Being overcharged based on estimated meter readings - rights as a consumer?

temp89

My landlady complained about the electricity bill and is in dispute with the company (Green Star Energy) about it.

I took a look and every single bill has been based on an estimated meter reading. The actual meter readings are 3000 kwh lower than what the most recent bill was. Their online meter history shows they've never taken a meter reading so it's hard to know how much they've overcharged us by. I measured our usage for a few nights and we use about 7.5 kwh a day compared to the 10 kwh they've been estimating.

I emailed them asking what was their policy for reimbursement if it was shown to be over-estimated but got a standard boilerplate reply about submitting meter readings (which I'd already done). We've only been with them for 1.5 years so I don't know if the one reading every 2 years applies.

What are the basic rights every energy company has to offer in a situation like this? Are they obligated to get an accurate reading and pay back the difference? Can they just offer credit? Can they ignore historic errors and only refer to the most recent bill? We're in the last 49 days of our contract and my landlady wants to switch to another supplier ASAP.

Robin9

Quite simple - give the supplier actal readings every month.. Now you've given a meter reading the next bill will be adjusted.

It is very rare for a meter reader to call these days - if you don't do it you can end up in a mess.

There's no reason for you landlady not to switch - any credit will be refunded. What she does need is a good estimate of the annual consumption.

PS If your landlady is within the last 49 days then you only need to go back less than 112 months to get an Actual reading.

[Deleted User]

Hi,


if you had queried this when you got the first bill and supplied proper readings then it would never have got to this stage.


As Robin9 signature, 'Never pay on an estimated bill'.

Talldave

temp89 wrote: »

My landlady complained about the electricity bill and is in dispute with the company (Green Star Energy) about it.

I took a look and every single bill has been based on an estimated meter reading. The actual meter readings are 3000 kwh lower than what the most recent bill was. Their online meter history shows they've never taken a meter reading so it's hard to know how much they've overcharged us by. I measured our usage for a few nights and we use about 7.5 kwh a day compared to the 10 kwh they've been estimating.

I emailed them asking what was their policy for reimbursement if it was shown to be over-estimated but got a standard boilerplate reply about submitting meter readings (which I'd already done). We've only been with them for 1.5 years so I don't know if the one reading every 2 years applies.

What are the basic rights every energy company has to offer in a situation like this? Are they obligated to get an accurate reading and pay back the difference? Can they just offer credit? Can they ignore historic errors and only refer to the most recent bill? We're in the last 49 days of our contract and my landlady wants to switch to another supplier ASAP.

Surely it's not hard to know what they have overcharged by? It's 3000kWh. Although that equates to an over-estimate of 5.5kWh per day, so not sure where your 10kWh figure comes from?

Robin9

temp89 wrote: »

My landlady complained about the electricity bill and is in dispute with the company (Green Star Energy) about it...................... We're in the last 49 days of our contract and my landlady wants to switch to another supplier ASAP.

Can you clarify please - is the account in the name of your landlady (as para 1 suggests) or in yours (as you say we're in the 49 days of your contract)

Benight

temp89 wrote: »

My landlady complained about the electricity bill and is in dispute with the company (Green Star Energy) about it.

I took a look and every single bill has been based on an estimated meter reading. The actual meter readings are 3000 kwh lower than what the most recent bill was. Their online meter history shows they've never taken a meter reading so it's hard to know how much they've overcharged us by. I measured our usage for a few nights and we use about 7.5 kwh a day compared to the 10 kwh they've been estimating.

I emailed them asking what was their policy for reimbursement if it was shown to be over-estimated but got a standard boilerplate reply about submitting meter readings (which I'd already done). We've only been with them for 1.5 years so I don't know if the one reading every 2 years applies.

What are the basic rights every energy company has to offer in a situation like this? Are they obligated to get an accurate reading and pay back the difference? Can they just offer credit? Can they ignore historic errors and only refer to the most recent bill? We're in the last 49 days of our contract and my landlady wants to switch to another supplier ASAP.

As your landlady wants to switch supplier, she should just go ahead.

The new supplier will request an actual meter reading to start billing from, and arrange the same meter reading be used by the current supplier as their final meter reading.

Your landlady will then receive a final bill according to the actual consumption as measured by the meter, settlement of which is required within 10 days of that final bill.

The rest of all your issues raised here will then all become irrelevant

In future, encourage your landlady to provide regular and frequent meter readings to the supplier e.g. once per month.

macman

She hasn't been 'overcharged'. She has been correctly billed based on estimated readings. The suppliers are not psychic. If she failed to supply meter readings for 18 months then this kind of situation is inevitable. The supplier is only obliged to read every 2 years.
If she can't be bothered, the get smart meters installed instead.

temp89

So, to reiterate what the main issue is: what are the rights and obligations of both sides when it comes to a new meter reading that is substantially below the previous estimates - to the extent that it seems like the customer has paid for energy that was never consumed? The meter history contains zero non-estimated meter readings (apart from the one I just submitted). When the suppliers says you owe us for all this electricity or the consumer says we didn't use this electricity and it comes down to one side saying "prove it", who's left holding the baby?

Talldave wrote: »

Surely it's not hard to know what they have overcharged by? It's 3000kWh. Although that equates to an over-estimate of 5.5kWh per day, so not sure where your 10kWh figure comes from?

Unfortunately I can not find a record of what it was before she joined so there is no starting point to compare it to, just where the divergence has currently ended up. The figure per day come from past bills.

Robin9 wrote: »

Can you clarify please - is the account in the name of your landlady (as para 1 suggests) or in yours (as you say we're in the 49 days of your contract)

It's hers, I'm just helping her.

[Deleted User] wrote:

Hi,


if you had queried this when you got the first bill and supplied proper readings then it would never have got to this stage.


As Robin9 signature, 'Never pay on an estimated bill'.

Gee, so helpful. Let me get in my time machine and pass this on to my landlady so that all my questions in the OP become irrelevant. Oh, wait...

Robin9

temp89 wrote: »

.................



Gee, so helpful. Let me get in my time machine and pass this on to my landlady so that all my questions in the OP become irrelevant. Oh, wait...

But true. Reading meters and understanding bills solves lots of problems.

Your landlady has not been overcharged - she has been paying more than she needed but will get it back once she gets a new bill.

In the meantime there is nothing stopping her initiating a switch - has she ?

spiro

Benight wrote: »

As your landlady wants to switch supplier, she should just go ahead.

The new supplier will request an actual meter reading to start billing from, and arrange the same meter reading be used by the current supplier as their final meter reading.

Your landlady will then receive a final bill according to the actual consumption as measured by the meter, settlement of which is required within 10 days of that final bill.

The rest of all your issues raised here will then all become irrelevant

In future, encourage your landlady to provide regular and frequent meter readings to the supplier e.g. once per month.

I would not switch until the existing supplier has accepted an actual meter reading and rebilled. The reason I say this is the new suppliers meter reader will try and validate the switch reading against the last reading from the old supplier and obviosuly if it is loads lower it will fail and they may switch to an estimate. You would then end up in the Disputed Reads process which could get protracted.

molerat

The simple answer to your question is that you are entitled to be re-billed accurately and refunded any overpaid amounts. The supplier will likely re-estimate previous bills using current data, as is their right, to pay back some of that 3000 kWh at a lower price. This failure is not totally down to the energy supplier and any dispute should be settled by taking herself into a corner and giving herself a good talking to. In future read meters monthly and submit those readings for accurate billing especially if paying the bill when issued.