Elec Bill Laws?

[Jayne]

Hi,

I've just found out that my Electric company hasn't used a meter reading to work out my bill for the bakery since 2003. Every quarter a man comes to the shop and reads the meter, therefore I never check the bills, I just pay them. They rang me to ask for a customer reading, which I found strange as it is read, but I gave them a reading.

Turns out we still owe £1,100 because they have under estimated. Is there no law, to stop this happening to others.

What happens to out meter readings if they are estimating our bills?

Can I do anything to annoy the Elec' company legally, because it would make me feel better. They have really stressed me out today and kept me on the phone for ages, listening to their rubbish excuses!

The more annoying the better!

Thanks

Jayne :D

[creacom]

I had a similar problem last year.

Send them a recorded delivery letter asking for a copy of ALL your electricity bills and meter readings. Also demand that they investigate what happened to the ones that the man came out for !

Send it to their customer services, regional HQ and head office. They hate that. Also make sure in the letter you state that you have sent it to all 2 places.

Jacqui

[Jayne]

I've already asked for the last three years bills to annoy them, I do have copies myself :lol:

I will do what you said to do, thanks Jacqui! :D

I am sick of people treating me like rubbish, we are people and should get some respect. Big companies stink and don't care about there customers at all, it's just money, money, money!

Jayne

[bwglaw]

Jayne

Can I ask whether you actually dispute the amount outstanding or are you just annoyed with the late arrival of the outstanding amount?

I will advise gradually to make it easier for you to digest ;)

Jonathan

[Jayne]

Hi Jonathan,

I want to dispute everything, i've got bloody steam coming out of my ears!

The real problem, is this enormous bill all at once, because they mucked up the estimated readings. We have had loads of trouble with them, i've given them one reading about 4 months since, but they lost it and told me I was wrong and didn't give them a reading.

It's the principle more than anything, why should I have to pay this big bill all at once! It's there fault it's so big! And I refuse to go on Direct Debit again, because they mucked that up too last time!

Jayne

[bwglaw]

I want to dispute everything

The real problem, is this enormous bill all at once

Do you want to dispute the amount because they had messed up the readings and caused financial difficulties?

Do you actually agree with the amount they are demanding from you?

I can understand how you feel but I am asking these questions to find out the real reason for the 'dispute'. If you are just disputing because of the delay, inconvenience etc then you can ask them to discount the amount oustanding to reflect this and make an offer to pay by instalments, which they may be unlikely to refuse given the circumstances.

If you agree the amount is correct and you have received the electricity then you cannot legally dispute the full amount because you have received the supply. To reiterate my point, you can ask for the amount to be discounted to reflect the inconvenience etc.

If you dispute the amount then I suggest you ask for a re-calculation. There will be an address on the back of the bill to complain. If they do not uphold your complaint you can complain to the regulator at the address, also on the back of your bill.

Keep copies of all letters and if possible send by recorded delivery only.

Jonathan

PS. Back tomorrow...

[Jayne]

Thanks Jonathan, you are great,

a bit to get my teeth into tomorrow :D

Oh I am mad at them.

Jayne

[KM-Tiger]

I've just found out that my Electric company hasn't used a meter reading to work out my bill for the bakery since 2003. Every quarter a man comes to the shop and reads the meter, therefore I never check the bills, I just pay them.
I had exactly the same problem, despite numerous visits by meter readers.

You cannot refuse to pay, but I found it easy to negotiate a deal to pay the balance over 2 years, with no interest being added. The small extra amount each month should be easy to cope with.

[Jayne]

Thanks for the advice, i'm working on a snotty letter at the min', just been too busy today to get it finished. I was planning to pay the bill, It's just yesterday they got me that wound up, I could have hit someone!

Maybe I should sue them for emotional stress! Has that been done yet :lol:

Jayne :D

[VeryMark]

I've just settled a six month old problem with British Gas (gas and electricity bills) by writing a detailed reasoned letter with enclosures (a lot of paper) personally to their Managing Director.

If you've got a problem with call centre muppets, and they won't listen to you, attack them from the top instead - every chairman or managing director's office has a department to deal with complaints at high level. The staff in that department usually have more authority and/or flexibilty, and call centre muppets are answerable to the chairman's office whether they like it or not.

(To be fair, people in call centres usually have to work from scripts and inflexible systems, because large firms have driven down the cost of the service they provide to levels which make a mockery of the term 'customer care'.)

[Jayne]

Thanks Philip, :D

The problem that annoys me the most, is you ring about a query and tell the first person all about it, they then pass you to the next person and you have to start all over again. Before you know it an hour has gone by, that is time waisted that they are not going to pay you for and they still haven't sorted your problem!

Oh, i'm getting wound up again!

Jayne

[VeryMark]

Yes, and then you think you've sorted it but you haven't and you have to start all over again!

[easyasit]

I've just settled a six month old problem with British Gas (gas and electricity bills) by writing a detailed reasoned letter with enclosures (a lot of paper) personally to their Managing Director.

If you've got a problem with call centre muppets, and they won't listen to you, attack them from the top instead - every chairman or managing director's office has a department to deal with complaints at high level. The staff in that department usually have more authority and/or flexibilty, and call centre muppets are answerable to the chairman's office whether they like it or not.

(To be fair, people in call centres usually have to work from scripts and inflexible systems, because large firms have driven down the cost of the service they provide to levels which make a mockery of the term 'customer care'.)

i was ripped off by the AA last week, so i think i will also do this, and attack from the top.

Al