4 Comments Posted on February 19th, 2010 by admin

Dispute over electric bill?

Category: Hot air Ballons

Dispute over electric bill?
I am currently with Utility Warehouse for my gas and electric and have been for 3 years. I have never had any problems till now!!!
I pay direct debit every month for my gas which is £40 a month and electric is £30 a month, they always give me a monthly usage which is never over what i pay, give or take a couple of pounds..
I always give them meter readings every few months and nothing has ever really changed.
I recieved my feb bill yesterday and my usage for electric was £99!!!!!!! i have checked the meter readings on the bill and it stated from 31-12-09 till 14-01-10 meter reading was 22890 and units used was 680!!!!
I have taken my meter reading myself and it was 23181!!! yes it higher then what they have put but workng out the units used from 14-01-10 at 22890 and the reading i took on the 13-02-10 (a months usage) is only 290 units for the month…
I have contacted utility warehouse and questioned as to why in a month would i use £99 worth of electric, i havent used or changed anything new and i live alone…
There answer was from the estimated readings and from the actual meter reading they took on the 14-01-10 means i have used £99!!!!
This startled me because my meters are kept outside in a locked shed ansd i only have the key!!!!! so no one has been to my house to take a reading..
they started to argue this with me and said " well someone else who has access must of let them in"!!! I obviosuly stated thats impossible as i live alone and there isnt anyone else!!!!!
They wouldnt listen and said end off this is what i have used!!! even when i mentioned for the month of 14-011-10 to 13-02-10 it was only 290 units used so how can i go from one month using 680 to then next only using 290!!!!!
Can someone give me some advise because they were not interested in speaking to me

Estimated readings are based on the fact that they could not get to your meter to read it. So they estimate then the next month if they read them and they have over charged you they deduct that amount. It happens all the time if you live in colder and inclement weather towns and cities.
They must have acces to your meter to read it, if not they estimate they have no other choice.
Actually I wish I had that amount to pay for lights and heat. WOW that is very cheap. Our heat alone is 350 bucks and the lights are 150 a month. Nut if you do have a discrepancy with your reading cal them and ask them to send some one and read your meters while you are there and have the previous readings as well. This way there can be no mistake on the readings.

Good Luck :)

4 Responses to “Dispute over electric bill?”

Kernow Lady on February 20th, 2010 1:53 am:

Phone again and politely ask to speak to a Manager. If they refuse write to their Head Office.
References :

Number 6 on February 20th, 2010 2:05 am:

from what you say, the current meter reading is correct ?

You say you have been supplying them meter readings every few months. You should check your past bills to see if they have used the readings supplied by you or have used lower estimated ones and thus undercharged you over a number of months.

Note the cost of electricity as gone up substantially over the last couple of years so your monthly payments should have gone up earlier than now…
References :

Pat on February 20th, 2010 2:20 am:

Estimated readings are based on the fact that they could not get to your meter to read it. So they estimate then the next month if they read them and they have over charged you they deduct that amount. It happens all the time if you live in colder and inclement weather towns and cities.
They must have acces to your meter to read it, if not they estimate they have no other choice.
Actually I wish I had that amount to pay for lights and heat. WOW that is very cheap. Our heat alone is 350 bucks and the lights are 150 a month. Nut if you do have a discrepancy with your reading cal them and ask them to send some one and read your meters while you are there and have the previous readings as well. This way there can be no mistake on the readings.

Good Luck :)
References :

Xan on February 20th, 2010 2:25 am:

Ok the situation is the reading on 14.01.10 must have either taken wrong or inputted wrong adding a few hundred units for that month. But your meter is obviously working ok as the reading is showing a low consumption the next month.
Best thing to do is consider the 2 month period.
Over the 2 months you have used 970 units.
This averages to 485 units a monthfor the last 2 months.
This (based on £99 for 680 units) is same as £70.61 each month (dont know if you pay a standing charge or not each month so this is not accurate).
Yes this is a bit high but if you look back at your bills and work it out from the last proper reading – possibly the last 3 months it may average out more like £55 a month. Bearing in mind we have had a prolonged very cold spell and fuel tarriffs have been creeping up in the last year or so it will be correct.

I am sorry but you will not get any where argueing with the supplier. Best to bite the bullet and make an additional payment to your monthly direct debit now to bring your account back into align and increase your direct debit amount to about £50 a month. This means that in the following months when your consumption will be lower you will acrue credit on the account to cover winter months.

If in the last 3 years you have always paid £40 a month for the gas you have been very lucky as all utiliies have got more expensive in this time
References :
Experience

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