AIBU to say I've used more gas and electric than I have?

[InnaSpace]

Just a couple of months' worth more, not loads. I figure that way I've paid in advance at a lower price.

My energy company went bust back in September. It's taken till now for the new one to send me a bill. I've been taking readings every month starting from the day avro went under but the new company are estimating the figures at point of transfer and the figures they're billing for now. Both are a fair bit higher than what my meters say/said.

WIBU to not only accept these higher figures but also to give them higher figures again? I've been putting cash aside, quite a lot of it, because I had no clue when I was going to get a bill or how much it would be. If I use that money to pay now then surely as the meters tick over into numbers I've already paid for it works out cheaper when the price rise kicks in.

It would probably flag up as an unusual amount I'd think

I hadn't had my meters read for ages previously though so no one has a clue how much I've used for over a year prior to the company going bust.

Then I'd say go for it!

I'm just annoyed now that I give regular readings

Lol. As luck would have it I was literally logging on to avro to put in my meter readings when suddenly the site didn't load properly and then as I sat there looking at it it said on the radio that they'd gone bust. I was fucked off at the time of course and
since then have been worried about when I'm going to get a bill, from who, how much is it going to be but fuck it, might as well try and get a bit of advantage from this shit show.

That’s clever OP

Curious to know, is your new power company EDF who has overinflated usage?

Like you, we have recieved little correspondence from new power company EDF (no invoice, no idea of our energy bills, just higher monthly direct debits £180+ per month) since taking over. In dealing with their -condescending- customer help desk, EDF then refused to provide me a renewal tariff, as our ac was in "debit". I swiftly advised had we known earier we would have rectified the situation. As it happens, their estimates are grossly over inflated, and work to establish a huge credit buffer with EDF.

Submit, your readings asap, so the next billing cycle will recalibrate a more accurate bill for you. Most likely you will be in credit.

We are switching from EDF, better rates for 1 or 2 yr fixed elsewhere.

No, it's octopus. Their standard tariff looks ok (for now!) They sent me an initial email but although I've contacted them a few times I haven't had a full up and running account till now so no direct debit, figures etc, just this bill with everything estimated.

Normally I would tell them I've used less but the new fixes are massively expensive so not worth being in credit for to get them. It's already too late to get a decent fix.

Who knows what will happen in the future? Re fixing, pricing etc. For now I think it makes sense to use up numbers I've already paid for and see how things lie in October.

I reckon that is quite a good idea… will talk to DH about it, he is usually good at finding faults in plans like this but I can’t see why it wouldn’t be a good idea!

The energy companies will be aware of such a fiddle. Apparently they will be doing spot check meter readings.
If you are caught they can stop providing your energy source due to fraudulent behaviour.

@Nohypocrate

The energy companies will be aware of such a fiddle. Apparently they will be doing spot check meter readings. If you are caught they can stop providing your energy source due to fraudulent behaviour.

Presumably they can only spot check the meter if you let them in to read it?

Accepting higher figures seems all right given that these are intended to be estimates, unless you are told to provide actual meter readings. Going forward, while companies recommend you do regular meter readings, mostly they issue estimates where you don't, so if they estimate over your actual use, it's fine to go with that for the time being and not submit actual meter readings. If when taking your reading you have say xxxx08 ending and the last is not asked (so you'd have xxxx0 to submit), it seems okay to round it to xxxx1 as it'll tick over within days, but I wouldn't overreport more than that.