Big gap in meter reads

DullGreyGuy

Could make excuses but lets get to the nub of it... moved into a dual fuel property without smart meters 4.5 years ago and setup with Avro. Obviously gave the opening meter reads and I think one other about 6 months later but think its probably been about 4 years since they got any real readings.

Fast forward, Avro went bust just after we left the UK for a 6 month break and Octopus took over whilst we were away.

I have done readings with the price increases coming up and probably no surprise the meter reads are nothing like the estimates that Octopus or Avro had made.

Gas: 1,800 m3 below estimate
Electricity: 1,900 kwh above estimate

Having submitted the reads they've already generated a revised electricity bill with the extra being billed at the current rate but done nothing with the gas reading. If they were to do the same then its an over £3k refund if I have done my sums right which is clearly much more than I've paid them in the 11 months or so they've been the supplier for. 

Any ideas of what they are supposed to do with a painful customer like me? Would love to get a smart electric meter (gas is too far from it to work) but Avro refused to entertain the question. 

MWT

I think the gas numbers are going to be less than you estimate there.

1800m3 = 20,000kWh roughly.

No matter how Octopus spread that over-estimate backwards, the gas rate used is going to a blend of the rates over the last 11 months which will be well below 7p/kWh so you are looking at less than £1,400.

If we assume it is spread roughly equally (even though it should be weighted to the cheaper initial 6 months with higher use over winter) that would be roughly 5.5p/kWh so £1,100.

DullGreyGuy

Thanks @MWT but I guess that is the nub of the question... can they choose to say the 1,900 electricity shortfall should all be charged at the prevailing rate (28.22p) but say that the 20,000 gas overpayment should be based on a blended rate?

I appreciate the issue is largely created by me but it feels the same treatment should apply to both. 

PS. yes, totally misread the unit price for the gas but still £1,400 would be more than the total paid for gas and electric to date to them. 

lisyloo

They do have an obligation to check meters periodically as well, so that might be a factor you can “use”.

MWT

DullGreyGuy said:

Thanks @MWT but I guess that is the nub of the question... can they choose to say the 1,900 electricity shortfall should all be charged at the prevailing rate (28.22p) but say that the 20,000 gas overpayment should be based on a blended rate?

Both should be estimated backwards at the prevailing rates and bills regenerated from your initial opening readings, if there have been no other meter readings during that time.

... but if they do the same as your electricity, that would still only give you a credit of around £1,500, not £3,000 (assuming you have remained on the default flexible tariff)

MWT

lisyloo said:

They do have an obligation to check meters periodically as well, so that might be a factor you can “use”.

Only been with them 11 months, so nothing useful to be gained there as the obligation is to bill accurately once a year.

MWT

DullGreyGuy said:

PS. yes, totally misread the unit price for the gas but still £1,400 would be more than the total paid for gas and electric to date to them. 

I wouldn't worry about that part, if as it turns out, the opening reading was wrong, Octopus may still have the option to reclaim the cost of that error under the SoLR scheme, not sure if that is still a possibility or not, but either way, it is something for Octopus to worry about, not you.

... for future reference, this is why suppliers ask for meter readings during the SoLR process...

Mobtr

It’s probably been easier to update your electricity if the reading is higher than the initial, just gets billed to date. Different with the gas as the initial reading is probably higher than the reading you’ve given now so will need to be adjusted back on your old supplier final bills via SoLR adjustment 

LindsayT

MWT said:

lisyloo said:

They do have an obligation to check meters periodically as well, so that might be a factor you can “use”.

Only been with them 11 months, so nothing useful to be gained there as the obligation is to bill accurately once a year.

@MWT, unusual for you but I think you've misread something. OP has not given a reading for 4 years.

DullGreyGuy

LindsayT said:

MWT said:

lisyloo said:

They do have an obligation to check meters periodically as well, so that might be a factor you can “use”.

Only been with them 11 months, so nothing useful to be gained there as the obligation is to bill accurately once a year.

@MWT, unusual for you but I think you've misread something. OP has not given a reading for 4 years.

But that was 3.1 years with Avro and 11 months with Octopus... guessing MWT is saying you cannot blame Octopus for Avro's failings.

pochase

What is the reading used for the final invoice from Avro?