Issue with new energy supplier

cireland · 1 October 2018 at 2:18PM

Hi,

Looking for a bit of help here because my old energy company and the new energy company are passing the buck.

I left GreenStar Energy on the 2nd Sept this year, and joined EON, the actual switch went fine no delays etc, however, I was told I would get an email when I needed to confirm meter readings with EON. I received the email after the service was live, logged into my account to give the new readings and noticed that the gas reading was way out, it was estimated at 02398 and my meter was showing at 02102 so a fair bit out...

Anyhow, I tried to submit the readings as asked it said there was a problem and someone would be in touch, I decided to give them a call, explaining the meter reading they estimated was too high. I took a photo on the 23rd of September to prove my reading. In the meantime, I contacted GreenStar Energy who put a complaint on the system that I was disputing the meter reading and the final bill and they would hold off 1 month from sending the final bill whilst this got sorted. I contacted EON who took all my details and said they would change the national database all firms use to get readings on customers when they switch.

Low and behold today Green star billed me and took the money from my account with the inflated gas readings and told me it is not their fault and I need to contact my new supplier. My new supplier is saying they got their readings from Green Star and I need to speak to them... Basically, I am being passed around the houses no one is taking ownership and I am left out of pocket by probably £40-50 quid...

Any help would be much appreciated...

Chris

wavelets · 1 October 2018 at 2:26PM

cireland wrote: »

Hi,

Looking for a bit of help here because my old energy company and the new energy company are passing the buck.

I left GreenStar Energy on the 2nd Sept this year, and joined EON, the actual switch went fine no delays etc, however, I was told I would get an email when I needed to confirm meter readings with EON. I received the email after the service was live, logged into my account to give the new readings and noticed that the gas reading was way out, it was estimated at 02398 and my meter was showing at 02102 so a fair bit out...

Anyhow, I tried to submit the readings as asked it said there was a problem and someone would be in touch, I decided to give them a call, explaining the meter reading they estimated was too high. I took a photo on the 23rd of September to prove my reading. In the meantime, I contacted GreenStar Energy who put a complaint on the system that I was disputing the meter reading and the final bill and they would hold off 1 month from sending the final bill whilst this got sorted. I contacted EON who took all my details and said they would change the national database all firms use to get readings on customers when they switch.

Low and behold today Green star billed me and took the money from my account with the inflated gas readings and told me it is not their fault and I need to contact my new supplier. My new supplier is saying they got their readings from Green Star and I need to speak to them... Basically, I am being passed around the houses no one is taking ownership and I am left out of pocket by probably £40-50 quid...

Any help would be much appreciated...

Chris

Until you can get the suppliers to agree on a revised final/start meter reading I don't see you have any cause for complaint.

Remember, whatever you have paid the old supplier, you will not have to pay the new supplier. (assuming the prices were the same)

In actual fact, I wouldn't mind suggesting that you new tariff is more expensive than your old tariff, so a higher start reading would actually work out in your favour. (Prices have increased sharply over the last 12 months)

If you pursue this complaint, and it gets accepted, you will end up shooting yourself in the foot.

I don't follow how you estimate you are possibly £50 out of pocket. Please explain how you reached this conclusion.

If you are correct, and you do decide to pursue this matter, and your complaint is accepted , then new bills will be provided with the appropriate adjustments. That would be when you can expect to have the credit (if any) held by the old supplier refunded.

Your new supplier is responsible for managing the switch application completely. It is only they that you needed to provide meter readings to (albeit you say they didn't request them from you) and it is they that pass the readings back to the old supplier for final billing purposes.(albeit via an independent meter reading agency)

You can find the Eon complsint procedure (your new supplier) here:
https://www.eonenergy.com/for-your-home/help-and-support/complaints

System · 1 October 2018 at 2:38PM

wavelets wrote: »

I don't follow how you estimate you are possibly £50 out of pocket. Please explain how you reached this conclusion.

The OP is correct: the losing supplier may well have been paid for energy that it did not supply. That said, you are correct in saying that the only issue here is the difference in the cost which will not amount to that much - and it might have been in the OP’s favour.

OP - had you said nothing your new supplier would only have billed you the daily standing charge until your meter reading exceeded the opening reading. However, what is done is done. If the difference is more than 1200 kWh for gas, or 250 kWh for electricity, between what has been used to close and open your accounts and what is showing on your meters then the dispute can be escalated into what is known as An Agreed Readings Dispute. Sadly, because the energy industry works at the speed of a sloth, suppliers will often tell you that an ARD can take up to 12 weeks to resolve.

cireland · 1 October 2018 at 2:39PM

Thanks for your reply, perhaps I didn't make it clear enough as I am not sure how I would be shooting myself in the foot or don't have cause for complaint.

