Elderly Parents getting Ripped Off

matelodave

TBH I think the OP is floundering in a heap of bills, a meter they don't really understand and lots of helpful but confusing advice as well.
They really need someone who knows what they are doing to sit down and help them but a good start would be to take Gerry's suggestion and do a quick and dirty calculation of total consumption multiplied by the tariff to get the total cost and then work out how much has been paid. That should get near enough to know whether you are hundreds in credit or debit.

comeandgo

My local CAB has someone who will visit on request and go through energy bills and change to cheaper provider if client agrees to it.  Is this something your parents could do?  

[Deleted User]

Of course. I was simply pointing out, that from June through till May (12 months), on the bills quoted, the DD should have been circa £206. That of course is not to say that the bills are correct, just that from the bills given, the DD appears to be incorrect.

An easy way would be to ring them. Ask them for their actual recorded readings (and when the last one was taken). Ask them how much the account is in credit.

I dealt with a company a number of years ago who happily allowed my elderly mother to accrue a £600 credit. Which obviously when i found out, had paid back to her bank account!.

xlnc99

xlnc99

Please find attached the screenshots of my electric meter. 
I went to the meter and pressed 9 and in order everything below (pictures attached above) is what i took pictures of everytime the screen changed

IMP KWH
0045335.3
EXP KWH
00000000.0
IMP KVARH
0000847.2
EXP KVARH
000357.34
I TEST KWH
0045335.323
E TEST KWH
0000000.000
CREDIT
USING NOW
0041552.4
COST NOW
00000.00

Robin9

The only one relevant to your parents is the first 0045335.3   
I see the meter was made in 2014 so very roughly in 6 years that gives 7,500 kWh per year - and that ties in your earlier info. Give 7,500 when you do your switch to get the estimate of a DD. And 45335 (or what it will be) when they ask for a meter reading as part of the switching process.

xlnc99

Before i get into the switch process - How can i claim back the made up costs for Jan/Feb - £600 worth of clearly false electricity charges

xlnc99

Also - thanks for all the help - but if someone can point me to through what it is i am meant to be looking out for so i can make sense of all this. Perhaps there is a website you can direct me too so i can research all this in detail an 'energy for dummies' or similar. 

xlnc99

Robin9 said:

The more I see of your energy use - the more I believe your parents have got a barn of a house. They have 4 bathrooms and 5 bedrooms for two people. The downstairs must be similarly a large space - lounge, dining room, etc. All of this will use energy to warm and light and this comes at a cost. You can pay less for what you use - so you take the advice and start a switch today; turn those lights off when you leave the room etc. But you are still going to be left with big bills.

Look forward to seeing the rest of the bills. 

it really is not as big as it sounds. Its a small house made to look big. Plus they are two elderly people that hardly use much energy. GunJack said:

there's definitely something off about Jan & Feb's electric useage.... I just don't see how you can be pottering along at ave of around 450kwh a month, then use, what, 4600kwh-ish in 2 months.. I suspect a mixing up of two or more of those 5 numbers on the meter

Yes there is an issue in Jan/Feb - Something is off. can i claim these back?elsien said:

xlnc99

elsien said:

Have they had anyone out to read the meter at all? I know the utility company only has to do it every 2 years but mine come out more often than that. Just wondering if that would give a base line at all. 

They come out rarely, maybe once a year if that. Last time they came was around 6 or 7 months ago

Talldave said:

Robin9 said:

GunJack said:

there's definitely something off about Jan & Feb's electric useage.... I just don't see how you can be pottering along at ave of around 450kwh a month, then use, what, 4600kwh-ish in 2 months.. I suspect a mixing up of two or more of those 5 numbers on the meter

That's quite possible - I've done it myself - but wouldn't a subsequent correct reading then result in credits ?

Not if you've been reading the "lower" register since the meter was installed and then one month switch to reading the "higher" register from then onwards (assuming they both track actual consumption). That would create the one off "leap" but wouldn't spread across two months, so I'm not sure that this is what has really happened.

Is this a second hand E7 meter that's been installed in non-E7 mode? If not, what are all those registers showing?

I have no idea what this is - i have posted pictures. Can you tell?Gerry1 said:

You still haven't stated whether they are on SP's Priority Services Register.  Then at least you might be able to get a meter reader to pop round from time to time which would eliminate some of the uncertainties.

What is this?