Final bill and failed dispute

elkaelka · 6 October 2016 at 10:12PM

I've left EDF to go to SSE. Was on the standard rate and they've sent me a bill for £80 based on an estimate. I sent my meter readings to SSE and they say they have lost them or somehow they didn't get to EDF.
I raised a meter reading dispute but apparently the difference is not great enough for it to be accepted.
But using the actual meter readings would have made my last bill with EDF around £45 which to me is quite a bit of money, considering that I live alone.
SSE have offered me £20 to credit my account but that doesn't really please me. and they keep telling me that the difference is £17 on their end and I can't work out how they've got this £17 figure. And even so, if they'd sent the actual meter readings that I provided when I was required to, I would be paying a final bill of £45!

Any advice or thoughts welcome. Not sure what to do next.

Cardew · 6 October 2016 at 10:35PM

Welcome to the forum.

This sort of dispute often happens, and many times it is because the customer tries to 'fudge' the meter readings in their favour i.e. if they are going to a cheaper tariff they submit lower meter readings.(obviously not suggesting you are doing the same)

The losing company(EDF) will sometimes dispute readings and the gaining company(SSE) will have to reach a compromise - which they have done.

If you are still not happy with their £20 goodwill gesture, you can raise a formal complaint and if the matter is not solved to your satisfaction, after 8 weeks you can take the case to the Energy Ombudsman.

elkaelka · 6 October 2016 at 11:04PM

hmm I get that but it is frustrating. I even have photographs of the readings as they flash up on the meter!
it seems that there is not much that I can do *sigh*
Thanks for the welcome x

footyguy · 7 October 2016 at 4:16PM

elkaelka wrote: »

I've left EDF to go to SSE. Was on the standard rate and they've sent me a bill for £80 based on an estimate. I sent my meter readings to SSE and they say they have lost them or somehow they didn't get to EDF.
I raised a meter reading dispute but apparently the difference is not great enough for it to be accepted.
But using the actual meter readings would have made my last bill with EDF around £45 which to me is quite a bit of money, considering that I live alone.
SSE have offered me £20 to credit my account but that doesn't really please me. and they keep telling me that the difference is £17 on their end and I can't work out how they've got this £17 figure. And even so, if they'd sent the actual meter readings that I provided when I was required to, I would be paying a final bill of £45!

Any advice or thoughts welcome. Not sure what to do next.

What you don't pay one supplier, you'll have to pay the other (according to their tariff)

So what is the actual difference in costs of the 2 tariffs for the consumption you dispute?

Unfortunately, as you have discovered, suppliers are only obligated to consider complaints in situations such as these over a specific threshold value (and it sounds like you are probably way under that)
On that basis, there would be no point going to the ombudsman either.

Take the £20 whilst it is still on the table

Cardew · 7 October 2016 at 4:23PM

elkaelka wrote: »

hmm I get that but it is frustrating. I even have photographs of the readings as they flash up on the meter!
it seems that there is not much that I can do *sigh*
Thanks for the welcome x

Just a thought. When did you send those meter readings to SSE?

Don't forget that you will still be with EDF for some while(weeks) after you have applied to switch to SSE.

Autumnella · 8 October 2016 at 3:35PM

The difference is only £17 because you would have still had to pay SSE for the extra units that EDF have billed you for. I'm surprised it's as high as £17 to be honest.
If you can't pay the final £80 bill in full EDF will let you pay in instalments.
The initial reads need to be provided within 4 days of the supply switchover date otherwise they won't be taken into consideration and estimates will be used.
For electricity if the difference in actual reads and estimated reads is less than 250 units or for gas less that 37 units (imperial) or 105 units (metric) it is within tolerance and there is not enough difference to raise a dispute and change this.

SammenForLivet2 · 10 October 2016 at 1:25PM

Would you be willing to share your readings here? E.G: 12345 and 12600? Not the photos, just the actual numbers.

Also, if gas is involved, please let us know if your meter is in feet (normally 4 digits) or metric (normally five digits).

Then, we'll be able to let you know the best way to move forward.

matelodave · 10 October 2016 at 3:59PM

Am I being thick but I would have assumed that even if the reading was estimated it should be used by both companies so that you don't pay for the energy twice. What is "tolerance" supposed to mean

250 units of leccy is around £25-30 which is a lot for a customer to stump up just because the energy companies can't or won't agree to use the same reading.

Cardew · 10 October 2016 at 5:15PM

matelodave wrote: »

Am I being thick but I would have assumed that even if the reading was estimated it should be used by both companies so that you don't pay for the energy twice. What is "tolerance" supposed to mean

250 units of leccy is around £25-30 which is a lot for a customer to stump up just because the energy companies can't or won't agree to use the same reading.

I think that 'tolerance' in this context is the level at which the gaining company won't dispute the meter readings. e.g. if I give my meter reading to gaining company as, say, 10000 if the losing company estimate the reading to be, say, 10200(ie 200kWh higher) then the gaining company will accept 10200 as the reading.

However as you state, both gaining and losing companies must use meter reading 10200 as the start and final meter reading respectively. If the gaining company were say 1p/kWh cheaper it would only mean a difference of £2

Final bill and failed dispute

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