Must energy companies use customer meter readings on cap change date?

Staffordian11

In the past, I have come across issues where my (accurate!) gas meter readings have not been used for billing, and in their place an incorrect figure has been used instead. I can't recall it happening with electricity meter readings, but assume it could be the same?

I gather there is some sort of body whose job it is to suspect everyone of submitting bogus readings, and to make up their own estimates which the companies have to use.

I'm therefore wondering whether this might be an issue when I submit my gas and electricity readings on the evening of 31 March. Can I insist they use actual readings rather than spurious ones should they try to do this, or is it likely to be a non-issue?

I intend photographing the meters as I read them, if that makes any difference.

Merlin139

I have been using my phone to take meter readings for the last 6 years. Just file the pictures away on my computer as a back up if required. Never been a problem so never needed the photo as proof. My usage of the last 8 years has been very similar each year.

If you have a digital photo then you can prove time and date of the said photo. If they fail to accept your reading then you make a complaint to the company and if not resolved to your satisfaction you then take your complaint to the ombudsman after 8 weeks.

I suspect if people submit regular readings the only time a Utility Company would question the reading is if it was way outside the scope of normal readings. Along the lines of of when you move utility companies and the closing readings are validated to make sure they are acceptable. Last validated reading for the property + (expected usage x 2.5) = maximum allowable reading.

Does that mean customers have scope to submit bogus readings? Yes they could and no doubt some will if they think they can save a few hundred pounds. It would also allow Utility Companies to use lower estimated reads. Customers need to make sure they check actual readings against estimated readings. 

Ultrasonic

Just submit a reading and take a photo as evidence. Real readings should be no issue but as always there will be automatic checks to look out for people submitting artificially inflated readings to try to save money.

For those with smart meters who have selected to provide at least daily data this is basically a non-issue, although I'll probably take a photo just in case. To be honest I'd quite like an estimate to be used as I bet it would be higher than my actual consumption, as I'll have been with a new supplier for only a couple of weeks by 1 April.

Staffordian11

Thanks for the replies. Whichever company I was using, I always supplied monthly readings, but having been transferred from Utility Point to EDF, they have not wanted a single reading since last September and seem to positively discourage them; only now asking for one by 31 March, so they have no idea of my usage pattern.

I shall see what happens and hope all is straightforward.

MattMattMattUK

Staffordian11 said:

Thanks for the replies. Whichever company I was using, I always supplied monthly readings, but having been transferred from Utility Point to EDF, they have not wanted a single reading since last September and seem to positively discourage them; only now asking for one by 31 March, so they have no idea of my usage pattern.

I shall see what happens and hope all is straightforward.

You can easily submit a meter reading online with EDF, I cannot see how they "positivly discourage" them? Before my smart meter went smart (an issue with the original BG installation meant it more than two years to commission onto the network) I used to submit monthly readings to EDF and they always billed accordingly. 

If I were you and was that worried I would submit a read online today, then do another on the 31st. 

Ultrasonic

Staffordian11 said:

Thanks for the replies. Whichever company I was using, I always supplied monthly readings, but having been transferred from Utility Point to EDF, they have not wanted a single reading since last September and seem to positively discourage them; only now asking for one by 31 March, so they have no idea of my usage pattern.

I suspect your experience there is a reflection of how long the SOLR transfer process to EDF took rather than what their normal expectation is on meter read frequency. I was with Pure Planet who went bust in October and Shell who I was moved to didn't get an updated reading from me (via my smart meter) before early March. In my case Pure Planet were using DD amounts based on my own pretty accurate predicted annual usage so the whole transition went fine without me building up any large credit or debt. The situation for you will depend how well things were set up with Utility Point.

Whatever, the advice has to be the same to submit a reading and take a photo. 

Staffordian11

MattMattMattUK said:

Staffordian11 said:

Thanks for the replies. Whichever company I was using, I always supplied monthly readings, but having been transferred from Utility Point to EDF, they have not wanted a single reading since last September and seem to positively discourage them; only now asking for one by 31 March, so they have no idea of my usage pattern.

I shall see what happens and hope all is straightforward.

You can easily submit a meter reading online with EDF, I cannot see how they "positivly discourage" them? Before my smart meter went smart (an issue with the original BG installation meant it more than two years to commission onto the network) I used to submit monthly readings to EDF and they always billed accordingly. 

