£1200 Electricity Bill - Due to Previous 'Estimations'

[OnlyMX5ives]

I've just had a £1200 Elec bill.

It turns out that the last time they read the meter was in 07 and their estimates have been somewhat out.

I hadn't realised as there's someone reading meters around every month, guess that must just be the gas / water.

However obviously the prices have gone up and down loads over this time period so I was wondering can I get a discount or do I just have to shut up and pay up ?

Cheers

Edited by OnlyMX5ives on Friday 3rd July 14:22

[Tiggsy]

someone reads your metter and you dont know what they are reading? Do you ever run out of petrol because you thought filling a bath was the same as filling your tank?

[davel*]

OnlyMX5ives said:

I've just had a £1200 Elec bill.

It turns out that the last time they read the meter was in 07 and their estimates have been somewhat out.

I hadn't realised as there's someone reading meters around every month, guess that must just be the gas / waster.

However obviously the prices have gone up and down loads over this time period so I was wondering can I get a discount or do I just have to shut up and pay up ?

Cheers

I'd certainly kick up a bit of a stink about it. A bill that big is a bit hard to swallow for anyone in one lump

[davido140]

Not much you can do, provided the readings are accurate, have you compared the latest bill to the actual reading on your meter?

I'd suggest comparing what you are paying now to other tarrifs with your existing supplier and with others..

www.uswitch.com saved me £400 a year...

Out of interest, how much is the total bill and for what period, how big's your house? does it seem "right" you might have a neighbour pinching your electricity! rare, but does happen.

Your supplier should be able to spread it interest free over 12 months for you, I ended up with an £800 under payment in Feb this year, because the tards hadnt setup the direct debit I requested, several times, ...

[JulianHJ]

I check our meters as each quarterly bill comes in - EDF always overestimate how much gas and electrickery we use. I'm convinced it's a ruse so they can consistently jack up our Direct Debits in their favour.

[NDA]

OnlyMX5ives said:

It turns out that the last time they read the meter was in 07 and their estimates have been somewhat out.

Why don't you read the meter and submit the readings?

[wobert]

OnlyMX5ives said:

I've just had a £1200 Elec bill.

It turns out that the last time they read the meter was in 07 and their estimates have been somewhat out.

I hadn't realised as there's someone reading meters around every month, guess that must just be the gas / waster.

However obviously the prices have gone up and down loads over this time period so I was wondering can I get a discount or do I just have to shut up and pay up ?

Cheers

I had a similar "problem" a few years back - They are legally obliged to physically read your meter once a year.

I ended up paying the money back over 18 months, interest free.

Likewise every quarter now I check the readings fastidiously. They usually "up" the DD most quarters, which then results in me having to make a phone call to get them to reduce it back.

I have to say, the electricity co are the only utility I use that I have to contact more than once per year. Our local water co, are a paragon of efficiency by comaparsion, the meter is read evry quarter without fail, and as such the bills are usually within a couple of quid of being right.

How one company can do it "properly" and one can't is beyond me!

[OnlyMX5ives]

Tiggsy said:

someone reads your metter and you dont know what they are reading? Do you ever run out of petrol because you thought filling a bath was the same as filling your tank?

I'm busy, I run my own business, someone knocks on the door and wants to read a meter I let them in the back, I don't bother standing over them nor insist on reading their ID card to see which provider they come from.

[OnlyMX5ives]

I guess its accurate and I owe them for say 1000 units.

But obviously spread over say 4 price increases and I'd like them at the cheaper price !

[Plotloss]

Count yourself lucky its a one off.

Thats our electricity bill annually.

[Justayellowbadge]

Plotloss said:

Count yourself lucky its a one off.

Thats our electricity bill annually.

[Plotloss]

And thats just the staff quarters.

[Shabs]

same - complain and they will let you pay it off interest free over time

[Fittster]

Your previous bills would have stated they are estimates and they asks you to provide a reading. I don't believe you haven't had a chance in the last year to quickly jot some figures down and put them in the post.

You were lazy and now you have a large bill.

[Tiggsy]

OnlyMX5ives said:

Tiggsy said:

someone reads your metter and you dont know what they are reading? Do you ever run out of petrol because you thought filling a bath was the same as filling your tank?

I'm busy, I run my own business...

assuming you run a business to make money then home finances are as relevant as works...unless you run your business like that too

[jayfish]

Having worked for one of the large energy suppliers I can safely say that had it been us, we would bill you at current rate, then agree to a pro-rata reduction in said bill when challenged about price variations.
Oh and legaly it's every two years to attend a property, most companies will attend every 3 or 6 months dependant on internal policy and property location. If you happen to be out at the time they will leave a card to say they called, asking you for a meter reading.

[HRG.]

jayfish said:

Having worked for one of the large energy suppliers I can safely say that had it been us, we would bill you at current rate, then agree to a pro-rata reduction in said bill when challenged about price variations.
Oh and legaly it's every two years to attend a property, most companies will attend every 3 or 6 months dependant on internal policy and property location. If you happen to be out at the time they will leave a card to say they called, asking you for a meter reading.

That's what I did when I got hit like this. They usually are happy to negotiate a sensible reduction.

[OnlyMX5ives]

Fittster said:

Your previous bills would have stated they are estimates and they asks you to provide a reading. I don't believe you haven't had a chance in the last year to quickly jot some figures down and put them in the post.

You were lazy and now you have a large bill.

I love this kind of helpful constructive post.

I simply didn't look at them and paid them.

But effectively I have had an interest fee loan of £1000 for nearly 2 yrs, if I complain I could get it spread over another yr.

So actually its pretty shrewd.

[pincher]

We had something similar in that the readings that were taken never hit our account properly and they we continually estimated Bills for a couple of years. My own fault for not checking them when they came in but one naturally assumes that if someone comes to read your meter, then their hand held gizmo's would be able to upload the collected data correctly

Been paying it off a £160 per month for the last 18 months or so (interest free).

We did argue about it for quite a while but even though they were happy to admit that they had screwed up, they were insistent that we had to pay the amount, which I guess we were, as we had used the electricity.

Moral of the story? Check your Bills *very* carefully!

[RedLeicester]

Plotloss said:

Count yourself lucky its a one off.

Thats our electricity bill annually.

Anually? Amateur