Help with incorrect meter readings

Whittaker8211

Hi, 

I've had a problem with my meter readings at my previous property that has been ongoing for years now. 

The readings on my bills were estimated and nowhere near the readings I was trying to provide. When I tried to submit readings, was told they couldn't be right. I asked for an engineer to be sent and this never happened until they finally sent an engineer to fit a smart meter, the readings he took matched my own.  

This still didn't get it resolved so I contacted the ombudsman. Long story short they ruled in my favour and told the company to redo my bill from Nov 2016 to Aug 2022, which is when I moved out of the property. 

They eventually sent me a new bill but no explanation on how they arrived at the amount. It's significantly less that the original bill but can't be correct. They still believe I owe them which isn't possible, I believe they owe me money. 

From Aug 2021 to Aug 2022 alone I paid £3011, for just electricity in a 1 bedroom flat. 

Looking back even before this, my bills have always been higher than what I'm paying now on a 3 bed house during an energy crisis. 

I spoke with the ombudsman again and because their decision never stipulated that the bill had to show how they arrived at the amount, then they can't force them to do so.

It seems it's ok for the energy company to make up a number and then I'm just supposed to pay it. They've also sent this straight to debt collection company which is affecting my credit rating. 

I'm just not sure where to turn to now if the ombudsman can't help me

[Deleted User]

Welcome to the forum. Sadly, by going to The Ombudsman you have don’t have any options left. If the supplier has re-billed using the reading taken from the old meter by the smart meter installer (and you agree that this was accurate) then you will struggle to argue that the billing is incorrect. When actual readings are used, then all estimates are removed from the statement unless there have been any tariff changes when estimates are used for the tariff change dates.

What makes you think that the supplier has made up numbers?

EssexHebridean

So what was your actual reading in august 2021, and the actual closing reading in August 22 when you moved out?

How was the property heated? (I assume from what you are saying the flat was electric only - so Storage heaters - and if so were you on Economy 7, ordinary panel heaters, or special German magic dust heaters that "someone" swore blind were the most economical thing ever...spoiler alert, they're not!) 

Do you have photographs of any of the readings from either meter? And, come to that, do you have photographs of the meters themselves? 

Whittaker8211

The manually issued bill they have done has no break down of how they worked out the bill. When I emailed and asked about this, I was told there's a break down from page 3 of the bill, there isn't. 

The property was heated with a plug in electrical heater. I do have pictures of the readings from February 2022 on the original meter and a picture of the readings taken by the engineer that changed the meter in June 2022. That's why the ombudsman decided in my favour. 

The ombudsman decision is correct and I fully agree with, the issue is how the energy company can then issue a bill with no explanation of where the numbers came from and expect me to pay it

EssexHebridean

The plug in heater means that I'd say that level of bill is possible - the meter readings would confirm it though. 

You say there is no explanation of the numbers - so are they trying to bill you without quoting meter readings? If so I can't believe that can be acceptable? 

If you can let us have the actual readings that you have between those two dates then I imagine that someone will be able to work through at least a rough idea of whether the amount they are suggesting you own is somewhere close to correct though? As I say - it genuinely wouldn't surprise me though as the good old plug in heater is pretty much the most expensive way you can heat a home, sadly.