E-ON not being helpful with resolving their mistake - help?

welshmoneylover

Was your last bill based on an actual reading rather than an estimate?

Hannimal

I have a photo of a meter reading from about a week before the smart meter was installed and I have several photos of meter readings from the precedeing month because I moved to a new house and changed supplier to Eon. Regrettably I don't have a reading from the day the smart meter was installed. This was while I was away and my lodger let him in. As I changed I requested a smart meter so the first bill of 50 000kwh is actually from just less than a month. Now I am on a smart meter so they have regular readings automatically from me.

Hannimal

It is the removed meter reading of 92000 or 42000 that is causing the bill. 

[Deleted User]

Hannimal said:

I have a photo of a meter reading from about a week before the smart meter was installed and I have several photos of meter readings from the precedeing month because I moved to a new house and changed supplier to Eon. Regrettably I don't have a reading from the day the smart meter was installed. This was while I was away and my lodger let him in. As I changed I requested a smart meter so the first bill of 50 000kwh is actually from just less than a month. Now I am on a smart meter so they have regular readings automatically from me.

Every supplier has a data collector which, inter alia, validates meter readings before they are added to a supply account. When a smart meter is installed, the old meter final reading is sent automatically to the supplier and as it comes from a meter operator it is assumed to be valid.  A final statement - if you like - is then raised for the meter that has been removed.

Once the supplier receives your written complaint all it is to do is to confirm with its data collector whether the meter reading that they have been given is in line with your past historical usage? Sadly, the industry is not renowned for its speed. You can assist the process if you can refer to a previous statement for the old meter where the metering reading was annotated 'A' or 'C'. For example, if you have a previous statement with a meter reading of 41350A produced a month or so before your old meter was replaced this just adds weight to your complaint that the meter reading of 92000 is incorrect.

This issue will get resolved but it may take longer than you would like.

niktheguru

If you've got pictures if the meter from a week before the meter and a picture from when you moved in its an open and shut case and there is no need to be so worried  What was the actual meter reading from the week before.

All you will need to do is show them the photos of the meter readings with the appropriate dates. They can also compare this with your current smart meter usage and it will be very apparent a mistake has been made 

Hannimal

Sorry I didn't mean to be inaccurate, I realise there was over a month between the meter installation and the closest photo I have of the meter. I had months mixed up in my head.

I have the following readings from the old meter.
5th October : 41659 (move-in date) - this is a dated photo of the meter
27th October : 41760 (changed supplier to e-on) - this is a dated photo of the meter
2nd December : 92000 (smart meter installed) - recorded by engineer

After that I've been on the smart meter.
Readings are taken ever 4th of the month so the first smart meter reading of 12kwh is over just 3 days.
 

Hannimal

I can't edit the above but on the above picture all other readings are from this year, so automatically taken by the smart meter.

Tallerdave

It's blindingly obvious (perhaps not to Eon though!). Consumption in October was about 4.6kWh a day. At that rate, the meter would have read 41925 on 2nd Dec. Allowing for increased consumption as days got darker/colder, 42000 looks realistic. 

92000 is just stupid, unless you happened to be launching a smelting business.

molerat

It should be resolved with a clear concise bullet pointed written complaint containing the photos of the meter, the closing bill from the previous supplier and those dated figures you have shown above.  Front line call handlers are pretty much robots reading from a screen and if it is on the screen it must be correct.  They are generally not allowed to make decisions or think for themselves. Hopefully the rep will pick up on this and get it sorted for you.

blueblazer

Should be asking for a nice sum of compensation for the time taken to resolve and stress caused.