Extortionate electric charges

Ladytradie

Morning all, I’ve have been with cooperative energy since July 2018. Having rarely giving in electricity meter readings, they decided to estimate my bills. They also sent out someone to read my gas meter, electric meter is just above it so they decided to ignore that one. Come October I was apparently in £100 of credit for paying £65 a month. We are in a two bedroom modern end terrace, my partner and I are out to work 5-6 days of the week. We leave nothing on but tv on standby, fridge etc. Come January 2019 I am in £500 of arrears. March 23rd 2019 arrives and they strip £280 out of my bank account without notice. I phoned to see what the hell was going on. Call handler said that because I hadn’t given in meter readings, they estimated as to what the previous tenants were using. They were high electricity users. I had my money returned and continued to make my £65 a month payments. March 29th arrives and I have a smart meter installed. Call operator also told me not to take too much notice of it, ie don’t stand over it and watch?! April brings me a bill of £370! So yesterday I go against their advice and switch everything off. According to the smart meter, I’m using nearly £3 from midnight TIL we’re up for work. 20p to boil my kettle, 40p to 10 mins use of the hairdryer and as it stands my washing machine which is a*** rated which has been on for 20mins and has used 50p. Any suggestions on how to get this investigated? I’m even questioning if the neighbours have tapped into our electric. Tia

Robin9

Ladytradie wrote: »

.................................. Having rarely giving in electricity meter readings, they decided to estimate my bills. ........................Call handler said that because I hadn’t given in meter readings, they estimated as to what the previous tenants were using. They were high electricity users. ......................

Your failure to give electric readings is at the root of the matter. Give us the readings from July 2018 and today and details of your tariff.

Hasbeen

Ladytradie wrote: »

Morning all, I’ve have been with cooperative energy since July 2018. Having rarely giving in electricity meter readings, they decided to estimate my bills. They also sent out someone to read my gas meter, electric meter is just above it so they decided to ignore that one. Come October I was apparently in £100 of credit for paying £65 a month. We are in a two bedroom modern end terrace, my partner and I are out to work 5-6 days of the week. We leave nothing on but tv on standby, fridge etc. Come January 2019 I am in £500 of arrears. March 23rd 2019 arrives and they strip £280 out of my bank account without notice. I phoned to see what the hell was going on. Call handler said that because I hadn’t given in meter readings, they estimated as to what the previous tenants were using. They were high electricity users. I had my money returned and continued to make my £65 a month payments. March 29th arrives and I have a smart meter installed. Call operator also told me not to take too much notice of it, ie don’t stand over it and watch?! April brings me a bill of £370! So yesterday I go against their advice and switch everything off. According to the smart meter, I’m using nearly £3 from midnight TIL we’re up for work. 20p to boil my kettle, 40p to 10 mins use of the hairdryer and as it stands my washing machine which is a*** rated which has been on for 20mins and has used 50p. Any suggestions on how to get this investigated? I’m even questioning if the neighbours have tapped into our electric. Tia

You should have been inputting your readings at least once per month.


When you turned everything off, was this at the main switch? Did you meter stop moving?


Do you take showers or baths? How is the hot water heated combi or electric emersion heater?


As advised look out and post your actual readings for the year not the ones marked as estimates and your tarriff.:)

Ladytradie

I gave them meter readings on the date I moved in, they haven’t recorded them or even put them on my bills. Just started me off on estimates. I can’t see how me not giving in readings costs me the earth to use everyday appliances. Average cost to boil a kettle is 2.5p not 40p...

Ladytradie

We have a Combi boiler. Me and my partner will often share a bath or have a quick shower once a day. The problem is not with the gas, it’s just the electricity. My tariff is coop fixed sept 2019 and my charge is 0.1442 per KWH

Robin9

Just to double check - in July 2018 as a new tenant you rang the existing supplier and gave them meter readings and then switched to Co-op ?

In July 2019 when your fix came to an end did you take out a new fix of did you take no action and are now being charges on the Co-=op's standard (ie expensive) tariff.

When you say "according to the smart meter" do you mean the In House Display (IHD) in your kitchen ? Unless the Smart meter itself in an outside box or under the stairs was installed by the Co-op the £readings may well still be those associated with the previous tenants. The only meter that matters is the one in the outside box - this is the one you MUST read.

Robin9

Ladytradie wrote: »

.... My tariff is coop fixed sept 2019 and my charge is 0.1442 per KWH

Look back over your bills and give us actual electric meter readings please.

Ladytradie

The existing supplier was British Gas, I phoned them and coop with meter readings as I wanted to take coop with me to my new address. British gas charged me around £50 for the change over period of up to two weeks. Bearing in mind I’m a single tenant at the time, out to work full time, summer weather etc. I am on coop fixed tariff which ends in September this year. Yes the hd monitor in the house. If that’s the case with the previous tenants, coop can now see what I am using and should be giving me true monetary figures otherwise what’s the point in having the thing?

Robin9

Ladytradie wrote: »

........... Yes the hd monitor in the house. If that’s the case with the previous tenants, coop can now see what I am using and should be giving me true monetary figures otherwise what’s the point in having the thing?

Like many others put in the back of a drawer - its a novelty, useful for a week or two once you know the cost of boiling a kettle - the cost of the next kettle will be the same.

The co-op do not know your consumption unless you give them readings.

Hasbeen

Ladytradie wrote: »

The existing supplier was British Gas, I phoned them and coop with meter readings as I wanted to take coop with me to my new address. British gas charged me around £50 for the change over period of up to two weeks. Bearing in mind I’m a single tenant at the time, out to work full time, summer weather etc. I am on coop fixed tariff which ends in September this year. Yes the hd monitor in the house. If that’s the case with the previous tenants, coop can now see what I am using and should be giving me true monetary figures otherwise what’s the point in having the thing?

British Gas would not charge you for the change, they would charge you for your usage until you moved to the Coop.

What was the reading you gave them at the time?

And what is the reading now?

Because you have not being giving regular readings, they have estimated usage. Even though they may be getting accurate readings now, you may be paying off what you owe if you have used above their estimates?

Robin9

I've just reread your first post and realise the Smart meter was installed in March.

When that was installed the installer would have left a card giving the readings. What was the old meter reading then and what was it in July 2018.

The new Smart reading would have been 00000.0 - what is it now (watch out for the decimal point) ?

It's quite possible that the Co-op systems have not caught up with the meter change

Even though you now have a Smart meter get into the habit of reading meters and check your bills