billing over the 1st October price reduction

amypossum

My gas supplier is So Energy.  Every month I send them a meter reading and every month they use that to bill me -- EXCEPT for September.  For that they decided to estimate my usage -- more than double the actual figure and charged me at the higher September rate.
Of course, I have complained and sent two reminders, but have received only templated automatic acknowledgements, no corrective action or apology.
They may be doing this for all customers, and other energy compnies may be doing the same -- a nice little earner.  I suggest more-than-usual care in checking September bills, and glad to hear of any other examples of this wider malpractice for when 8 weeks are up and I write to Ofgem.

QrizB

Welcome to the forum.

Have you received your October bill? Did they use your October reading, and (if so) did they recalculate your previous estimated bill?

Gerry1

Ofgem don't deal with individual complaints.  You would need to go to the Energy Ombudsman.

amypossum

many thanks for all comments.
QrizB - I have had the October bill for which my monthly reading was used.  The net result is that altogether I have been charged for the correct number of units, but they have over-chargd me units at the higher September rate and under-charged me units at the lower October rate =  units OK, ££ not OK and an extra improper profit to So.
Derwent Mailman -- no separate reading on 1 October, but not really needed as the correct split point is 30 Sept. But if that comes to a dispute it can only be a 1 or 2 unit difference.
Gerry1 - Ombudsman it will be. 

amypossum

Thanks for following up Derwent Mailman.  The bill is actually headed 31 Aug to 1 Oct. and So has estimated consumption for the whole period, then split it into 2, one for 31 Aug to 30 Sept ( 97% )  and the other for just 1 October ( 3% ) . I am not bothered by the percentage split.  The problem is that the 97% is more than double my actual September consumption, charged at the higher rate.  So when my October bill arrives, they charge me for less consumption than my actual October consumption, but at the lower rate.  Effectively, and sneakily, hoping I wouldn't notice, they have moved consumption back into the higher rate month.

QrizB

amypossum said:

.So when my October bill arrives, they charge me for less consumption than my actual October consumption, but at the lower rate.

Were all the readings (other than the opening one) estimated?

And you have received your October bill, it used your customer-submitted meter readingsto close the bill, but still used the same estimate to open it?

amypossum

Thanks QrizB.  The only estimated reading was dated 2 October.  This closed the September bill and opened the October bill.  My complaint is that this estimate is extraordinarily high, pushing too much consumption into the ( higher rate ) September bill and too lttle into the ( lower rate ) October bill -- despite my customer reading on 30 September sent to them online that day, which they have accepted every other month.  The September bill was dated 4 October, so they had my online reading in plenty of time. Something was done to the system for that one month to input an estimated reading instead of the online one submitted 30 September, and I have a strong hunch they have done this to every customer.

amypossum

All true, but the only thing that really matters whatever date(s) were or should have been used, the interposiiton of their excessive estimate has resulted in a shift into September consumption at a higher rate which should have been in October at the lower rate.

amypossum

It's an irritation to me having to go through the complaints process, but if it was done company-wide, then it's a scandal which needs publicity.  Any other So Energy customers out there ?

EssexHebridean

So what have they said when you pointed out that a reading was given? Have they asked for, or have you sent unprompted, a photograph of your meter showing that reading, and a screenshot of the reading submitted, assuming you have both? 

amypossum

Thanks again -- the 8 weeks wait expires next week, and nothing yet from So --  I'll be sending my complint  to the Ombudsman