lounge for about 4 hours a night. There are only 2 of us in the house who work 9 to 5 for 4 days a week.

So what is that in usage/units, and what is your unit price and daily standing charge?

Greenman87

Hi, we're now at a meter reading of 36609 so I guess just over 4000. The rate is 12.9p kwh. Hope that makes sense.

newbie1980

Greenman87 wrote: »

Hi, we're now at a meter reading of 36609 so I guess just over 4000. The rate is 12.9p kwh. Hope that makes sense.

are you sure they have not started you at 00000 not the 32000 as 4000 at 12.9p is just over £500 where as 36000 is about £4000 as youve described

Greenman87

Hi, yes very sure. I also held conversations with npower in December when I gave them meter readings / wouldn't accept them because of the unrecorded change of meter. I'm guessing I should be able to hold them to account based on that.

Robin9

If it was a brand new digital meter it would have been 000000. If an older style cylcometer style then 32000 is possible.

nPower

Greenman87 wrote: »

I live in a 3 bed semi detached house we purchased a year ago. We had storage heaters up until september but had it all switched to electric panel heaters. We are on an electric only tariff witg npower. We have electricity only power and have electric panel heaters. We only use 2 of the heaters, one in the bedroom for about 3 hours across the night. We also use a heater in the lounge for about 4 hours a night. There are only 2 of us in the house who work 9 to 5 for 4 days a week.

Npower had to change the meter from duel (night and day) to a single meter. In the process of doing this they did not record the meter details and so could not accept meter readings from us until February (when they finally sent out a workman to get the details of the meter). As such npower completed estimated readings for October, November, December and January. Currently, npower have advised we used £900 in November, £1300 for december, and £1300 for January. I have absolutely no idea how that is even possible?

I'm currently awaiting their final bill but this seems like a scary and unbelievable amount for 3 months of electric?

Any advice would be very welcome. Thanks!

Hello Greenman87,

Thank you for your message. I am sorry to hear of the problems with your meter change and estimated bill.

If you can send an email with your account details etc to the address on our profile page, one of the team will look into this for you.

Thanks, Carmel

grumpycrab

Robin9 wrote: »

If it was a brand new digital meter it would have been 000000. If an older style cylcometer style then 32000 is possible.

This is a bit of a horror story. How would a meter not start at 00000? Just as well the OP knew the start was 32000.