Accurate meter reading if house has been empty?

Jessiejane17

Hi all, understand I’m late with this and I’ve been a little worried. I understand the advice is to submit a meter reading today before the rise tomorrow however myself and my partner (his house) has been empty a few months as we’ve been having work done and it’s been inhabitable. (We’ve stayed at a family members house) This means our usage for 6 months has been 0 but unsure how this will effect the rises overall? 

I’m also not sure when we’ll move back but probably be next month or next after.
thank you!

frederick1950

Submit an accurate  reading today if you don't  want to be appear to be taking advantage of the situation.

The_Fat_Controller

Just enter or phone in a reading for the account.

If it is challenged as inaccurate, call and explain the property has not been occupied.

Once you are back in, take and send monthly readings so you have accurate usage details and get the company to set the DD accordingly if paying that way.

Robin9

Wouldn't normally recommend that you ask someone else to read the meter - but your your builder ?

Or do you have your last bill available online?

MWT

Jessiejane17 said:

This means our usage for 6 months has been 0 but unsure how this will effect the rises overall? 

If you've had builders in the use will not have been 0, but it will look different to normal for sure.

Still best to get a meter reading submitted though.

Jessiejane17

Should we use an older meter reading from when we lived there last year or wait until we move back and submit one after the first month? 

Thanks for the help! Don’t want to look as if we’re cheating but also don’t want to be overcharged when our usage was quite low last year anyway 

MWT

Jessiejane17 said:

Should we use an older meter reading from when we lived there last year or wait until we move back and submit one after the first month? 

Thanks for the help! Don’t want to look as if we’re cheating but also don’t want to be overcharged when our usage was quite low last year anyway 

Use the actual meter reading, nothing else would be correct.

Inigo_Montoya

You are not going to be disadvantaged by a too high estimated reading so personally I would just submit a real read as soon as you are able to

You are overthinking this IMO - you have a perfectly valid reason for not being able to give an accurate read today so its not as you suggest "cheating" 

MWT

I'd simplify this to two choices, either submit an accurate reading today, or do nothing and submit a reading when you move back in.

If you give an accurate one today you'll be billed for the actual use so it will be a low bill.

If you wait then you'll probably get a higher estimated bill now, but it will be at the current rates, and when you move back in and give an accurate meter reading there will be an adjustment as they try to estimate the actual reading as at today. 

Ultrasonic

Jessiejane17 said:

Hi all, understand I’m late with this and I’ve been a little worried. I understand the advice is to submit a meter reading today before the rise tomorrow however myself and my partner (his house) has been empty a few months as we’ve been having work done and it’s been inhabitable. (We’ve stayed at a family members house) This means our usage for 6 months has been 0 but unsure how this will effect the rises overall? 

I’m also not sure when we’ll move back but probably be next month or next after.
thank you!

Far more focus is being given to giving meter reading today than is warranted IMHO, and in your situation it's not going to make any significant difference if you submit a reading today or in a month's time. The only people who might end up slightly worse off is those who have actually used far more energy than might be expected prior to 1 April.

However, if you haven't read the meter at all for 6 months I'd personally want to check this purely to see what the actual usage has been, since as posted above it presumably won't have ben zero if people have been in the property using at least electricity for work. You haven't actually said if you're close enough to be able to do this, but if not you could perhaps ask a tradesman to send you photos of the meters?

Ultrasonic

When did you last have a bill actually? Have you been paying monthly direct debit amounts to cover usage assuming you were living in the house normally?