Cooperative Energy - do I have a case?

gmd06

Evening all,

Looking for a bit of advice. I have just sent my complaint to the Energy Ombudsman so playing the waiting game but wondered if my situation was normal and do I have a case?

Basically, I left Cooperative Energy in June and received a massive final bill. I had previously upped my monthly DD to almost 3 times what I had been paying originally as well as paying a sum of around £500 to clear the arrears back in November. I was under the impression at that point my account was on an even keel and I was paying extortionate amounts monthly from then until June. Regardless, my final bill was nearly £1000 on top of my monthly DD.

Cooperative Energy have said that this was because my readings were based on estimates and not actual readings. The majority of the bill is for gas. They claim that they had not received a gas meter reading since March 2017.

I told them I had supplied regular meter readings over the last 2 years using their online portal. I also asked why they did not receive readings from the meter reader who attends my property at least twice a year to take readings.

It turns out that:

1. Morrison Data Services - tasked with taking readings at my property only supplied Electricity readings as that is all Cooperative Energy asked for.

2. Cooperative Energy has admitted to receiving meter readings from me via the online portal but they chose to ignore them and continued to estimate.

Cooperative Energy has since knocked around £50 off the bill due to backbilling.

I have told the ombudsman that had the true cost of Cooperative Energy been apparent and not based on guesswork then I would have left them many, many months ago. I actually think they owe me money for obtaining my custom under false pretenses!

What likely outcome can I expect in this case? I feel that the ombudsman will side the the company and I'll be forced to pay the full amount. Never been in this position before so no idea what to expect really.

Thanks in advance.

Mojisola

gmd06 wrote: »

1. Morrison Data Services - tasked with taking readings at my property only supplied Electricity readings as that is all Cooperative Energy asked for.

Didn't you notice that MDS weren't reading both meters?

Ours were read a couple of weeks ago - if he'd only read one meter and started to leave, I'd have asked about the other one and followed it up with the Co-op if he wouldn't read it.

gmd06

Mojisola wrote: »

Didn't you notice that MDS weren't reading both meters?

Ours were read a couple of weeks ago - if he'd only read one meter and started to leave, I'd have asked about the other one and followed it up with the Co-op if he wouldn't read it.

The gas meter is outside. Just assumed he'd read that when he arrived. We never asked. The guy would come into the house and read electric in the living room and leave. Gas meter in front garden. He would need to walk past it! Regardless, even if I had noticed his job card as explained by MDS only said take Electricity reading. Meter reader doing what he's told.

My own personal readings were submitted regularly. To me that's the crux of the matter.

Gerry1

How does the total amount you have been billed compare to the cost of the energy you have used, based on accurate meter readings when you moved in and moved out? Unless they've overcharged you, I don't think you have a particularly strong case.

If you've in effect received £50 compensation that's probably as good as it gets, unless you can make a factual case as to how much you have lost as a result of their poor service.

Mojisola

gmd06 wrote: »

My own personal readings were submitted regularly. To me that's the crux of the matter.

It does sound as if the Co-op let you down if you were sending in regular meter readings but you could have seen whether they were using your readings by checking your bills.

gmd06

Mojisola wrote: »

It does sound as if the Co-op let you down if you were sending in regular meter readings but you could have seen whether they were using your readings by checking your bills.

This is true. And the reason why I suspect I'll not get anywhere.

gmd06

Gerry1 wrote: »

How does the total amount you have been billed compare to the cost of the energy you have used, based on accurate meter readings when you moved in and moved out? Unless they've overcharged you, I don't think you have a particularly strong case.

If you've in effect received £50 compensation that's probably as good as it gets, unless you can make a factual case as to how much you have lost as a result of their poor service.

I don't think they've overcharged me. I do think they have created a false impression of how much their energy costs by using estimates and not billing me appropriately over a period of time. But I also have a responsibility to check my bill accurately and I clearly didn't do that. I assumed my meter readings were being used. I still don't understand why they weren't used and the complaints handler couldn't tell me either.

matelodave

Did you check your bills as regularly as you say your were sending in readings. If so you would have noticed that the bills/statements were using estimates rather than your readings.

You can be a bit P'd off with Co-op but you did have the option of checking your on-line account to ensure that it was on track. Something I would certainly have done if I had already been caught with some arrears due to an insufficient DD.

gmd06

matelodave wrote: »

Did you check your bills as regularly as you say your were sending in readings. If so you would have noticed that the bills/statements were using estimates rather than your readings.

You can be a bit P'd off with Co-op but you did have the option of checking your on-line account to ensure that it was on track. Something I would certainly have done if I had already been caught with some arrears due to an insufficient DD.

I was checking my bills and making sure my monthly DD was clearing the debt. That's why I paid the £500 one-off fee in Nov and upped my monthly DD to compensate.

What I did not do is check the small E (estimate) and A (actual) against the meter reads. Didn't notice until too late.

gt94sss2

Pretty sure the back billing code says that they can only back bill you for the past 12 months where their is no fault of your own - given that you were providing accurate readings that they ignored.

matelodave

I doubt the backbilling code applies. he got bills but didn't check them and get them corrected so it's not a back billing issue.