What to do Electricity bill could be £10,000?

[floridapalmtree]

I have read the meter and think we are over 30,000 kw's over. I have been asked for a meter reading and think it's going to come to around £10,000. What do I do give them an accurate reading now? Or wait a year or so to give the correct reading hoping prices will come down?

The reason it is so much over is my mil was living here and had electric radiators on all day in her room and didn't care about the cost as long as she was warm. Plus there is a problem with the boiler and we have had the emersion heater on often continuously to heat water.

I just don't know what to do, any advice?

@40thanniversayfastapproacning

There is indeed a limit on how far back they can charge you. They cannot charge for anything over 12 months ago so you may be able to write off some of this. The issue will be working out how much was used over 12 months ago.

Even if someone gave incorrect readings?

@40thanniversayfastapproacning

There is indeed a limit on how far back they can charge you. They cannot charge for anything over 12 months ago so you may be able to write off some of this. The issue will be working out how much was used over 12 months ago.

Presumably this applies only if they have made an administrative mistake in not asking Op for correct readings. If they have sent many letters and Op and her husband have ignored them and have been out when the man came to do a reading then the fault us theirs not the utility company.

@40thanniversayfastapproacning

There is indeed a limit on how far back they can charge you. They cannot charge for anything over 12 months ago so you may be able to write off some of this. The issue will be working out how much was used over 12 months ago.

I thought for if you weren't getting bills. Why would anyone corect underestimates if they never have to pay for what they'v actually used

I'm not a dishonest person but that is very tempting with the huge increases

I’m sorry but it sounds as though you’ve been underpaying for years. Then factor in an immersion on during the day which is beyond wildly expensive plus electric heaters and your usage is phenomenally high.

An immersion is for a half hour quick booster in emergencies not daily all day use. Even when I was a child growing up it was a known fact to be the most expensive way of heating the water.

Obviously you need to speak to the supplier and see what can be done.

Electric radiators? No wonder the bill is so high!

They cannot charge for anything over 12 months ago

Yes if they haven't produced a bill in that period, if they have billed you but the bill was estimated they can recalculate.

You need to deal with it without delay. It's not going to get better. You should submit your actual readings and then you will know where you stand and try to agree payments

@40thanniversayfastapproacning

There is indeed a limit on how far back they can charge you. They cannot charge for anything over 12 months ago so you may be able to write off some of this. The issue will be working out how much was used over 12 months ago.

That can't be right? How is that fair on everyone who bothers to read their meter even if its over the estimate.

If they let you pay it over 3 years then it will be the same as if you'd paid it when you used it. Send the reading sooner rather than later to bank it at the current rates though.

They can't charge if you have been getting inaccurate bills or no bills. Op has been getting bills and estimated usage is not incorrect usage. It will say quite clearly on the bill whether it is an actual reading or an estimated bill. At that point Op should have looked at the utility company's figures and the meter and corrected the discrepancy. No one would ever do this if it meant they never had to pay for usage beyond 12 months. You need to speak to your provider ASAP Op .This is not going to go away.

So many posters querying your post @40thanniversayfastapproacning could you confirm that you can avoid paying by not giving accurate reading

Energy companies have to check the metres every two years I believe but the onus is very much on the household to submit accurate readings regularly to keep the bills correct.

@Hellocatshome

They cannot charge for anything over 12 months ago

Yes if they haven't produced a bill in that period, if they have billed you but the bill was estimated they can recalculate.

This is incorrect they can only go back 12 months providing you haven’t actively obstructed a meter reader and refused entry or you have been found to be stealing by tampering the meter.

Please contact Citizens advice for advice on this they gave the above info on their page so it’s not just speculation

If you look up the cost of using an immersion heater based on 2 heating cycles per day (only 2 mind you) based on a 4 bedroom house. The average cost per year is nearly £2,000 per year for this alone.

Factor in two years of this plus the heaters and here’s your answer.

If that reading is correct, I would call the supplier and ask when the last actual read was. As it's been at least two years, I would ask them to rebill your account back to the last actual read to apportion some of the usage onto older prices. They should write off any usage over a year due to the back billing rules as long as you have not refused access or ignored letters asking for reads.

Ensure they convert it to £ using your old rate for most of the usage. In fact I would do weekly readings so you can evidence how many KWH should be charged at the newer higher rate as you know the high usage was only when MIL was living in your home which was historic.

Have you now got the boiler fixed so you don't have to use the immersion anymore?

This might be useful

A number of scenarios where you won't be backbilled and when you might be backbilled

www.eonenergy.com/About-eon/how-we-service-our-customers/~/media/PDFs/About-Us/Codes-of-Practice/412-the-code-of-practice-for-accurate-bills-back-billing-for-domestic-customers.PDF

This is one example:

A customer’s energy supplier did not attempt to obtain a valid reading, leading to estimated bills being produced. When the supplier did send a meter reader in May 2009, the reading taken was higher than the estimated consumption

Clause applies - YES - As the Code requires suppliers to attempt to obtain a valid reading,
(includes customer or actual meter reading) and when a correct reading is taken, the customer has been undercharged

Whereas:

A supplier’s meter reader is unable to access the customer’s property, but the customer has submitted meter readings that have
been used for billing. In April 2009, the meter reader accesses the property, and the reading taken is far higher than those provided by the customer

Clause applies - NO - As the customer had provided readings that were then used for billing, which were less than actual
consumption.

I suppose it's a question of did you ever submit any readings at all and did the company make any effort to get a correct reading off you?

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/problems-with-your-energy-bill/you-havent-received-a-gas-or-electricity-bill-in-a-while/

Oooh!

Wish I hadn't bothered giving them readings now.

I had similar when I moved and MiL 'helped out' by moving with us and staying a month. Between her and her electric radiator and the emersion our first 3 moth bill was over £500 and tat was ten years ago. If you've been hiding from this fir a couple of years then I'd firstly give a lower reading like a PP said and a true one next year and secondly ask MiL to help.

@Baaaa

Wish I hadn't bothered giving them readings now.

I do wonder how Covid has affected the 'meter reading' business.

But she has received bills.

According to a quick Google they can send a meter reader OR they can contact the householder and ask for an accurate reading. If neither of these things has happened you may have wiggle room. If they have communicated with Ops husband, as the name on the bill, and he has ignored their requests, then the amount they have actually used will have to be paid for. Perfectly fair since the rest of us have submitted readings and paid for what we have used. No different from buying anything else.

@EvilPea

You are supposed to submit your own readings.We haven't had anyone here to read our meter for years

Ours send someone if you don’t submit them

We get someone reading our meters once a year (circa February,) and we send readings in the rest of the year - May, August, and November.

According to a quick Google they can send a meter reader OR they can contact the householder and ask for an accurate reading.

They put something on the bills about contacting them with an accurate meter reading so they can always say they they have satisfied this commitment.