My gas energy use is 02102 EON have estimated it at 02398 and therefore my old supplier sent me a bill for energy use of the higher number so I have paid for close to 300 units of gas I have not used.

Are you suggesting that until our meter reads higher than the figure quoted above EON is not going to be able to charge me for GAS? Because it is my old supplier that has taken more than they should not EON.

We do use a lot of GAS as our home is a solid brick wall so it needs it, I went with EON as they had one of the lowest GAS traffic and equally decent (if energy bills can ever be decent) Electric charges.

cireland · 1 October 2018 at 2:41PM

Hengus wrote: »

The OP is correct: the losing supplier may well have been paid for energy that it did not supply. That said, you are correct in saying that the only issue here is the difference in the cost which will not amount to that much - and it might have been in the OP’s favour.

OP - had you said nothing your new supplier would only have billed you the daily standing charge until your meter reading exceeded the opening reading. However, what is done is done. If the difference is more than 1200 kWh for gas, or 250 kWh for electricity, between what has been used to close and open your accounts and what is showing on your meters then the dispute can be escalated into what is known as An Agreed Readings Dispute. Sadly, because the energy industry works at the speed of a sloth, suppliers will often tell you that an ARD can take up to 12 weeks to resolve.

Ok I understand now - well they don't seem like they are interested.. so perhaps I will just be charged standing charged until it corrects itself? - Should I just leave it until end of Oct for my new supplier bill to see what they do?

cireland · 1 October 2018 at 2:47PM

Ok so literally since I have updated this I got an email from EON with my new bill from 3rd Sept to 23rd Sept and they have added another more gas usage to the bill and charged me.

driving me crazy.

wavelets · 1 October 2018 at 2:50PM

cireland wrote: »

Thanks for your reply, perhaps I didn't make it clear enough as I am not sure how I would be shooting myself in the foot or don't have cause for complaint.

My gas energy use is 02102 EON have estimated it at 02398 and therefore my old supplier sent me a bill for energy use of the higher number so I have paid for close to 300 units of gas I have not used.

Are you suggesting that until our meter reads higher than the figure quoted above EON is not going to be able to charge me for GAS? Because it is my old supplier that has taken more than they should not EON.

We do use a lot of GAS as our home is a solid brick wall so it needs it, I went with EON as they had one of the lowest GAS traffic and equally decent (if energy bills can ever be decent) Electric charges.

300 units is about 3300kWh of gas.

At say 3p/kwh you may have been charged by your old supplier, that would cost £99

At say 4p/kwh the new supplier would eventually charge you for this same gas, that would end up costing you £132

That is £33 more for the same gas if you pursue this claim.

Yes, you will not be charged by two different suppliers for the same gas. The final reading of the old supplier must be exactly the same as the start reading of the new supplier. If you are sucessful in your complaint, any adjustment to the reading will affect both suppliers.

wavelets · 1 October 2018 at 2:53PM

cireland wrote: »

Ok so literally since I have updated this I got an email from EON with my new bill from 3rd Sept to 23rd Sept and they have added another more gas usage to the bill and charged me.

driving me crazy.

Oh dear. Too late. You will now have to pay the presumably higher charges Eon have applied (as requested), and can expect a refund of the lower charges Greenstar initially would have applied (since they charged you at last years, lower prices)

System · 1 October 2018 at 3:14PM

cireland wrote: »

Ok so literally since I have updated this I got an email from EON with my new bill from 3rd Sept to 23rd Sept and they have added another more gas usage to the bill and charged me.

driving me crazy.

The gaining supplier has the Licence obligation to manage all aspects of a transfer of supply. Provide them with photographs of your meters (make sure the photographs show the readings and the meter serial numbers). Ask the gaining supplier to raise an Agreed Readings Dispute. Both suppliers will then use the revised readings to adjust your opening and final statements.

cireland · 1 October 2018 at 3:21PM

Thanks I will ask them to raise the dispute..

wavelts actually my new gar is cheaper, I am paying 2.82, according to my bill I was paying 3.97 with Greenstar energy.

wavelets · 1 October 2018 at 3:37PM

cireland wrote: »

Thanks I will ask them to raise the dispute..

wavelts actually my new gar is cheaper, I am paying 2.82, according to my bill I was paying 3.97 with Greenstar energy.

Well that was a very poor decision you made moving to Greenstar last year. :doh:

Edit: The cost of gas on the Green Star Rate Saver 12M Fixed MSE tariff (being the tariff you indicated you selected when you joined this site last year) was 2.817p in the East Midlands supply region (standing charge was 18.375p per day)
Prices may have varied slightly by region, but I doubt by as much as almost 50% :cool:

Issue with new energy supplier

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