Asked to pay to cover incorrect bills?
I did have a scout of the forums to see if this has been raised before but I couldn’t see it so…
I recently gave my energy supplier an up to date meter reading for gas and electric following a December bill that was a bit steep for small six room bungalow (although December was a chilly one).
They delighted me with a bill for £840 a few days ago.
On inquiring via an online chat they said (in a far too complicated way) that they had taken my new reading and worked back to the opening of my account and said that since moving into the property I had used £1765 of energy but had been billed by them only for £887 in total and that the £840 was the outstanding amount they had not billed us (taking into account dual fuel saver rate).
They said no meter readings had been provided by us (I’m sure we have but kept no record) and that we never provided a meter reading to them when we moved in (girlfriend certain she did as she read it from the letting agent check in sheet only to be told to go out and look at the meter, she had to get dressed whilst on the phone to do so and sticks in her mind).
I asked about third-party meter readers and was told that meters were read every three months or so.
They couldn’t really explain how with regular third-party readings they have managed to be so far out with how much they charged. Essentially 50%. At one pint the said it didn’t look like some of the bills had taken any readings into account(??)
We have paid every bill we have ever had and at one point had to call them as they hadn’t sent one in some time only to be told we hadn’t been billed as we were in credit.
I’m sitting down to calculate what I think we owe vs what they say we do but can they demand this payment given that we have paid every bill they have issued based on third party meter readings over twenty months?
I’m all for paying for what we used but this feels like I’ve purchased a TV from a shop only to have them knock at my door later and say they should have charged me double and they want the money.
Has anybody had any experience of this?
I recently gave my energy supplier an up to date meter reading for gas and electric following a December bill that was a bit steep for small six room bungalow (although December was a chilly one).
They delighted me with a bill for £840 a few days ago.
On inquiring via an online chat they said (in a far too complicated way) that they had taken my new reading and worked back to the opening of my account and said that since moving into the property I had used £1765 of energy but had been billed by them only for £887 in total and that the £840 was the outstanding amount they had not billed us (taking into account dual fuel saver rate).
They said no meter readings had been provided by us (I’m sure we have but kept no record) and that we never provided a meter reading to them when we moved in (girlfriend certain she did as she read it from the letting agent check in sheet only to be told to go out and look at the meter, she had to get dressed whilst on the phone to do so and sticks in her mind).
I asked about third-party meter readers and was told that meters were read every three months or so.
They couldn’t really explain how with regular third-party readings they have managed to be so far out with how much they charged. Essentially 50%. At one pint the said it didn’t look like some of the bills had taken any readings into account(??)
We have paid every bill we have ever had and at one point had to call them as they hadn’t sent one in some time only to be told we hadn’t been billed as we were in credit.
I’m sitting down to calculate what I think we owe vs what they say we do but can they demand this payment given that we have paid every bill they have issued based on third party meter readings over twenty months?
I’m all for paying for what we used but this feels like I’ve purchased a TV from a shop only to have them knock at my door later and say they should have charged me double and they want the money.
Has anybody had any experience of this?
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Comments
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This is exactly why I record all my meter readings in a spreadsheet, in case this happens to me. It's also why I have a lot of meter reading confirmation emails - that's my proof that I submitted the readings.0
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How far back in time are we talking about ?
Have you had bills from your supplier and are they plastered with E for Estimated ?
I rather think you have not been on the ball and are are paying a penalty for your own poor record keeping.
PS 3 months reading by meter readings is a "porky"Never pay on an estimated bill0 -
First time I have ever actually had to pay any energy bills due to previous living arrangements and I will admit that its been an eye opener and a wake up in terms of future record keeping. But I do have the figures to accurately calculate my usage to see what it was.
Robin9 we're talking 20 months, and I obtained all third-party meter readings and they are every three months(ish).
As I said I'm happy to pay what I have used, and can accurately ascertain what that should be and can provide proof of what that is.
My question is that if a consumer has paid all bills which have been issued by a supplier based on readings taken by a third-party can they demand a payment when they think they are out on the estimation by 50%.0 -
All meter readings are by a third party - none of the suppliers employ their own meter readers.
Look at your bills do they say A, E or C against the readings ?
List your readings as shown on your bills please.Never pay on an estimated bill0 -
Very few if any supply companies read their meters quarterly although most provide a quarterly bill based on what they estimate that you've used.
It's actually up to you to go and read the meter everytime a bill comes in or to check their on-line accounts to make sure that it's correct and that the estimated reading is the same as the actual meter reading and to get it corrected if if it isn't.
If you dont do this and just accept estimated readings (usually marked with a big E next to the reading) it's quite easy to end up £100's in arrears.
A peruse of this forum will show that the most common whinge on here is because they haven't been checking their bills properly and a big catch-up bill has dropped through the door after an actual meter readNever under estimate the power of stupid people in large numbers0 -
So the answer is "yes they can".
Thank you for your help.0 -
They do Robin, currently Npower and SSE own and run their own meter reading set ups and Eon do for small parts of the Midlands up to Lincolnshire.All meter readings are by a third party - none of the suppliers employ their own meter readers.
Look at your bills do they say A, E or C against the readings ?
List your readings as shown on your bills please.
Rumour mill is saying that Npower meter readers are all moving over to us lot at MDS this year.
Only BG read meters quarterly and only for a section of their customers. Npower/Eon/SSE come 6 monthly. The rest of the small supplier s may turn up once in a blue moon or never0 -
I've just had Eon come around the second time in 3 months even though I submitted meter readings prior to both visits, which were used in both quarterly bills, and also every month in between. Up until last November they'd not been out for some time. I hope this isn't a return to them turning up albut every quarter as happened a couple of years back.House_Martin wrote: »Npower/Eon/SSE come 6 monthly. The rest of the small supplier s may turn up once in a blue moon or never0 -
Thank you House Martin for the info.
I'm with SSE and await their meter readerNever pay on an estimated bill0
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