Estimated billing

Raskwold

I have a BG dual fuel account paid by monthly direct debit.It uses estimated meter readings which are badly wrong ~25% high I have just tried to enter actual readings on their website. After the usual fun and games trying to remember log in details I eventually got into the account and it took meter readings.Then the website told me to use the telephone, something it could have done in the first place.
The point I particularly resent is each quarter it sends me an email telling me "My new bill is available and I don't need to do anything as I pay by direct debit". Why doesn't it instead tell me that it doesn't have an actual reading and that if I want an accurate bill to read my meters and submit those readings? Can anyone recommend a company which does something like that? I switched to BG from my last supplier because of its insistance on using fictional estimated readings
I am seriously considering going back to quarterly settlement because of this however I do not think I should have to pay more for the priviledge of paying for that which I have actually used

Joyful

British Gas does advise on it's bills whether they are estimated or not. I'm also curious as to how Atlantic can guarantee meter readings every 6 months. What if you are out and refuse to call or log on with reads?

If your reads are badly wrong there may be a problem with the wrong meter or start read on your account so I would call.

melbury

Raskwold wrote: »

I have a BG dual fuel account paid by monthly direct debit.It uses estimated meter readings which are badly wrong ~25% high I have just tried to enter actual readings on their website. After the usual fun and games trying to remember log in details I eventually got into the account and it took meter readings.Then the website told me to use the telephone, something it could have done in the first place.
The point I particularly resent is each quarter it sends me an email telling me "My new bill is available and I don't need to do anything as I pay by direct debit". Why doesn't it instead tell me that it doesn't have an actual reading and that if I want an accurate bill to read my meters and submit those readings? Can anyone recommend a company which does something like that? I switched to BG from my last supplier because of its insistance on using fictional estimated readings
I am seriously considering going back to quarterly settlement because of this however I do not think I should have to pay more for the priviledge of paying for that which I have actually used

Southern Electric are very good, just phone in the actual reading and they issue a revised bill in a couple of days.

Cardew

Raskwold wrote: »

I am seriously considering going back to quarterly settlement because of this however I do not think I should have to pay more for the priviledge of paying for that which I have actually used

I think you are looking at this from 'the wrong end of the telescope'.

The companies would argue that quarterly billing tariffs are the correct rate for a credit account, and that they offer a discount off that credit account rate for Direct Debit payment.

It makes commercial sense for them to offer that discount as it helps with cash flow and there are less problems chasing errant customers. i.e. it costs less to administer direct debit accounts!!

What you are saying is, in effect, I want the discount but not have to comply with the conditions for that discount!

Terrylw1

Estimates came in years ago because the industry went through de-reguation and it was considered far too costly to read meters every quarter.

Remember that each Supplier has to contract an agent (Data Collector) to read your meter per a schedule. Interestingly, this schedule is actual set to 6 months as standard (from my experience) so all Atlantic is doing is changing their billing to match the meter reading pattern. That doesn't make them any better than the others, however if they chase their agents to get these readings it does work out as a better system for the consumer. It also means your DD is more accurate.

The industry could easily contract it's agents to do reading every quarter for the consumers. They just raise a industry request to do it, everyone signs it off and then they send a revised schedule via data flow to the Data Collector limited to 24000 MPAN's per day in the elec market)

Of course, then the DC raises it costs considerably (they need more readers, admin staff, exception handlers, etc etc) so the Supplier has to pay most likely twice as much to them. Result = cost is passed onto you, the consumer!

So, I think you can see why they use estimates now...I hope.

Atlantic just removed their quarterly billing and replaced it with on that works with the actual meter readers schedule.

Worth noting that they can't aways get access, so they do still end up producing estimates. Look at the other thread where Andy has had problems with his meter and he had to supply readings himself as they hadn't used his ones from the meter reader.

At the end of the day, they have limited data if they can't get the readings. So, estimates are wrong. However, you have the power to correct that by submitting readings onto your bill.

The reason I'll bet you have been refused and prompted to call them id because you are entering readings which go lower, possibly even back into a previous bill. Thats a standard process for Suppliers and always has been (there own staff can't just amend stuff like that and have to do full amendments via their billing teams)


OP - your DD's are too high because your estimated readings are. How will going back to quarterly actually change the fact thst you will be sent a bill thats too high? Amend your readings and your DD will change with it.

Terrylw1

Joyful wrote: »

British Gas does advise on it's bills whether they are estimated or not. I'm also curious as to how Atlantic can guarantee meter readings every 6 months. What if you are out and refuse to call or log on with reads?

If your reads are badly wrong there may be a problem with the wrong meter or start read on your account so I would call.

Reading cycles historically were set to 6 months anyway so it's not a new claim. Npower for a start do 6 monthly readings. However, the issue is - making sure they are used. Many readings don't get used at all.

As far as access goes, thats exactly right. However, those same customers complaining about estimates would soon be complaining about having to wait in for the meter reader every quarter. So, you can't please people.

Smart metering will get rid of this issue, but it's a long way off.

In the case of the OP< it's because they are trying to enter low readings which contradict their pattern. Otherwise, customers could enter very low advances and then switch for cheaper prices or even pass the debt onto the next occupant.

tanith

I am with Scottish Gas for dual fuel and do everything online including meter readings. I receive an e-mail from them quarterly asking me to either ring or enter the new readings online and they then calculater the bill... they also read the meter every six months or so....

The website is excellent and you can look back over your years bills to see how you are doing comparable to last year its very helpful and user friendly