Outfox The Market

BigBear68

HillStreetBlues said:

BigBear68 said:

Coming to the end of my first year with them and 99% sure I will be renewing again with Outfox, bills are sent on time and my DD has never changed from the original estimate. I have only had cause to ring them once at the beginning of my contract as I had made a mistake with my estimated gas usage, the call was answered promptly and my mistake quickly rectified. Like most services some people love certain companies and some loathe them, I'm a believer in giving everyone one chance and judging the service myself.

That's only good if it matches the bills.

It has indeed matched the bills, went slightly into debit during the winter naturally but in credit now with one month left.

worriedowner

OTM are adamant that even though the smart meter was faulty in not sending readings automatically, a manual reading taken by the engineer when it was replaced must be correct and that there must have been usage that we have not acknowledged such as an immersion heater left on. But the circumstances mean that this cannot be the case as nothing changed between the period when the faulty smart meter was in operation and the subsequent periods when there is a working smart meter, which shows usage consistent with the circumstances, just a fridge running and lights from brief visits. And nothing had changed from the immediately prior period either when the original non-smart meter also showed lower usage. So, if OTM are correct then just for the period when the faulty meter was in place we used significantly more energy-consuming appliances then we know about. But we only went there once for an afternoon in this period and we know this cannot be the case. 

We are not sure where to go with this as it is their assertion against our word. How would the Ombudsman view this?  Will they accept that even where the smart meter is not sending automatic readings the manual reading must be accurate? Thanks

QrizB

worriedowner said:

We are not sure where to go with this as it is their assertion against our word. How would the Ombudsman view this?  Will they accept that even where the smart meter is not sending automatic readings the manual reading must be accurate? Thanks

I would expect the Ombudsman to treat the manual readings as accurate, unless you have evidence that they aren't.

And, from what you've said, you don't have evidence.

worriedowner

I would expect the Ombudsman to treat the manual readings as accurate, unless you have evidence that they aren't.

And, from what you've said, you don't have evidence.

I am not sure how anyone could ever have definitive evidence to displace a manual reading as the energy company will just maintain that the reading is accurate, But we have circumstantial evidence based on the fact that the usage based on meter readings dropped immediately after the new properly functioning meter was installed. There is no other plausible explanation for the much higher usage during the period that the faulty meter was installed as nobody had entered the flat to change any of the appliances that might use high amounts of energy, which given the level of use reported could only really be the heating. So, if that was the case how did the use drop dramatically once the new meter was fitted?