Can companies change the numbers like in the post office scam

Breadrunner

Hi all,

I have a hard time trusting my mothers energy company , they have been charging her silly amounts like over double what they need to at times so she has built up a credit, last year I tried to get a refund for her and after giving them everything they needed I suddenly had a massive negative charge of over £3500 to which i was told this delays things as someone had to rectify the "mistake" next thing they are asking for pictures of meter readings again even though it was only a few weeks since I had provided them.

My question is what if they are playing with the numbers, I'm not to know and I'd have no way of finding out if what they are saying is true or not, so now I'm not entirely sure of what to do, can I ask the ombudsman to investigate to put my mind at rest for my mother? I have agreed to giving yet another meter reading to them but am even thinking about changing supplier to force it through that way although it still leaves me with doubt that the numbers are correct.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and appreciate any help/suggestions 

ic

Is any energy company cheating you?  No
Is any energy company incompetent?  Absolutely
Can you complain to the ombudsman? Only after you have submit a formal complaint to your energy company, and they've responded with a final answer.

vic_sf49

@Breadrunner said " My question is what if they are playing with the numbers, I'm not to know and I'd have no way of finding out if what they are saying is true or not"..

... well you're taking meter readings, and submitting meter readings, so just check that they are what is on the bill.

If you don't like or trust the energy supplier, then switch.

Robin9

If you are proceeding with a complaint you need to be sure of your numbers.

Is the cause of the problem due to meter reading ?  Does she have a Smart Meter or do you provide manual readings. ?

EssexHebridean

Of course you can tell if your mother is being charged correctly - compare the readings you have taken (and kept a note of, I presume?) and compare with what it being billed. A bit of straightforward maths later and you’ll have your answer. 

Conflating a failure to understand energy company billing with the post office scandal is nothing short of ludicrous, quite honestly. No amount of educating themselves could have saved the post office employees from having their lives destroyed. 

Breadrunner

Sorry I should have clarified....

It's regarding this negative charge of £3500 which they rectified by just adding charges for gas and electric, just random high amount numbers with no explanation and certainly not tallying up with the figures on my  mothers meter 

QrizB

Breadrunner said:

... just random high amount numbers with no explanation and certainly not tallying up with the figures on my  mothers meter 

Ok, let's approach this logically.

What is the period (the dates) where the bills are in dispute?

Immediately before that period, what were the meter readings and date?

What do the same meters read today?

What tariff(s) and which supplier(s)?

If the meters have been replaced, what were the closing readings on the old meters? Were the new meters brand-new and did they begin at zero?

Gerry1

It's unclear (to me at least) whether you are complaining that

• a Fixed DD is too high and she has been building up an excessive amount of credit; or
• the kWh charges are too high because the meter readings are wrong.

Note that some companies collect DDs each month but calculate bills only at three or six monthly intervals.  This can give a misleading picture because at say Month 5 you appear to have a large credit balance but then in Month 6 they bill for six months' usage so the credit balance is wiped out and you're unexpectedly in debit.

Spoonie_Turtle

Breadrunner said:

… can I ask the ombudsman to investigate to put my mind at rest for my mother? 

Just to make you aware, the ombudsman does not investigate.  They consider evidence submitted by both parties when there is a complaint, and make a decision in favour of one party based on that. 

(And as already mentioned by another member, you can only go down that route if you've already exhausted the complaints process with the supplier and not reached a satisfactory resolution.)

Breadrunner

Like i said its all very confusing,

I just went through all statements over the year and there are many adjustments related to old bills dated 2022 which I thought I read they weren't allowed to do over a certain time, all these adjustments as dates that she would have been charged that month for her usage so I cant understand where all these come from, this is why I say it's almost as if they are just messed up, one day she had £3,000 in reverse charges and it looks like the company have just fiddled with the numbers to get close to no deficit as possible, how do I know these are legit? 

Breadrunner

Also she lives in a 4 bed house with 2 people and very little electrics where as myself live in a 4 bed house with 7 occupants many devices much technology and yet our bills are about £30 a month different, I find it difficult to see how this is the case.