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Original poster

Electric bill problem, I think I owe £15k :o

407 replies

electricbills · 05/04/2022 10:56

This is not a begging thread before anyone piles on. But I am in a flap over discovering the above.

I've had some health issues, plus building works at home which combined together meant I've not been able to read my meter for a few years as it's in an awkward spot. I can't remember the last time either I gave a reading or anyone came out.

I can now access the meter and with all the stuff about electric prices rising I thought I should start with a clean slate. I couldn't access any of the previous readings online but submitted my figure of 31460.

I've since had a bill (obviously generated before my reading) and according to this my last estimate was 52440. I can't access any bills or readings online further back than 12 months and I don't get paper bills haven't for years.

So by my rough calculations based on kwh of I think 21p, I owe about 15k. My usual bills are about £300-400 per quarter. I feel sick.

I can just about pay it if I completely empty my savings and sell some stuff. But it's such a huge amount of money. I couldn't pay it in one go.

What do I do now?

OP posts:
WhatThe2022 · 26/04/2022 09:55

Tell them if you don't get a revised bill by the end of the month (given how long it's taken so far) you will refer to Ofgem..

I'm guessing they don't want to pay you what they owe you, so are stalling!

Castielsbestie · 26/04/2022 14:15

They are dragging heels as they dont want to pay you! Terrible

MamaFoxToBe · 30/04/2022 12:04

Any update?

Original poster
electricbills · 01/05/2022 19:01

Still not had anything back from them, I've sent several messages now and no reply at all, even when I've said it's a complaint.

OP posts:
VanGoghsDog · 02/05/2022 02:57

electricbills · 01/05/2022 19:01

Still not had anything back from them, I've sent several messages now and no reply at all, even when I've said it's a complaint.

After eight weeks you can take it to the ombudsman, keep evidence of your attempts to contact them. They expect you to try at least three times, and different methods.

SlatsandFlaps · 02/05/2022 04:24

I'd drive off a cliff if I got a £15k bill and it was supposedly accurate!

(Slight exaggeration but I actually might....)

weathervane1 · 02/05/2022 04:51

Hi, this may be a bit late in the day but in your situation I would stop going through the usual channels such as Customer Service or Complaints. In my experience, it is all too easy to get passed about and the effort involved in bringing each person up-to-date just saps your energy. We have had account issues with OVO, United Utilities, NowTV, Barclays and the National Trust in recent months. In each instance, we've tried to go through the correct channels but because we rarely speak to the same person more than once, the continuity of conversation is lost.

Instead, what has worked spectacularly well is to start at the very top using the following web site (ceoemail.com) to obtain contact details for the CEO, the Operations Director and the Finance Director of the relevant companies. In each case, I've written apologising for having to request their help but explained that the 'correct' channels have failed to work and that the situation is both stressful and unacceptable. I have detailed the issue(s) as concisely as possible in a chronological manner and stated what I believe the correct outcome to be. I then concluded each email with something along the lines of '... and I would appreciate your input to ensure that someone is specifically assigned to own and resolve this issue within the next ten working days'.

Without exception I have been contacted by a PA to the CEO or an Executive Assistant apologising for me having to escalate the issue and promising a call within the next few hours. In each case the issue(s) has been resolved within a day of two and a gesture of goodwill applied. I'm not sure whether the senior people at each company are genuinely keen to help or just want to remove a thorn from their side - probably both - but they certainly help to cut through the crap.

VanGoghsDog · 02/05/2022 11:25

what has worked spectacularly well is to start at the very top using the following web site (ceoemail.com) to obtain contact details for the CEO, the Operations Director and the Finance Director of the relevant companies

Eon publish these and ask you to write to them. You get exactly the same response as if you write to customer services - zilch.

weathervane1 · 02/05/2022 15:29

I beg to differ as I've done the same for a friend on EON and he's got a decent refund, a fast resolution and the line drawn underneath the issue.