By "positively discourage" I mean they specifically say don't submit one until we request one. And they only seem to bill twice yearly, so intermediate readings seem rather pointless.

I shall submit one by 31 March, and then perhaps monthly thereafter and see if so doing generates a bill or statement.

[Deleted User]

Staffordian11 said:

MattMattMattUK said:

Staffordian11 said:

Thanks for the replies. Whichever company I was using, I always supplied monthly readings, but having been transferred from Utility Point to EDF, they have not wanted a single reading since last September and seem to positively discourage them; only now asking for one by 31 March, so they have no idea of my usage pattern.

I shall see what happens and hope all is straightforward.

You can easily submit a meter reading online with EDF, I cannot see how they "positivly discourage" them? Before my smart meter went smart (an issue with the original BG installation meant it more than two years to commission onto the network) I used to submit monthly readings to EDF and they always billed accordingly. 

By "positively discourage" I mean they specifically say don't submit one until we request one. And they only seem to bill twice yearly, so intermediate readings seem rather pointless.

I shall submit one by 31 March, and then perhaps monthly thereafter and see if so doing generates a bill or statement.

Rather than speculate on what a supplier should or shouldn’t do, this is what it says in Standard Licence Conditions re customer meter readings:

21B.1 If a Customer provides a meter reading to the licensee that the licensee considers reasonably accurate, or if the Electricity Meter is read by the licensee, the licensee must take all reasonable steps to reflect the meter reading in the next Bill or statement of account sent to the Customer.

21B.2 If the licensee considers that a meter reading provided by a Customer is not reasonably accurate, the licensee must take all reasonable steps to contact the Customer to obtain a new meter reading from him.

Staffordian11

[Deleted User] said:

Staffordian11 said:

MattMattMattUK said:

Staffordian11 said:

Thanks for the replies. Whichever company I was using, I always supplied monthly readings, but having been transferred from Utility Point to EDF, they have not wanted a single reading since last September and seem to positively discourage them; only now asking for one by 31 March, so they have no idea of my usage pattern.

I shall see what happens and hope all is straightforward.

You can easily submit a meter reading online with EDF, I cannot see how they "positivly discourage" them? Before my smart meter went smart (an issue with the original BG installation meant it more than two years to commission onto the network) I used to submit monthly readings to EDF and they always billed accordingly. 

By "positively discourage" I mean they specifically say don't submit one until we request one. And they only seem to bill twice yearly, so intermediate readings seem rather pointless.

I shall submit one by 31 March, and then perhaps monthly thereafter and see if so doing generates a bill or statement.

Rather than speculate on what a supplier should or shouldn’t do, this is what it says in Standard Licence Conditions re customer meter readings:

21B.1 If a Customer provides a meter reading to the licensee that the licensee considers reasonably accurate, or if the Electricity Meter is read by the licensee, the licensee must take all reasonable steps to reflect the meter reading in the next Bill or statement of account sent to the Customer.

21B.2 If the licensee considers that a meter reading provided by a Customer is not reasonably accurate, the licensee must take all reasonable steps to contact the Customer to obtain a new meter reading from him.

Thanks for that. I'd nor seen that before, and from my (admittedly uncommon) experience, nor had the supplier

I don't recall now if it was soon after moving to Utility Point or to an earlier supplier, but my first electricity reading was used for the first monthly bill, but the gas reading was ignored in favour of an incorrect one. There was no attempt to contact me to query my (correct) reading, and when I contacted them, I got a vague answer of it not being them that caused this issue.

It worked out, as subsequent readings were used, and there was no price change as I was on a fixed deal.

Chrysalis

I expect there will be people doing large top ups on prepay before price cap rise, and also sending inflated readings for those on credit accounts.  

Dont blame people for doing this, horrible situation.

Ultrasonic

Chrysalis said:

...sending inflated readings for those on credit accounts.  

Dont blame people for doing this, horrible situation.

I don't blame people for wanting to do this, but that wouldn't make it right for anyone to do so. I'm not sure what the repercussions of fraudulent meter reading submissions may be for an individual but I think people here need to be very careful not to encourage it.

(The prepay meter thing is completely different which is why I edited your post to remove that part.)