Impossible Bill - Collection agency

dogshome

Sorry to be throwing yet another spanner, but about 3 months ago there was a similar thread running that in the end was resolved by the supplier admitting that the Smart Meter they had fitted was not Brand New and had been in previous service elsewhere, thus the customers bills based on a 00000 read on installation were pure fantasy.

My understanding is that when meters are removed and then re-used they are first checked for accuracy, perhaps some other contributor knows how to access this meters papertrail

tim_p

I’m sure you’re right dogshome but it just reinforces the oft stated crucial recommendation to read the meter, particularly if it’s being changed / replaced. Had the OP read (and ideally photographed) the meter when it was replaced then the chances are none of this would have happened, unless of course it is a genuinely faulty meter - but again at least a start reading would go some way to helping with that.

Talldave

dogshome said:

Sorry to be throwing yet another spanner, but about 3 months ago there was a similar thread running that in the end was resolved by the supplier admitting that the Smart Meter they had fitted was not Brand New and had been in previous service elsewhere, thus the customers bills based on a 00000 read on installation were pure fantasy.

My understanding is that when meters are removed and then re-used they are first checked for accuracy, perhaps some other contributor knows how to access this meters papertrail

Very true, this was once the basis of a year long argument between myself and npower (and the reason I would never do business with them again, immediately switching away when I've found them to be the incumbent supplier on moving into a property).  In my case, the paperwork with the non-zero start figure existed, it was just that npower had lost or never received their copy and refused my offer to send a scan of my yellow copy for a year, until I started making noises about regulator/ombudsman involvement.

MWT

In this case even recent customer meter readings show a high usage level for the time of year and those would not be affected by a non-zero start number. So the high winter readings remain plausible at the moment, pending more details.