Massive increase in electricity bills out of nowhere

riblem

hi guys,
thank you for your ccomments. 
The thing is they told me i had a smart meter installed when i rang up, but i still dont understand how they got into the meter cupboard without the key, so this has baffled me as well.  @Talldave I dont have an IHD telling me what the live reading is so i dont really know and that i dont have readings from the previous meter as the previous bills as i previously posted didnt have the readings to back up the bill.  But they were low and since im new to all this didnt question it, additionally i had no idea some bills were based on estimates but i dont think they were as it wasnt stated on the bill. I think the fridge is less than 5 years old as i looked it up on the website.  I know its a smart meter as i was specificly told it was and that on the octopus website it shows that it is and provides readings as i previously posted. 

I also didnt know that you can just carry over the previous readings from the old meter and always thought it would have started from 0 with any new meter.  

What should i do now? ask someone to come check things out and provided explaination for the rise in bills over the past year or just formally complaing?

stewie_griffin

Have you been able to establish when the Smart meter was installed. There's no meter exchange shown on the bills you've posted and the meter was manufactured in 2014. Do you have a record of the meter reading when you moved in? I'm thinking that your first years bills with the coop were all estimated but when your account was moved to Octopus they've been able to get readings from your meter again.

riblem

I can try find the readings for when i moved in.  However since they can only charge any electricty bills from the past 12 months can they really establish what i have used within the year.  Also i dont think the previous coop bills were estimates as the previous tenant were also using coop and to my understanding they were heavy users.  

Robin9

As they have been billing you I don't think the back billing rules apply.



Did you have an online account with Coop  - if so the bills will be there - or any emails attaching bills.

What @stewie_griffin has just said is possible - its been a Smart all along and its just caught up.

riblem

@Robin9
I understand the back billing rules however it hard to differiate the usage of the previous year due to seemly miscalculations of readings on their part.  I did not have an online account of coop and the bills didnt reflect an usage.  I do not think it it was always a smart meter as if it was they would have correct readings all along and the bills should not have change, on top of that they did specificlly notifiy me they changed the meter. 

Robin9

When next at the flat please take a photo of the meter - the readings just don't sound right to me.

The bills you have sent do not show the normal info you would expect associated with a meter change - 2 reading on the same day - 1 for the old meter and a 2nd for the new.

riblem

@Robin9
I will take a photo of the meter.  But the thing is i was only told about the meter change months after they completed it.  I dont really understand the readings my self as they all seemed very abnormal. i was only told they carried the readings onwards to the new meter

Robin9

Note the serial number on the meter and compare with that on the bill please