Entrenched miscalculation

jbuchanangb

Hi
I used Cheap Energy Club to switch to Scottish Power on 28 February. All went well. On 2 April I provided meter readings and received an accurate bill. Same happened on 2 May. On 2 June the online system refused to accept meter readings, as did the automatic phone system, so I talked to customer service and provided the readings which had in fact been provided by the smart meter in the online system, before the online system refused to accept the input. A bill was generated which omitted the latest gas completely, just reissued the charges up to 2 May, and recalculated the electricity from 28 February to 2 June with two errors. First, the meter reading used for 2 June was the one supplied on 2 May.  Secondly two unexpected entries had been made for 30 April. One was an estimated electricity reading, and the other was an alleged customer reading. The difference between these readings was 395.3 units. The bill did not include any charges for these missing units. It charged from 28 February to the estimated 30 April reading, and from the "customer" 30 April reading to the (incorrect) 2 June reading.
After several further calls to customer service I have now received bills dated 4 June which use the correct readings for both gas and electricity as at 2 June, but the electricity component still contains the error caused by the two fictitious readings of 30 April with the missing 395.3 units. So I am undercharged by about £50. As a side effect of all this (mainly the first of the bills when not only had 395.3 units gone missing on 30 April, but also the 2 May meter reading had been entered for 2 June) the computer has decided that I am using less electricity than I am really using, and has knocked £9 per month off the direct debit. My attempts to explain this error to customer service fell on deaf ears.
As the latest bills are based on latest meter readings, my best option seems to be keep quiet and carry on. Any other advice?

matelodave

You best option is to read the meter yourself and KEEP YOUR OWN records as well as downloading copies of all the monthly bills and statements, so come the end of your contract, or when you leave or even if the system (or company) dies an unnatural death you'll have your own records to refer back to and have documentary evidence of what has been going on.

Likewise do your own sums and ensure that however random the DD or billing becomes that you have enough money stashed away to pay for it.

You could always try writing to them using mail or e-mail marking it very clearly complaint and insisting that they sort it out otherwise you'll refer it to the ombudsman - stop keep phoning because that just becomes futile and frustrating.

Gerry1

Tell SP to bill you via Variable Direct Debit.

jbuchanangb

I'll probably wait another month and generate another bill, and if their computer seems happy, I'll pocket the underspend. Of course with the DD running at £9pm below where it should be it won't take long for the bills to catch up with the credit balance on the account! I have spreadsheets for all my energy consumption since 1983, and download all bills ever since I went paperless. I admit to having thrown away all the old paper bills.
My feeling is that they don't get many complaints about undercharging, and it would probably result in months of aggravation at the end of which I'd have to pay them £50.