E-On no use, and now Scottish Power equally USELESS! Can anyone help me?!

[itdoesnthurttohavemanners]

Long story so will try to make it short! (and readable)

Moved into apartment 05 - 2 bed, 2 storage heaters which use economy 7 overnight (cheaper allegedly)

Always thought electricity bills were ££ but I was earning good money then so didn't really notice/care (awful, but true)

Rented my place out 08 -10 - tenants complained the whole two years about the cost of the electricity bills.

Moved back in 10. Now have different job (career break turned into change) and now am on a fraction of what I used to earn...NOW I notice just how £££££ my electricity bills are! (wishing I had been more grateful about having £!)

Partner and I both work full time - never here in the day. When it's cold, x2 storage heaters on (which heat up overnight as said). In the day, nothing going on. We put the hot water on for ONE hour a night (at about 4am) and approx 3 times a week use the washing machine, again at night.

E-On wanted £120 a month from us. They said that this would cover us during the winter months, as during the summer there would be a surplus. We've just left E-on to go to Scottish Power..and after 12 full months of paying £120 a month, we were presented with a leaving bill in addition of £350.

Started with Scottish Power. Raised concerns about levels of electricity being used. They said to take readings. We took readings for a full week, we are 100% sure that the night and day rates are correct - at night we are using approx 30 - 40 units every night (for now, x1 storage unit, x1 hr of hot water and the odd washing machine wash)

We think the meter is running fast at night. When we were off on hols for a week, we did a check by leaving ONLY the fridge on for the week, and when we got back we'd used 20 units of electricity in the 8 days.....12 at night and 8 in the day!!!! HOW???!!! How can you use more night units than day units when it's a fridge and it's just on?!

Gave Scottish Power the meter readings 3 weeks ago. They said they would look into it and get back to me. They didn't. I've just rung them now and aside from the fact that I had to deal with a completely USELESS woman (who clearly did not have a clue!) they've said that they will not help. They've said if I think there's an issue with the meter then I need to get an electrician in to check. I'm still £350 in debt with E-On who want £50 a month for the next few months to clear that bill.

Because it's an apartment, we are able to see other people's meters. Our apartment has used 72000 units of electricity since it was installed. EVERYONE else's has used 40000. We took meter readings of two of our neighbours (they said we could) and they are using approx 15 units per night compared to our 30-40 unit a night. (same things on)

Scottish Power won't accept that this is even minimum proof that there is potentially a problem

IS there ANYONE out there who can give me some ideas as to what to do??!! We are out of our mind with worry about the level of our bills. This cold snap is killing us because we can't afford to put the storage heaters on (or indeed do anything) so we are FREEZING and only have enough hot water for a shower in the morning (and no hot water the rest of the day). how much does it cost for an electrician to come out to check? Can they check? HELP HELP HELP PLEASE!!!

I would ring a couple of electricians up to ask if I were you.

Have rung a couple and there was such HUGE variance in their quotes..that's why I'm asking. Hoping someone on here is an electrician/married to one/knows one! ( I wouldn't have any idea on a reasonable idea)

We had such terrible problems with E-On I told a salesman who called that I'd rather rub nylon knickers together & live off the static electricity than go back to them .

(poor bloke. I shouldn't have taken it out on him really but he was being very persistent).

E-On were AWFUL. Hence why I've moved. I mean, TRULY awful customer service! :o at your post!

Could do within this cold snap at the moment though for sure

I would phone them back and demand that they install a check meter. They have no reason not to do this for you.

Don't let them fob you off.

Ask to speak to a manager, if you don't get anywhere ask for a csm. If that doesn't work ask for the site manager. Escalate it as high as possible.

It definitely sounds like a lot of usage.

Sounds like 2 flats are running through your meter.

Conctact

www.ombudsman-services.org/energy.html

They will be able to help you I'm sure - I am tending to agree with sevenbubbles, you are paying for yours and someone else;s too !!

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

30-40 units a day is ludicrous (we use 5)
Ask for an energy monitor, such as an OWL and check the power used by all appliances. It sounds very much as if your supply has been piggybacked by a neighbour or some wiring has gone awry which is powering something overnight without your knowledge.

You see..I KNEW 30+ units a day was bonkers! Especially given the fact that we both work full time so are barely here.

Unfortunately, can't use an energy monitor...the electricity meter is in a cupboard on the floor below us, no where near our flat. I'm also pretty sure something else is running through our meter.

Plan at the minute is this....wait until we have a fairly nice Saturday (and an empty fridge/freezer!)...plan to go out the whole day (with lots of popping in to check) switch absolutely EVERYTHING off and check what's going on. Then do the same before we go to bed one night.

Thanks reliable for the link..will definitely have a look at that too.

Turning everything off is a good idea. I was also going to suggest you throw the main power switch to the flat and then check that the meter is not still registering. Not unheard of for people to reroute things so that someone else pays for their electriticy!

E-ON are bar stewards, I was paying in excess of £130 a month, was over £100 in credit, yet when I left them they sent me a final bill of £396 then had the cheek to tell me they could only spread it over 3 months. When I offered them a reasonable payment of £35 a month the rude bint said 'well we can't accept that' and proceeded to ask me what my income was and various other personal questions I refused to answer.

