Elderly Parents getting Ripped Off

xlnc99

Talldave said:

SP already have the correct reading, the problem was the preceding 2.5 years of incorrect readings.

@Gunjack was correct, you need to fix the meter reading error and everything else will cascade into place and you'll get credit for the 3783 units.

In terms of opening bill, I mean when they first started with SP.  Assuming that everything was ticking over at their usual 400 kWh per month until this January when it all went wrong.  It's going to be a problem for them to understand what's happened but you'll have to do your best to explain that the "Using" register was being used by mistake since there was a misunderstanding over which button to use.  What goes in your favour is that the 3873 difference between the two registers accounts of the apparent leap in consumption in January.  

The best solution might be that they allow you to go back to using the "Using" register for now until they can change the meter and start afresh.  Hopefully, they will appreciate that an elderly couple would be hard pushed to use over 4000kWh in a month.

SP haven't actually done anything wrong, it's a customer problem with misreading the meter, presumably since the day it was installed, through to January of this year.  All they did was bill for the readings provided.

@Robin9, reading through all 21 pages will reveal what appears to have gone on.

Many thanks for this. So first i need to contact SP and explain to them what you have just told me. But before this i need to get my hand of the bills for the last 2/3 years from SP as its not showing up online. I believe if i do this first, then make the complaint afterwards. This is the best way to do it you think?

As for switching - what shall i do? Wait to solve this or switch now? Alot of people are saying switch over now but i am afraid if i do so then Scottish Power will screw me

xlnc99

@Talldave @GunJack - u said i need to fix the reading meter error now - how can i do this now? What buttons do i press

Gerry1

xlnc99 said:

@Gerry1 @Robin9
Therefore we have been giving the correct readings for the last few months and as of yet it has not corrected itself, so surely it would have corrected itself by now? Or am i looking at this wrong?

Find the last correct actual meter reading and bill, subtract the correct opening reading (which gives the kWh used between the relevant dates), then calculate the cost of what's been used (don't forget the standing charges and 5% VAT).

Then compare it with the total of the DD payments from your bank account and that should give the score.

xlnc99

Step 1 - Find the last correct actual meter reading and bill - How do i do this?
Step 2 - Subtract the correct opening reading - How do i do this?
Step 3 - Calculate the cost of whats been used? How do i do this?

Gerry1

xlnc99 said:

Step 1 - Find the last correct actual meter reading and bill - How do i do this?
Step 2 - Subtract the correct opening reading - How do i do this?
Step 3 - Calculate the cost of whats been used? How do i do this?

• Find bit of paper sent though post or log on to online account.  Look on the bill and find the meter reading and date.  Look for A (Actual), C (Customer, assuming you read it correctly) or similar categories but not E (Estimated).
• Use a calculator, same procedure as 6-4=2
• Number of kWh multiplied by the cost in pence per unit.  Add to memory.  Number of days between readings (find calendar) multiplied by daily standing charge in pence.  Add to memory.  Memory recall.  Add 5% or multiply by 1.05.  Divide by 100 to convert pence into £.

Or post the info here and we'll do the sums for you.

MWT

Gerry1 said:

xlnc99 said:

@Gerry1 @Robin9
Therefore we have been giving the correct readings for the last few months and as of yet it has not corrected itself, so surely it would have corrected itself by now? Or am i looking at this wrong?

Find the last correct actual meter reading and bill, subtract the correct opening reading (which gives the kWh used between the relevant dates), then calculate the cost of what's been used (don't forget the standing charges and 5% VAT).

Then compare it with the total of the DD payments from your bank account and that should give the score.

As far as we can tell, all readings prior to January were using the incorrect register on the meter, so there is no prior 'correct' reading to use..

All readings submitted since January are correct.

Only way to resolve this is to talk to the supplier and explain that the previous readings were wrong and the huge increase in January is the result of switching to the correct register.

xlnc99

Gerry1 said:

xlnc99 said:

Step 1 - Find the last correct actual meter reading and bill - How do i do this?
Step 2 - Subtract the correct opening reading - How do i do this?
Step 3 - Calculate the cost of whats been used? How do i do this?

• Find bit of paper sent though post or log on to online account.  Look on the bill and find the meter reading and date.  Look for A (Actual), C (Customer, assuming you read it correctly) or similar categories but not E (Estimated).
• Use a calculator, same procedure as 6-4=2
• Number of kWh multiplied by the cost in pence per unit.  Add to memory.  Number of days between readings (find calendar) multiplied by daily standing charge in pence.  Add to memory.  Memory recall.  Add 5% or multiply by 1.05.  Divide by 100 to convert pence into £.

Or post the info here and we'll do the sums for you.

Thanks - i have the details for the log in. I have logged in and posted every single bill on here for the past 12 months in this thread? will all this have the information on those bills for someone to work out? I believe it has all the meter readings etc on the bills i posted on this thread.

xlnc99

MWT said:

Gerry1 said:

xlnc99 said:

@Gerry1 @Robin9
Therefore we have been giving the correct readings for the last few months and as of yet it has not corrected itself, so surely it would have corrected itself by now? Or am i looking at this wrong?

Find the last correct actual meter reading and bill, subtract the correct opening reading (which gives the kWh used between the relevant dates), then calculate the cost of what's been used (don't forget the standing charges and 5% VAT).

Then compare it with the total of the DD payments from your bank account and that should give the score.

As far as we can tell, all readings prior to January were using the incorrect register on the meter, so there is no prior 'correct' reading to use..

All readings submitted since January are correct.

Only way to resolve this is to talk to the supplier and explain that the previous readings were wrong and the huge increase in January is the result of switching to the correct register.

Funny you should mention this. I have just spoken to mum and she has told me she had been putting all incorrect readings until one day someone came around to check the meter readings and he told her the correct way to do this as she asked him. She cannot remember when the guy came around, i asked it was it possible he came in dec/jan and she said YES it could be, but could not confirm if it was the right date.

It looks like this is defo the issue.

xlnc99

i understand what to write on the email and but my question is does that mean all readings before JAN are all incorrect? How do i actually no apart from the big swing in JAN what other months are incorrect? I mean this is now 2 and half years since. So that means all 2 and half years are wrong?

MWT

xlnc99 said:

Funny you should mention this. I have just spoken to mum and she has told me she had been putting all incorrect readings until one day someone came around to check the meter readings and he told her the correct way to do this as she asked him. She cannot remember when the guy came around, i asked it was it possible he came in dec/jan and she said YES it could be, but could not confirm if it was the right date.

It looks like this is defo the issue.

Then call the supplier and tell them that and point to the totally unrealistic January usage figure and tell them that the difference was caused by the previous use of the incorrect register on the meter, not by actual consumption and ask them to correct it.

If that gets this fixed then it is all good.

If they want to argue about it then we'll have to go back to the first time she submitted a reading from that meter, hopefully those bills are also available, but don't go there unless you have to.