Bulb energy company

Mrsmouse1959

I joined Bulb in December 2019 but from the start I had problems. I have economy 7 as we have storage heaters for heating. The smart meter, fitted by my previous company EDF, was not able to be read remotely by Bulb. I also found that the rate 2 reading was not being displayed. This led to estimated bills for some months. In April 2020 Bulb tried, unsuccessfully, to access my meter to get it send readings remotely and the next bill they issued transposed the two readings but on realising their mistake issued another bill correcting this error.
I was by this time fed up with the hassle and contacted the energy ombudsman who looked into this and Bulb subsequently offered me compensation. However, before receiving this offer ......
Bulb decided to reboot my meter. This was done in July 2020. I checked my meter during this time and sent several emails to Bulb informing them that at different times my meter was not displaying at all, that my off peak meter display was not recording any increase despite using off peak electric, and finally that the rate 1 display was showing my rate 2 reading. They had somehow managed to transpose the two readings. Bulb failed to acknowledge any of these emails. I again contacted the ombudsman. 
The investigating officer completely failed to grasp what I was saying. He insisted on a space test which was pointless as I knew my meter was recording at the correct times of day, just that the numbers displayed had been swapped over. In the end he decided there was no case to answer stating that my usage varied throughout the year ( it would as heaters are used on off peak through cold months and not through summer). He said I  informed him that EDF charged me double for off peak electric than peak ( not true, I have had economy 7 for over 30 years and know how it works and off peak is actually about half the price of peak). What I did say was that my annual usage with EDF showed double the off peak use to peak use which is normal for us. My last estimate of annual usage with EDF was 3403 peak units and 6240 off peak units.
Bulb went on to issue 8 correction statements (from the first ombudsman investigation but I am unable to view any of the corrections). They then issued a further statement which used my opening readings in dec 2019 and then used the transposed readings leading up to 1.09.20. This gave me a bill which did not reflect my actual usage as the two final figures were the wrong way around. They have worked out my peak use by using the final off peak reading and worked out my off peak use using my peak rate reading because they have been transposed. 
I am unable to get Bulb to understand this any more than the ombudsman did. I feel like I'm hitting my head against a wall. I have worked out that for one month I have been charged an eye watering 3736 units of peak use while the off peak is MINUS 4368 units. Compare this to my annual use with my previous company. I have constantly pointed out to Bulb that this is ridiculous and asked how they can explain the Minus figure to start with but I get blanked with no reply. 
My last peak reading before the reboot shows on my August statement as 3598.(estimate)
My last off peak reading on my August statement is 6995.(estimate)
After the reboot the peak reading is 7334
The off peak reading after reboot is 2627. 
I believe this shows clearly how the two readings are transposed. 
My last customer read on my May 2020 statement shows peak - 2599/ off peak - 5497. This again backs up my argument.
Sorry this is such a long first post. I am at the end of my tether and have no idea how to resolve this dispute with a company which refuses to even acknowledge any error or explain how such readings are feasible. 

If you've read to the end you have my thanks.

Gerry1

Might be worth working out exactly how much you've been overcharged and making a court claim.

As all the chapter and verse can be quite hard to understand, it might be worth making a very short video proving that the day rate is being charged at the night rate.  For example, have a radio playing the R4 'World At One' opening announcement at 1pm while the meter is clearly showing the night rate is selected and / or advancing.  Ideally use a DAB radio that displays the date and time.

Imagine that the meter's day rate is 1234 and the meter's night rate is 6789.  Then show the meter readings on the most recent bill; if the night reading was allegedly 1200 and the day reading was allegedly 6700 then it's blindingly obvious that the figures have been transposed.

Once the principle has been established it will be much easier to claim for the amount that you've been overcharged.

Don't get bogged down in the quicksand of all the to-ing and fro-ing that went on and who said what when.  Keep it really simple, just subtract the opening readings from the current readings, work out what the total costs should have been if charged at the correct rates, then claim for the amount you've been overcharged plus a reasonable sum for your time and expenses.

Who knows, Bulb may not even show up so you might win by default !

Mrsmouse1959

The problem isn't that I am being charged a peak rate for off peak use etc. It is because the two readings were transposed and then used to work out how many units I have used on peak and off peak. 
I will use an example.
 If I had a starting peak read of 10 units and over the next month it went up to 50 units while on off peak I start on 30 and go up to 100 units used. 
Then my meter is rebooted and after the reboot the peak rate shows 100 units while the off peak shows 50. So the 2nd readings have been swapped or transposed.
If these readings are then used to work out my usage it will obviously not be correct. If the readings were not been swapped I would get charged 40 units peak use and 70 units off peak. 
However if the readings are transposed/swapped in the reboot i would get charged 90 units peak and 20 units off peak. 
This matters because the peak cost is roughly double the off peak so I am left paying for units not actually used on peak and less than actually used on off peak.
Now this was just an example.
In reality I believe the cost to me of Bulbs mistake is approx £400. They have charged me for 3736 units peak electric for one month. That is more than my usual peak use in a whole year. 
This is obviously offset by the minus 4368 off peak units but this is at half the cost of the peak units. 
My usual peak use in one month is approx 250 to 350 units so I fail to understand how Bulb cannot see there is a large discrepancy.
 3736 peak units in one month...what would I have to use to burn that much electric? Two people out at work, a 3 bed terrace house with storage heaters that only work on off peak? More than a whole year of electric use in one month? And Bulb cannot see the problem? 

Mrsmouse1959

I have added up my off peak use for four months from December 2020 to March 2021 as shown on my statements from Bulb and taken from my smart meter readings. 
3244 off peak units used during these four months..  this seems normal for our winter off peak use with storage heaters counting for the majority. 

Now compare with the consolidated statement I received in sept 2020 from Bulb using the opening meter reads and the sept meter readings. 
643 off peak units for nine months. 
Bulb therefore consider I have used 2601 off peak units more during the last four months compared to nine months including winter months the  previous year. 

I have exactly the same storage heaters and nothing else about our electric requirements has changed. 

I am in dispute with Bulb from when they rebooted my smart meter in July 2020. I informed them more than once that my peak and off peak readings were transposed/had swapped places on the meter displays. Bulb ignored me. 
Because they used the transposed meter readings for the consolidated statement it does not accurately represent the correct amount of units used on peak or off peak. This is clear from the large discrepancy in units.

Bulb refuse to accept there is any problem. I am at a loss as to how to resolve this. 

ann_droid

Hi
Just left BULB for billing/statement inaccuracies, and a previous supplier did transpose my R1 and R4 readings.

So I empathise somewhat, now to affirmative action.

BULB do not like to accept complaints, my initial problem was not on their system (IE the phone call was not recorded) apparently.

So DEMAND a transcript of your telephone conversations with them. 


I still have to "negotiate" my final bill, but an itemised list of the amounts against each tariff, yours and theirs should be sufficient to begin a claim in the County Court.

If in doubt please ask.