Overpayment on Estimated Heat Bill for 8 Years - England

Baldytyke88

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82086260#Comment_82086260

Which part of the information is wrong and do you have a link to the correct information?

p00hsticks

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82086145#Comment_82086145

But will the meter have been recording usage while the battery was dead ? Becasaue if not, you cannot rely on your latest reading as being a true reflectino of your actual usage

MeteredOut

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82086341#Comment_82086341

You've not provided any information - you've copy and pasted AI slop.

The relevant information has already been provided to you above, and repeated here:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/decision-reforming-suppliers-meter-inspection-obligations

It's not very well written, which is why your AI (and maybe you) got confused.

bobbycat2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82086199#Comment_82086199

I have absolutely no frame of reference of what is considered "normal" usage. I assume the meter and/or the boiler has a backup and can still record usage even if the battery dies? As I say I'm in a new build so the flat is very well insulated, plus I've spent weeks/months at a time working away from home, I turn my radiators on maybe once a year and live alone so assume my usage would be low.

bobbycat2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82086289#Comment_82086289

Yes it's a new build flat so is Eon Heat. Electricity is with another supplier and no gas.

debitcardmayhem

How do you think that you "Overpayment on Estimated Heat Bill for 8 Years - England" sorry but you aren't helping us out here.

Scot_39

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6678078/overpayment-on-estimated-heat-bill-for-8-years-england

Its pretty important we know which of the two your talking about - EOn Next or EOn Heat - as EOn Heat and heating could be referring to the division that sometimes only operates a communal heat network - and so the meter most likely refers to one on the HIU (heat exchanger from your wet loop - from the communal loop) meter on a communal block heating scheme.

Do the same bills cover heat and electric ?

Your bills should make it pretty clear.

EOn Heat

https://www.eonenergy.com/heat/help-support/about-heat.html

As opposed to EOn Next millions of us will be more familiar with

https://www.eonnext.com/

Coverage - to some extent at least yes

The good news is that both are covered - but be warned - maybe to different levels by Ofgem -

https://www.eonenergy.com/heat/help-support/about-heat.html

Under the Ofgem section

Some of their core protections include:
Fair customer billing
Standard of customer service
Effective complaints handling
Ensuring support for vulnerable customers

- and both also appear to be covered by the energy ombudsman.

https://www.energyombudsman.org/raise-dispute/e-on

The third point

"If you are with an E.ON Heat Network, you'll need to register your dispute under the name of the Heat Network."

I dont know about EOn Heats terms and conditions - their customers and another subsidiary do come up occassionally here.

See link below (but EOn Next include 2 things you could have arguably failed on - reporting of a faulty meter in a timely fashion - and failing to provide measurements monthly.

So 9500 kWh vs 22000 kWh - vs 2018 reading of 5000

So assuming full 8 years -

either just 560kWh pa for heating or was it heating / hot water too

or 2125 kWh pa.

Sadly neither is outwith ranges you might expect.

And by heat - and if EOn Heat - would that include all of your hot water too ?

I use c1100kWh a year just for hot water for 1 - and being very frugal - not too dissimilar for heating (on only 2-3 months most winters at todays high costs) more like 1300 kWh on heating modestly - so too me the first number seems low.

But everyone uses energy differenty. When I was away - weeks if not months for many years - I'd leave my home heating on higher than I do now for instance. [ Home insurers often more proscriptive about empty minimums than for occupied.]

HAve you gone back over the 8 years of statements / bills - was it ever readnig and you being billed on actual readings - and if so any idea when it broke.

And any ideas if had measurements for any of the years - how that compared - to average consumption / use - vs the 9500 kWh vs 22000 kWh claimed

Any real data - might help your case - trying to argue what was real.

Did the meter freeze or just fail to communicate / display / unreadable - so the 9500 wrong - or whether it just failed to display and/or transmit automatically - but continued to read OK so the 9500 right.

And I doubt a normal CS rep would know either.

Sorry - if was a HIU heat meter - did it communicate readings automatically. HIU meters if anything started reporting automatically even before most in UK had smart meters. Even my sisters first model in early 2010s iirc had wired comms back to a unit per floor and that to the central data collection / supplier comms unit in the basement.

Also my sisters HIU had a charge for servicing - sorry no idea of frequency - did yours ? (google AI says yes or at least maybe - but it is known to be wrong) ?

Has your HIU been inspected / serviced at all in the 8 years.

2 Year Visit Rule - not since c2016

There used t be a hard 2 year rule for conventional electric and gas - it was replaced by a non proscriptive general safety woolly worded requirement (no fixed time).

And certainly AFAIK as its external - but I'd probably notice the bins moving or having been moved around it - know ones been to my meter cabinet since I went smart electric c 2017/2018.

If EOn Heat

Found one set of the EOn Heat T&Cs here - it covers faulty / missing automatic readings - and your ability to enter manual readings and report a suspect meter - if anything its a little bit less prescriptive - than the old at least EOn Next on the subject (which like others certainly said at one time you - if able - should supply readings monthly - if not automatic/smart)

https://www.eonenergy.com/terms-and-conditions/eon-heat.html

There are things that could catch you out - but 8 years of you not noticing and 8 years of them not noticing and demanding reading and fixing things - is a potential minefield.

If this is not available We will use the average Heat and/or Cooling usage for a similar property.

If You don’t agree with Our estimate, You can submit readings online or contact Us.

That bit kind of allows them to bill you on estimates - you'd have ask the Ombudsman in the are covered by the same 12m accurate reading condition that EOn Next would be for their gas and electric meters.

And sorry I dont know - so folks - does anyone know if backbilling might apply to heat networks like EOn Heat ??

(Edit Of course if the OP was paying a DD in line with the estimates - backbilling wouldnt give a refund - its one sided protection)

Scot_39

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82086362#Comment_82086362

What about hot water ?

Taps ?

Shower - or is that electric het from cold ?

Boohoo

We will all have wait until the OP comes back with more correct info as we don't have much to go on.

WiserMiser

Welcome to the forum.

All those round kWh numbers seem very odd; are those the actual figures involved?