VanGoghsDog · 02/05/2022 15:52

weathervane1 · 02/05/2022 15:29

I beg to differ as I've done the same for a friend on EON and he's got a decent refund, a fast resolution and the line drawn underneath the issue.

Well, I emailed the CEO twice (as well as customer service and their complaints email address) and didn't get a single response. Spoke to them on the phone and they said they would look into it, still heard nothing.

Over three months. Went to the ombudsman who found in my favour and I got it all sorted and £100 compensation. Eon then, somehow, messed up again (they logged three years of meter readings in one month and increased my predicted usage by 6x) and I had to go back to the ombudsman for them to sort it out as, again, they didn't respond to emails at all, their Twitter told me to go to the ombudsman, and their phone service just said "we can't change it".

I don't think there's a utility that's any use to be honest, they're all hopeless. It's a shambles right now.

weathervane1 · 02/05/2022 18:19

I agree they are mostly difficult to deal with but your experience doesn't mirror my own. Maybe I've got lucky? Either way, I agree that they are nearly impossible to deal with.

vickylou78 · 04/05/2022 13:20

Get on the phone every day and keep chasing them. Make your calls a priority to them.

Original poster
electricbills · 04/05/2022 17:37

finally managed to contact someone. No bill has been prepared. this is because the size of the error. it has to be passed to the billing dept for a bill to be drawn, this was done today allegedly and i have to wait 7-10 days for the corrected bill (even though I've been waiting since march) and then I've got to contact them again to request a bloody refund which they can't process until I request it. And I can't request it until they send the bill.

So, still not much more progress really. At this rate I might get a refund by Christmas.

OP posts:
stairgates · 04/05/2022 17:39

Hopefully they will get it done this time!

FragileConsequence · 04/05/2022 20:19

Good luck and good waiting - hopefully you will hear soon.

AndSoFinally · 04/05/2022 21:18

But they've absolutely confirmed it's a refund rather than you owing them the money, OP?

Mummapenguin20 · 18/05/2022 15:45

How long this has taken is crazy

LakieLady · 18/05/2022 16:21

I can't believe this is still rumbling on!

Makes me very pleased that I have a smart meter and monthly bills arrive in my inbox bang on time.

Original poster
electricbills · 18/05/2022 21:02

Further update. Still no bill. Spoke to someone on Saturday via livechat. The billing dept hadn't yet raised a bill. Didn't know why no one had responded to my complaint. They would get someone to update me.

Livechat again yesterday. Someone will call you today. Still no call, no update, nothing.

Useless.

OP posts:
NameChangeforMoneyThings · 18/05/2022 21:19

Can you take a complaint to the ombudsman at this point or do you have to give them longer to resolve?

Ohdearohdearohdear6 · 19/05/2022 07:04

Contact the ombudsman. When I had an ongoing issue with BG, I ended up involving the ombudsman and it was sorted very quickly.

VanGoghsDog · 19/05/2022 08:15

You can go to the ombudsman after eight weeks and three attempts to contact them, so I'd do that now.

Utilities are currently totally overwhelmed right now, but that doesn't help you and the ombudsman will cut through it for you.

It's very easy, you do it on their website. The only thing that's tricky is that their system only allows Word, Excel and PDF documents, so to upload emails I had to do screenshots and paste them into Word.

123becauseicouldntthinkofone · 19/05/2022 10:15

Looks like you have over-paid not under-paid based on your readings however when i did that as there was such a large difference they did send someone out to check....but def 4k under not over. Contact them urgently and ask for a new bill now you have submitted your meter readings and sure you will be pleasantly surprised.

kittensinthekitchen · 19/05/2022 10:33

123becauseicouldntthinkofone · 19/05/2022 10:15

Looks like you have over-paid not under-paid based on your readings however when i did that as there was such a large difference they did send someone out to check....but def 4k under not over. Contact them urgently and ask for a new bill now you have submitted your meter readings and sure you will be pleasantly surprised.

Do you think she should cancel the cheque?

😂

FluffEverywhere · 25/05/2022 12:07

Any updates, OP?