Estimated readings prior to 1st April Price Increase

Sianyy

So...my bi-yearly bill from my Energy supplier arrived in my Inbox today. I had provided readings prior to the bill. They used my electricity reading but didn't use my gas reading. The estimate was very low and they were reducing my FDD from £70 a month to £20 a month. As I stared at the screen the up-coming price increase popped into my mind!!! If I don't get this re-billed now, then when the next bill comes around in September, the prices I'll be paying for the energy I've just used will be charged at double the price!! I have a SMART meter but it's not readable by my current supplier and they aren't changing meters at the moment. I worked in the Energy industry for 20 years so I understand more than many people will. How many people could be out there in this situation? Especially the elderly and all those 'sleeping' Customers who may have no idea what's coming. 
How will energy companies estimate readings for 1st of April price change if they have been underestimating? Everyone needs to be billed up to date, to actual readings if you want to avoid paying high prices for past usage. Has anyone else experienced this? Has Martin already covered this?

Aylesbury_Duck

I'm afraid the onus is on customers to do as you say: take and submit regular readings.  It's been consistent advice for years, and if it hasn't been heeded by the sleeping customers by now, it probably never will.  Looking at it coldly - why should energy companies put more resources into doing something customers implicitly agree to do themselves when they sign their energy contracts?  With energy costs now a significant and growing portion of a household's monthly budgets, people need to take responsibility for their own usage, recording and billing.

EssexHebridean

Submit another meter reading now. Keep a photo of your meters for your own records.  Then make a diary note to read your meters again on the evening of 31st March and submit those, too. Again - keep photos. (And bear in mind that you may struggle to get readings though on that day as systems are likely to be busy - if you retain the photos though you can always call and give a retrospective reading the following day) If in doubt you can always give them a call anyway to confirm that they have your readings on file ready for a bill adjustment. 

Sianyy

@Aylesbury_Duck I didn't suggest this is a problem to be resolved by Energy Suppliers. Although, with their huge profits I'm sure they could do more! Perhaps the government or OFGEM could advertise on TV giving practical advice to people about this. There is a crisis coming for a lot of people. I cannot look at this coldly. There are people who have to choose between eating and heating and they need extra help.

Verdigris

Although, with their huge profits

Retail energy suppliers are losing money, hand over fist, at the moment. You are getting mixed up with oil, gas and coal extraction companies.

Aylesbury_Duck

Sianyy said:

@Aylesbury_Duck I didn't suggest this is a problem to be resolved by Energy Suppliers. Although, with their huge profits I'm sure they could do more! Perhaps the government or OFGEM could advertise on TV giving practical advice to people about this. There is a crisis coming for a lot of people. I cannot look at this coldly. There are people who have to choose between eating and heating and they need extra help.

I don't disagree, but I'm not convinced the message would be heeded.  Even at today's prices, most households must be spending close to or in excess of £1,000 a year on energy, and if they're not checking things for such a large sum already, I'm sceptical they'll bother in future, when prices are even higher.  Therefore it comes down to those of us who are alert to these things to make sure friends and family are doing things correctly.

What I meant by the coldly comment was that if you were an energy supplier, why would you spend money taking up-to-date readings on behalf of customers, or contribute to an awareness campaign, that would reduce your potential income?