final meter readings

rooster47

I changed both energy supplies to a new provider on 24 September. Gas, no problem. Electric...I gave my new provider opening meter readings, they were validated on 25 September, and my new provider is billing me with this same meter reading. My old provider billed me on 30 October with an estimated and excessive meter reading and, despite my protests, claim to not have received a closing meter reading. Their latest email reads

'When switching providers, the opening meter readings that you give to your new supplier are sent to be validated by the Energy Industry and back to your previous supplier which is us as the closing reads:-
It can take up to 6 weeks for the final bill to be produced.
If we do not receive meter reads from the new supplier within the 6 weeks we use estimates.
In order for the readings to be amended a bill revised we ask that you raise a dispute with your current supplier so that they can send us the proper reads.'

My questions

1. My new provider says the 'data controller' communicates with both old and new providers re meter readings. They say my dispute is with my old supplier. This is the opposite view of my old supplier.

2. With which electric provider should I be taking issue in this matter. Old or new? I can't see how the new provider will know the old one.

Which provider telling 'porkies'?

Gerry1

Either supplier can dispute your estimated reading.

My opening reading is wrong

Carrot007

The trouble here is the industry was never set up for the read to be given to the new supplier.

It all works by sending data (flows) beetween agents.

Here the relivant agents are Supplier and NHHDC (data collector not controller).

This becauase a problem when fast switching decided you only have to contact the new supplier. The new supplier can only use flows to contact their apponted agents. When deappointed by the suppleir agents can be told to send the data to a new agent, but afaik not the other way round. So it relies on a big bodge, and especially in times like this with limited staff working from home, mistakes will occur.

This:

https://dtc.mrasco.com/DataFlow.aspx?FlowCounter=0086&FlowVers=2&searchMockFlows=False  

Would be the relivant flow but it was designed to go from old DC to new DC.

I may not have working in domestic for 12 years, so it may have been if anyone in the know wants to say so? However I doubt it becauase the new DC cannot send anything to the old suppliers DC as only 1 DC is live at any time and a de-appointed DC is not going to d oanything even if it recieves flows (the new dc will pickup flows sent early to it, hence why this silly change has made final bills a lot more problematic unless you make the effort to tell both suppliers.

The change was probably made at ofgem by someone who did not know or care how things worked and did not care to think about the unintended consequences. (though I guess it does makes the case for remote meter reading more compeling, so maybe the government forced it (really, do get smart meters, they solve lots of little issues like this)).

Carrot007

Gerry1 said:

Either supplier can dispute your estimated reading.

My opening reading is wrong

Indeed, but forcing a deappointed agent to correct things is hard at the best of times.

Oh OP, another thought. If your old supplier was npower and you left before the force to eon next it will be even harder to fix since they are closing down. (though even after closure it would ultimately fall to eon to do it, i would expect it to be slow for something they never anticipated or have anyone setup to do it!)