Shell Energy (used to be First utility) want over £4000 for estimated bills!

Fatpigeon

Hi, I'm hoping I can get some help and advice on here.

when we first moved into our house about 5 years ago, the Missus used a comparison site to compare energy suppliers, First Utility came up trumps and we went with them. after a year on no issues, we received an email stating our monthly payments would be going from £75 a month to over £400 a month!! after some heated conversations it was apparently we hadn't been giving them monthly readings so they were estimating our usage...... bearing in mind we live in a 2 bedroom semi detached house well outside of a city centre. They also said it could be the fact that we can smart meters installed from another company and they were not compatible with them (this was later found after they asked us for photos of our meters) fast forward 3 years, many phone calls, letters, change of meters later, they say they send out engineers to check the meters every 12 months, our question was why was the other companies smart meters not picked up in that case, later they admitted no one has actually come to check our meters at all..... they are still demanding over £4000 off us for energy we have meant to have used but not paid for, I am just glad we have a young son at home else I believe they would have cut us off by now, we are still in dispute....... any ideas how we can sort this out? we have even tried to concede and just pay it but they won't spread the cost over more that 2 years which means with normal monthly payments they want over £200 a month..... thats a 3rd of our rent and we can't afford it! but they just won't budge...... very unhelpful!

has anyone else had anything like this happen to them either with first utility or another company? and if so what did you do?

Martin

gt94sss2

Have a look at

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/ofgem-bans-suppliers-backbilling-customers-beyond-12-months

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/who-contact-if-its-difficult-paying-energy-bills/energy-backbilling-guide-your-rights

Fatpigeon

We have commented on this to them and they are not interested, still demanding the money off us! the only thing we haven't done yet and I think will be the next stage is contact the ombudsman

unforeseen

Did you ever give them any readings?

gt94sss2

Fatpigeon wrote: »

We have commented on this to them and they are not interested, still demanding the money off us! the only thing we haven't done yet and I think will be the next stage is contact the ombudsman

Have got made a formal complaint to Shell Energy?

Also as unforeseen asks, have your been providing meter readings?

m0bov

What is your balance? Have you not been checking your bills?

antrobus

Fatpigeon wrote: »

Hi, I'm hoping I can get some help and advice on here.

when we first moved into our house about 5 years ago, .... They also said it could be the fact that we can smart meters installed from another company and they were not compatible with them .....

The official national smart meter roll-out began in 2016 and will finish in 2020. The smart meter infrastructure went live across the UK, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) confirmed, on 30 November 2016.

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/smart-meters/article/smart-meters-explained/smart-meter-roll-out - Which?

But you had a smart meter in 2014?

antrobus

gt94sss2 wrote: »

Have a look at

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/ofgem-bans-suppliers-backbilling-customers-beyond-12-months

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/who-contact-if-its-difficult-paying-energy-bills/energy-backbilling-guide-your-rights

I'm not so sure that is of any help. As OFGEM say; "Put simply, a supplier can’t seek additional payment for unbilled energy used more than 12 months prior to the error being detected and a corrected bill being issued."

In this case, "after a year on no issues, we received an email stating our monthly payments would be going from £75 a month to over £400 a month!! after some heated conversations it was apparently we hadn't been giving them monthly readings so they were estimating our usage."

Irrespective of whether the estimated readings were any where near right, the energy use was billed.

In any event, providing the supplier with correct meter readings would have resolved this issue,

Kitchen_Sink

Fatpigeon wrote: »

Hi, I'm hoping I can get some help and advice on here.

when we first moved into our house about 5 years ago, the Missus used a comparison site to compare energy suppliers, First Utility came up trumps and we went with them. after a year on no issues, we received an email stating our monthly payments would be going from £75 a month to over £400 a month!! after some heated conversations it was apparently we hadn't been giving them monthly readings so they were estimating our usage...... bearing in mind we live in a 2 bedroom semi detached house well outside of a city centre. They also said it could be the fact that we can smart meters installed from another company and they were not compatible with them (this was later found after they asked us for photos of our meters) fast forward 3 years, many phone calls, letters, change of meters later, they say they send out engineers to check the meters every 12 months, our question was why was the other companies smart meters not picked up in that case, later they admitted no one has actually come to check our meters at all..... they are still demanding over £4000 off us for energy we have meant to have used but not paid for, I am just glad we have a young son at home else I believe they would have cut us off by now, we are still in dispute....... any ideas how we can sort this out? we have even tried to concede and just pay it but they won't spread the cost over more that 2 years which means with normal monthly payments they want over £200 a month..... thats a 3rd of our rent and we can't afford it! but they just won't budge...... very unhelpful!

has anyone else had anything like this happen to them either with first utility or another company? and if so what did you do?

Martin

Give the supplier an actual meter redaing, and they will re-bill you accordingly

Simples! :cool:

(yes, many energy suppliers, particularly the lower cost ones, no longer incur the expense of sending out meter readers; they expect you to provide them with a meter reading.
...Or, have smart meters installed )

Mister_G

antrobus wrote: »

The official national smart meter roll-out began in 2016 and will finish in 2020. The smart meter infrastructure went live across the UK, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) confirmed, on 30 November 2016.

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/smart-meters/article/smart-meters-explained/smart-meter-roll-out - Which?

But you had a smart meter in 2014?

We had our smart meter fitted by OVO in 2014.

niktheguru

I dont quite understand. Surely they are asking you to pay for the actual energy used. If that means you are owing £4000, you must have used that amount of energy in the last 3 years and you haven't paid for it. Either your original direct debits were far to low for your usage, or you have been using far too much energy.

The only way to be billed accurately is to provide regular meter readings. As others have said even if you provide an up to date meter reading now, they will then work out what you accurately owe. If that is a 4 figure sum, then unfortunately you'll have to negotiate with them how best you can afford to pay it over time, as over the 4 years you have used that energy.

People don't seem to want to take responsibility for their energy usage/bills anymore and think that its always the companies fault. Why were you not submitting regular meter readings for the 3 year duration after all this hassle first started?

I would suggest you also need to look at why you are using so much energy. Perhaps the house isn't very energy efficient and the landlord can help with improving insulation? Is the boiler very old and inefficient? Do you keep the heating on too long, or whilst at work.

If people want cheap prices and go to the low cost smaller operators, you should expect to be more proactive and on top of your billing and meter reading. If you simply don't want the hassle you should stick with one of the big 6 operators, as you have more leeway in them being slightly more organised (and a better complaints process)