It sounds to me as if you're paying enough for two apartments... Does seem rather odd. Hope you get it sorted.

thanks all. Plan is, this Friday night, we're turning EVERYTHING off (and putting the communal heaters on in the hallways, just in case it's them that are linked to our meter!) including the fridge/freezer etc....so will check the night rate on the meter first...and then we'll do the day rate bit another day (when we've warmed back up hehe)

Just aghhh though! With E-ON, how can you be in credit and then owe them?! They also refused me reasonable payments...mine is also spread over the next 3 months.

I am hoping that you have managed to do what you said you would and turn everything off and see if your meter is still running.

I used to work for an electricity company who were taken over by npower and your bill to anyone who went through the 3 months of call centre training would know that your consumption is way too high.

The first thing we would do would be to run through all the electrical stuff you had in your property (had one woman who had a tv on in every room every day so she never missed any tv whilst she cleaned, was a 5 bed house )

Secondly, are there enough meters for the number of flats? We have had cases where 2 flats were sharing the same meter.

If there are enough meters, get your partner to go down to the meter, stay in contact with you by mobile phone, turn off everything in the property usually best done by flipping off your main switch on your consumer unit.

Hopefully the meter will stop. If it doesn't something else apart from your apartment is pulling off supply - either another flat or the communal areas . Contact your supplier immediately ask to speak to a supervisor and get their name and if possible a direct contact number for them or extension. Tell them your theory.

If the meter stops get your partner to keep watching the meter.

Slowly turn stuff back on, leaving a few minutes in between,if the meter starts whizzing at any point then you could have a faulty appliance (rule this out first) if it is none of those it is the storage heaters. How old are the storage heaters?

Contact an electrician at this point to look at the storage heater. I know you said you are using one heater, have you tried turning that one off and the other one on?

I can't believe, well actually I can believe, that your supplier hasn't been helpful. They are negligent by increasing your debt.

I hope this makes sense, I will watch this thread for updates.

thank you fizzylemonade. your post has been incredibly helpful (and supportive :) )
We had a minor result today - Scottish Power sent a letter saying that they would come and look at the meter - so I rang them to check what the score was, and they said there was no charge.

Honestly, all we have on is the following. In the day - nothing (both of us at work, or if partner on lates, he's at the gym!!!)...from 6pm...one tv, hairdryer once, cooker, kettle, fridge, seldom any lights (we use candles mostly!) and the lights which are on are switched off immediately after use (eg bathroom light)...overnight the washing machine is on maybe 3 times a week (on economy wash), we have the hot water on for one hour between 3am and 4am, and then the storage heaters IF it's cold. At the moment, we only have one storage heater on (ridiculous I know, it's May, but we're freezing)

When both storage heaters are on, the hot water for one hour and one economy wash on the washing machine, we use 50 units overnight. In addition to the 12 units we have used in the day, this means that we're using approx 60 units a day.

When the storage heaters are not on, the consumption does go down to about 30 units.

We're trying the switching on thing Saturday, as you suggest from the mains switch. Never even thought to count how many meters there are - though I do know that we can't find a meter that says it's communal on it?! So where are the units going for the communal lighting and heating?

Thank you SO MUCH. Will keep you updated :)

Glad to have been helpful. I am hoping you will be in when the meter person comes then you can question him or stick a note to your meter saying are we being charged for the communal area?

This is the reason we have building regs. It is only when people question stuff that an error is uncovered.

I'll keep watching this for any updates from you.

Right. So latest news is...Scottish Power came this morning and put in a brand new meter :) So far..so good. Last night we used 11 units. Am going to keep an eye on the readings all week..and when they are showing to be significantly lower than the old meter, I shall be ringing EON to demand a HUGE refund for the last 6 yrs!

As far as the meter guy could tell..nothing communal was coming off the meter. He said it was likely the meter was faulty, hence him replacing hit.

I just can't see how we will get the refund back from EON if we are right that's all! I can see them getting away with it :S

Fantastic, right so what should happen, is that they will monitor your usage with the new meter, and they will no doubt test the old one. You didn't ever tell us how old the original meter was.

So, they should apportion your bill, ie use your consumption based on the new meter to work out what you should have been billed on the old meter.

The deal is, if the new meter is showing that you are using less then it does prove that the old meter was faulty. Usually they don't replace it they put another meter alongside to also record the usage and compare that to the suspected faulty meter. The fact that the meter guy replaced it and said it was faulty is all good.

Feel like I am rambling with the excitement They can't get away from refunding you as the new meter should show you using much less electric.

I will keep this is my watching threads, if EON get back to you let me know, if they don't I will help you draft a letter to them that used to be my job, responding to correspondence!!

ooh well thank you for all this! :) We're taking regular readings and yes, so far...MUCH lower. The old meter was 6 years old?
I'm guessing I will have to contact EON...I still owe then (so they say!) £250..next £50 is due 15th June or thereabouts...so I'm going to monitor from now til then..and then draft a letter saying why i'm not going to pay them what they say I owe, because in fact, they owe me! :)

Oh. I am possibly too excited about the prospect of a refund!

Fantastic, I am glad your consumption has gone down. Will keep watching.