Power have been undercharging me for 20 months, advice please

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Cavemant
Cavemant Posts: 2 Newbie
in Energy
I am a new home owner and have been paying my bills by direct debit since I moved in. I never paid much attention to them but recently there was a delay to my billing and i checked to see how big the delayed bill was and it was extremely small.... Having now checked my actual reading compared to the estimates they have been sending I m way under... I probably owe them about £2800 over the last 20 months.

They have never asked me for access, i have never denied them to my knowledge. I have not received any letters asking for access. As far as i know they are unaware there is any issue.

Do i contact them? Or inform them? I see that back billing regulations mean that they can't chase me for bills beyond 12 months.. So do I just go on like this until they bill me? (Obviously setting money aside) the longer they don't ask the less they can ask for? How much of the liability for the bills being accurate falls on me? Any help appreciated!
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  • Cavemant
    Cavemant Posts: 2 Newbie
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    NPOWER* Joined August 2017 until now
  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,105 Forumite
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    It is rare for meters to be read these days - have you not been reading yours and sending them to nPower ?
    Never pay on an estimated bill
  • giraffe69
    giraffe69 Posts: 3,558 Forumite
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    Have you ever submitted any online readings? Are all your bills estimated?
  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,105 Forumite
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    Cavemant wrote: »
    ...................... have been paying my bills by direct debit since I moved in. .................... I probably owe them about £2800 over the last 20 months.
    ........................

    So you been paying a DD (of how much ???????) and estimate you owe £140 a month. WOW - do you live in a mansion ?
    Never pay on an estimated bill
  • t0rt0ise
    t0rt0ise Posts: 4,276 Forumite
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    The back billing regulations will not apply. Give them a meter reading and get an updated bill.
  • Merlin139
    Merlin139 Posts: 6,859 Forumite
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    If you had been submitting readings to them or you contacted them to ask for a bill then you could use the 12 month rule.

    A Direct Debit is really only an advance payment on account until you are invoiced or sent a bill/statement to balance your account.

    When you moved in who decided what rate the DD should be set at? When you say New Home Owner was it a new build? If so that might explain a low DD amount but you don't say what you were paying each month or how big the property is?

    I would contact them and find out why they have not obtained an up to date meter reading. Then set about arranging a plan to get your account up to date.
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  • Streaky_Bacon
    Streaky_Bacon Posts: 656 Forumite
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    edited 14 April 2019 at 2:52AM
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    The back billing rules will apply for any period further back than 12 months, if the OP has never submitted meter readings (apart from initial readings when opening the account) and has not blocked the supplier from taking their own readings.

    https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/ofgem-bans-suppliers-backbilling-customers-beyond-12-months
    Backbills can result from problems with a supplier’s billing system, or from suppliers estimating bills until they have an actual meter reading which may show that the customer’s consumption is higher than expected. Suppliers then send a ‘catch-up’ bill to recover the difference.
    The exception is where consumers actively prevent suppliers from taking or receiving accurate meter readings, for example by tampering with or obstructing access to the meter
    https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/who-contact-if-its-difficult-paying-energy-bills/energy-backbilling-your-rights
    The protection may not apply if you have behaved obstructively or unreasonably which prevents your supplier from accurately billing you. For example, by physically blocking more than one reasonable attempt by the supplier to take a meter reading at your property or if you have stolen gas or electricity.
    To help your supplier give you accurate bills, we recommend that you provide regular meter readings to them, and tell them when you are moving in or out of a property. But we don’t expect that not responding to a request for meter details or readings from your supplier means you are behaving obstructively or unreasonably.
  • nigelbb
    nigelbb Posts: 3,790 Forumite
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    Streaky_Bacon wrote: »
    The back billing rules will apply for any period further back than 12 months, if the OP has never submitted meter readings (apart from initial readings when opening the account) and has not blocked the supplier from taking their own readings.
    The backbilling rules apply whether or not the OP has submitted meter readings. The whole point is that the energy supplier must submit correct bills to consumers in a timely fashion & the 12 month cut off is designed to force that behaviour. If the energy supplier gets the bills wrong because they miscalculated or didn't make or ask for meter readings then when they discover the error they cannot backbill for more than 12 months.
  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,105 Forumite
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    It would be nice to hear back from the OP. We are waiting for his meter reads.

    I wonder if when he joined nPower in Aug 2017 he took out a fixed tariff or if remained on their standard tariff; or if he did take out a fix but reverted to a standard tariff in Aug 2018 when the fix ran out.

    We may never know.
    Never pay on an estimated bill
  • kazwookie
    kazwookie Posts: 13,842 Forumite
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    Are the serial numbers on the bill / estimate the same you actually have?

    Like others have said, submit the correct readings and get it sorted.

    I'd also take photos of the meter readings as well for my records.
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