First electricity bill in over a year; so cross :(

[Hulababy]

Grrr, fuming here!

Some of you may rememebr a while abck when I was trying to sort out why we had never received a water or electricity bill since moving into this apartment, in July 2003. Finally got through to both.

Water board has said that we will not be charged for ANY water for the first year, and they took their new billing from a reading I gave them this summer. Still not got a bill yet though!

Electricity were quite good at time. Lady I spoke to set up whole new account with me meter readings from moving in. Abnd said that she had a note on the account that it was an error on their part, and that she had agreed some form of syste would be set up AT THE OUTSET that this bill would be looked out and suggestions of how it could be spreadout, without further charge or onconvenience to us, if we required it.

However, we recieved not a bill from N Power for the electric today - but a RED reminder!!! For £977!!!

TBH the cost of the bill isn't the issue. We have more than this put aside fore it. But we have never had an original bill at all. Instead we get this demanding payment immediately. There is just the figure on it too. No meter readings or breakdown of costs. So cross.

Just phoned them to try and sort it but the lad I spoke to was useful and unhelpful. He couldn't do anything at all. He could send a copy of the bill out (which is not a copy for us, but the only version we have ever had) but we would still have to pay immediately.

I am now waiting for Concierge to come over and access the electricity cupboard to get me a reading. We can then start the whole process from scratch. Regardless of if this bill is correct, there is no way I am paying a bill NOW with no meter readings or breakdown.

So cross!!!!

Rant over...for now...have to phone them back once I get the meter reading. So looking forward to that!

So what is the £977 based on ? They can't estimate without a few readings to base it on surely. Presumably the Concierge would know if they have ever read any meters if he has to give them access. Sounds like one big screw up to me -perhaps between the management company and utilities.

I like the way they've made it our job to take meter readings as well. My meter is placed at an angle where I can't see it well, so I was doing wrong readings for a year!

Got mine back the other day, and I'm £137 in credit (changing supplier). Which shows how much they were over-charging me. And it was a month ago, and they still haven't paid me the money back into my bank account. I'm sure I'd have bailifs knocking if it were the other way round!

They're one of life's crosses, are utility companies.

having been in similar situation can i strongly suggest you call back and DEMAND to speak to a manager aand take their name and extension and note time of call (because they record calls) and tell them you are doing this. (prob get metre reading first) explain whole situation and insist that they put their situation in writing to you. alo you must lay out your case in wiriting to them and cc it to approprite watchdog (and note at base of letter that you are cc-ing it so they no)

good luck

No idea where the estimate has come from, or even if it hads been read yet. Will ask concierge when they come upstairs to do reading - it's locked in a cupboard on corridor. As they have only deigned to send us a remoinder, and not a bill, I don't have any idea of what the reading is from That's part of my annoyance.

£977 is for approx. 14 months electricity. We have no other for os power here (no gas, etc.). So about £69 a month I think. Which is actually a bit higher I think??? We had thought it'd be about £60. But, as I say, that's not really the isue - it's their attitude, approach, everything else really.

Now where is that concierge??? He said 10 minutes!

and if complaining to Npower does not sort this out for you, you could contact Energywatch .

Definitely contact energywatch. I had a problem some years ago when I was switched from my supplier to british gas by accident (theirs not mine) and after a year of trying to sort it out, I complained to energywatch. They sorted it within a few weeks and I didn't have to pay for a whole year of electricity!
By the way, we live in a 6 br/3 bath house with a pumped water system (uses lots of elec) and a super duper big american fridge/freezer (uses lots of elec) and all my dh's powertools and our elec direct debit which is reasonably accurate is £87 a month. Your bill sounds way too high unless you are in a big big house with a large elec draw.

I will definitely have a look into that EnergyWatch then, thanks. I will send them copies of our corresponance, and info from telephone calls. It's the attitude on the phone that gets me. They never apologise for THEIR erros, and try and make it all come down onto you instead. Annoys me.

Have been back on to them. They now have passed me onto the Senior Advisor! I have now found out that the bill is from December 2002. We didn't move in until 30 July 2003, so much of the bill belongs to the builders! The SA acknowledged this. We have to send proof of when we moved in, and she now has a proper meter reading for now too. We have no further record of the actual reading when we moved in though - have sent versions to them and can't find original now, 15 months later. But SA has said that with the oproof of date of moving in, they will use that to alter the bill and reduce. Not sure how much by.