Switching? Don't pay for units at higher prices

top.position

I recently switched gas and electric to a new supplier when Southern Electric put up their prices (effective 1 April).

Imagine my surprise when I opened my final bills to find that the whole of my usage from the previous meter reading until the final reading had been averaged out at a constant daily rate.

I was outraged. My usage, like most other people's, decreases as the days get longer and warmer. There was nothing in the bill to take account of this. In fact, using a simple spreadsheet, I found I had been charged for slightly higher usage after the price rise than before.

I immediately emailed the director of customer service (having twice failed to get through on the phone) to tell them I was disputing the bills and would pay for the units used at the lower rate only. I pointed out that they had taken no account of differing usage at different times of the year and could not establish when the units had been used. I also questioned whether they bought their energy using the same model of constant use over a period of months.

Result - after making sure they couldn't just take the money anyway (cancelled direct debits) I got a phone call from a customer service rep agreeing that they would bill me at the pre-increase price.

Cardew

Under the new ruling by the Regulator you have to be billed at the pre-increase prices if you notify the losing company that you intend to leave.

The companies now have several weeks after the implementaion of a price rise to formally notify you of that rise.(64 days from memory)

e.g.
Price rise on 01 April.
You recieve formal notification on, say 01 May.
You then apply to change to another company.

You must be charged at the pre 01 April tariff until you leave the company.

The averaging out is another issue and in your case I assume it was(wrongly) done manually. There is a sophisticated algorith used when the allocation of pre/post price rise consumption is apportioned by 'The Computer'. This takes into account the weather and seasonal adjustments.