electricity provider charging me crazy amount based on estimate - need advice on my rights

bumpty

Hi all!

I'm looking for any kind of help/anyone with a similar experience, and what you can do to avoid paying a bill you don't believe is right. I'm based in Hertfordshire, UK.

Summary: I recently switched electricity supplier and the last supplier's (SSE) final bill is extortionate, based on estimated readings (~£250 for a 5 week period). I have contacted them multiple times to try to understand their numbers but they're pressing me to pay the bill. I want a second opinion as the estimated usage is much more than my recent, non-estimated usage.

More in detail:

I moved in to my current flat 14/08/21 and contacted the previous tenant's supplier for electricity, SSE, which I was told to do by my new chosen supplier to help me switch suppliers. SSE told me they had to create an account for me so they can send me a one-off bill for between my moving in date and the new supplier taking me on (this took some time and I was signed up with Octopus Energy on 03/10/21), which they did. They also assured me this final bill would arrive/be due in about 3 months time.

They are billing me £263.83 for the period 14/08/21-03/10/21. This number came in two parts (2 separate bills sent out at different times), and includes charges of £246.34 for 14/08/21-17/09/21 and £17.72 for 18/09/21-03/10/21. As you can see, the estimated usage is much higher for the first time period, even if we take into account the different lengths of these two periods.

Their estimated meter readings for 14/08/21-17/09/21 start at 4725kWh and end at 5906kWh, which suggests a 1181 kWh usage for this period, this would mean an average weekly usage of 236 kWh (1181/5). Based on my last two non-estimated meter readings, my average weekly usage is 85 kWh. Based on my last reading, my weekly usage was 32 kWh (I’m reading the meter now every week until this is resolved, with pictures).

My current supplier has meter readings (it's a smart meter) from me from 25/10 (6036kWh) and 8/11 (6121kWh) - before this the readings I submitted were wrong, as our agent showed us how to read the meter wrong. I realised this a couple weeks ago when the reading went from 4 digits to 2 and my current supplier updated me on how to read it correctly which is different from what we've been told by the estate agent. As far as I'm aware, every other reading that SSE has is estimated, at least that's what the bills they sent me say. The initial reading the agency recorded from our moving in date is false too (2162).

I asked SSE where the initial estimated reading of 4725 kWh came from as all numbers after that sound right and almost in line with our current, proven usage, but they couldn't say. I also contacted the agency to try to get a final reading from the previous tenant which would have been submitted July or August '21, but they cannot provide me this.
SSE demands £246.34 for 14/08/21-17/09/21, which is just over a month of electricity usage (again, no gas, just electricity alone). As a comparison, in my previous flat I was on a tariff with SSE in central London for £23 per month. My current electricity supplier I pay £40 a month. I do not want to pay this bill as I believe it doesn't reflect my usage at all.

The last time I spoke to SSE trying to resolve and understand what happened was on the 8/11/21 and they gave me two weeks extension to resolve the matter. I have already received a final bill warning a couple days before that call, even though I was previously assured that I wouldn't have to pay a final bill until December/January '22. I also wrote on Citizens Advice and awaiting a reply.

bumpty

*correction - the 85 kWh usage that i read from my meter is for a 2 week period, so my weekly usage for that time was half of that, ~43kWh.The week after is when I used 32 kWh.

The_Fat_Controller

If you are renting, the closing reading from the last tenant and your opening reading should match and both should be available from the letting agent.

Suggest you chase them.

JJ_Egan

As above .

Do you have evidence of your opening meter reading  .

Keep_pedalling

Why are they using estimated readings when you should have supplied actual readings?

sheramber

Did you read the meter on the day you moved in? You can't rely on the outgoing user getting a final reading.

My first bill after I moved in started with an estimated  reading way below the actual one. I told them the reading when I moved in and the bill was amended for the correct reading.

TELLIT01

Unless readings were taken on the day you moved in there is little, if anything, you can do about it.  The only action you can take it get a current reading and make sure your current supplier is kept up to date.  Most will have apps where you can supply your meter readings.

Al_Ross

I suspect you are being billed for the previous tenant’s usage and or the standing charge and energy used while the property lay empty.

 

If you used a legit agency, they will have done an inventory with the meter readings when you moved in and you would have been given a copy.

bumpty

Thank you everyone. We do have a meter reading for when we moved in which is documented and was done by the agent in front of us, but like I said they were pressing the wrong buttons and the reading is incorrect. I informed both the agency and the supplier trying to charge me but they're not taking this into consideration..

I'm not sure why they're using estimated readings when it's a smart meter so as far as I know they should have been able to pull accurate numbers.

I sent a written complaint through the SSE website, so until then the chase continues.. Thanks again everyone.

Robin9

bumpty said:

.

I'm not sure why they're using estimated readings when it's a smart meter so as far as I know they should have been able to pull accurate numbers.

Just because the meter was Smart once it doesn't mean that it still is.   There is no substitute for taking your own (correct) readings

wild666

If you have the readings from the date you moved in and the date you left then they should use that as the total readings, they shouldn't need to get them verified if you took the leaving read as close to midnight as possible on the last day, the most it could differ is by one kWh E and one unit, 11.4 kWh G, that shouldn't be more than one pound.

If I change suppliers I take readings as close as possible to midnight on the final day I am with the leaving supplier, in one case it got me compensation from one supplier and another just accepted the readings.
Don't rely on IHDs get a reading off the meter itself. If the meter is SMETS 2 then they would have a record of daily usage, that could also apply to SMETS 1 meters, like mine, even though I am with a third supplier since leaving BG in Jan 2019, Octopus are giving me 30 minute readings which I download each day from their site.

Some meters might have being on BG free electric tariff and still be taking duel readings, this would be rare though, and the meter has three readings Total IMP, ACT 1 & ACT 2 be sure to check that a meter isn't doing this by scrolling though all the settings on the meter, not the IHD. Whoever took the readings should have taken them off the actual meter and not an IHD as the IHD could only show a total reading and not ACT 1 & ACT 2.