Electricity Meter Serial No Discrepancy

ChrisB8

I receive bills from EON for a meter that has a serial number different to the one written on the meter itself. If I check this with the energy supplier and find that they have been undercharging me ('though lovely if they'd overcharged), will I be liable for any additional payments to correct the discrepancy? Any help appreciated - thank you.

Qyburn

Do the readings on the bills match what's shown on the meter?

MeteredOut

ChrisB8 said:

I receive bills from EON for a meter that has a serial number different to the one written on the meter itself. If I check this with the energy supplier and find that they have been undercharging me ('though lovely if they'd overcharged), will I be liable for any additional payments to correct the discrepancy? Any help appreciated - thank you.

You'll liable to pay for the energy you've used, but if some of it was more than 12 months from the date when you get a correct bills, you might be able to challenge that under back-billing rules.

Put in a complaint too and you could get a £30-50 account credit. Consider escalating to the energy ombudsman if you're not happy with the resolution.

ChrisB8

Qyburn said:

Do the readings on the bills match what's shown on the meter?

I'm not sure if you're referring to a smart meter (which I don't have) but the serial no shown on my EON account - under which the bills are generated etc. - is different to the one on the meter in my house.

ChrisB8

MeteredOut said:

ChrisB8 said:

I receive bills from EON for a meter that has a serial number different to the one written on the meter itself. If I check this with the energy supplier and find that they have been undercharging me ('though lovely if they'd overcharged), will I be liable for any additional payments to correct the discrepancy? Any help appreciated - thank you.

You'll liable to pay for the energy you've used, but if some of it was more than 12 months from the date when you get a correct bills, you might be able to challenge that under back-billing rules.

Put in a complaint too and you could get a £30-50 account credit. Consider escalating to the energy ombudsman if you're not happy with the resolution.

Thank you. Although I only noticed this discrepancy recently, I'll check my bill history (going back some years) and see if they show the same serial no. Then I'll put in a complaint if necessary.

Phones4Chris

It doesn't matter what type of meter you have, do the  readings on a recent bill match the readings on your meter?
If they do, then you haven't been undercharged (or overcharged). It'll be just an admin thing with the meter details. You should also check your MPAN is correct. It may be a good idea to check with your DNO, (Network Operator - that's the people responsible for the cables in your region) what meter details and MPAN they have recorded for your address.
Use https://www.energynetworks.org/customers/find-my-network-operator to check who is your DNO (if you don't know), then go to their website to check your details

gm0

Check it's yours (kettle/immersion on - flashing faster)
Check MPAN sticker matches (competitive market ID) and address OK

The plate number has no function in billing.  It's a handy visible ID from the days before competition to check a meter type and register that it is the one being requested by/for/with a customer. And an asset tag ID for "certified life" list.  Meter reader in those days could also use it to read the "right" one prompted to get a reading on their handheld (handy in flats)

Remember register changes = billable kWH.  (Usage x Rates) + (Days x SC) + Taxes = charges

The scenario where a meter was swapped - but a swap was not recorded properly - that could cause billing problems

Old Meter A 520, 620, 720
New Meter B 020

The 020 in my example could be taken as usage increment from 720 so 300.  Where ~100 was correct.  If it passes validation for reasonable bounds it will get billed - if the system *doesn't know* the meter was swapped.  A customer own read of 020 would be exactly this if the billing system knows nothing of the swap.   An official meter reader should (but may not) spot the issue upon a visit

With a meter exchange done - but not recorded on the systems   The billing plate number remains consistent with the old known.  And the on site one is now different.  You may not know or remember when it could have happened - particularly if external meter box.  Commissioning stickers with dates are common though.

A proper billing system with the meter change recorded would use the end read and usage on the old meter and then the new usage from the start read on the new one.  And bill usage correctly across the register change. 
But it can only do that if it knows about it.  So the opportunity to muck this up exists if the meter operator contractor gets data collection wrong or it gets lost along the way

The size of a "rollover" of a register which has gone backwards with a new meter obviously varies a lot.  Some will escape notice.  Others will fail billing and prompt investigation.  Usage thresholds are quite broad.

If there is an issue here.  Then you need a metering specialist, a stack of bills and reading histories. Visible addresses and MPANs and plate numbers.  Frontline CS won't in many cases be up to sorting this out.

Phones4Chris

@ChrisBB Just to clarify some of the above. The MPAN that the DNO have recorded will NOT change. That should appear on your old bills and the same one on your new bills. You may have only one now, but had two in the past if you have/had E7/E10 and had complex metering (more than one meter), but whichever one, it should still be on both old and new bills.
If the DNO have the current meter recorded correctly, then this is definitely an installer/supplier mess up, if not it sounds like it's all the installers fault!