Entered day and night meter readings the wrong way round

ricebeans123

Hi all, I have been with Bulb for a year and a half and I've just come to the realisation that I have been entering the day/ night meter readings the wrong way round. My meter states two readings, labelled '1' and '2', however the meter does not specify which corresponds with day, and which corresponds with night. My question is how do I proceed? Do I tell my energy company? Thanks

Verdigris

R1 is always peak rate, Rx are other rates. If Bulb had their wits about them they'd notice the discrepency unless it just happened that the two index readings were similar, and the additional amounts were also similar.

Definitely best to tell them, it will catch up with you in the end. The fact that they haven't picked it up suggests any adjustment won't be too severe, it may even be in your favour.

lohr500

Not always the case. Or at least not from my experience.

When our old twin rate analogue meter failed a few years ago it was replaced via EDF by a digital non smart meter.
The readings were the wrong way round on the new meter from day 1.
Rate 1 was showing the off peak usage, rate 2 showed the peak. It was obviously wrong as at the time we used over 68% off peak. The meter was switching over at the correct times, so the timing was OK. No idea if this was due to poor installation or a quirk with the meter.

At the point of switch-over the final analogue readings were captured by myself and the engineer who installed the new meter.
Both registers on the new meter started at zero.

I spoke to EDF and they advised me to keep providing the readings as shown on the meter, so my online meter readings showed the off peak usage on rate 1 as well. When the first and subsequent bills came through for the new meter, they were charged at the correct day and night rates. 

It all changed again when the smart meter was installed and now the peak rate is shown on register 1 and off peak on register 2. 

Ultrasonic

ricebeans123 said:

Do I tell my energy company?

Yes - phone them to discuss this.

EssexHebridean

Another one here who has a meter with R1 being off peak. Also - now I come to think about it we initially had issues with Bulb wanting things to be the other way round - when we first joined them I couldn’t give readings via their app as they showed the two options the wrong way round. I was put right for us after a few months though. 

Gerry1

Verdigris said:

R1 is always peak rate, Rx are other rates. If Bulb had their wits about them they'd notice the discrepency unless it just happened that the two index readings were similar, and the additional amounts were also similar.

Nope. there's no standard.  My non-smart LCD meter has R1 for off peak and R2 for peak.

ricebeans123

I spoke to bulb and they advised I have to pay the different since I joined which was August 2020 - I am quite worried..

Ultrasonic

ricebeans123 said:

I spoke to bulb and they advised I have to pay the different since I joined which was August 2020 - I am quite worried..

Isn't your night use higher than your day use? I'd have thought they'd owe you money...

QrizB

ricebeans123 said:

I spoke to bulb and they advised I have to pay the different since I joined which was August 2020 - I am quite worried..

If your night usage is more than your day usage (which hopefully it is), they will owe you money.

Gerry1

Have you done the sums to see whether they would owe you or you would owe them if the correct figures had been used?  Either way, submit the correct figures from now on and challenge them if they are rejected or replaced with estimates.  If you owe money, make sure you're charged at the rates that then applied, not the sky high ones from later on.

If you are owed a refund, don't accept the verdict of a call centre agent, they probably aren't sufficiently well trained and it's easier just to say No.

Submit a formal complaint by Royal Mail, ask for a deadlock letter if they don't agree and get a free Certificate of Posting.  Go to the Ombudsman upon receipt of the deadlock letter or after eight weeks if they don't send one.

Ultrasonic

Gerry1 said:

Also make sure you're charged at the rates that then applied, not the sky high ones from later on.

Well, if it turns out they're owed money rather than having to pay a debt I might not fight that particular error too hard...