Problems with incorrect electricity billing?

Question

My bill for Jan-Apr is £626.60. The bill for the same quarter last year was £120. Even this is high, but my home is has electric heating.

My use is not enormous, I live alone. Clearly there is a meter problem in my view, but are Scottish Power likely to accept this view?

Answer 1

Check your last bill for the meter reading then check your present meter reading and compare. The prices have risen but that sounds to much. Good luck

Answer 2

I agree that there is something fishy going on, a bad meter or something else messed up somewhere along the line.  I'd advise checking your bill (compared to last year) and seeing exactly how your usage changed.  Assumedly it will say it went up 300% or more, but just make sure there isn't something odd on the bill (a weird charge for something else, maybe rates went up 300% instead??).  Also ask the neighbors and see how your bill compares to theirs.  Then assuming all this is ok, you can go look at the meter and see how fast its moving (if yours is one that moves) or at least note how much it changes over a couple hour period.  Maybe try this with everything off and see if it moves.  Also check the actual readings they took (which should be on the bill) and make sure they didn't simply misread, or put someone else's readings on your bill.  And of course if all else fails just have them come out and check it.  There is definitely something odd, but its not yet clear where the problem is.

PS - Not related to this but there is a youtube video of a cat flushing a toilet again and again and again, to watch the water moving.  The poster said their water bill went up something like 1000% in one month, until they figured out this was the problem.

Answer 3

i had the same problem with british gas. my electric bill for mar- may last year was £1210.37. i had only moved in at end of march. i phoned and explained and told them i didnt know i was paying for the electric for the whole estate.

they sorted it out eventually but it took them till jan this year.

good luck. stick to your guns if you think its wrong.

Answer 4

I would ring them and ask them to double check it. Have you gone through your old bills and checked whether they were calculated on an estimate or an actual reading? If they were estimates, it could be that they have now done a reading and the bill is correct.

If there appears to be no problems like this with the bill, then I would ask for your meter to be checked

Good luck

xx

Answer 5

i think you need to get in touch with them as soon as possible to rectify this problem. make sure that you always check your meter readings. and remember that some of your bills are only estimated readings. this is where a big bill could arise from

Answer 6

This was a common problem for some people who contacted Watchdog and it turned out to be a mistake by the service provider.

Answer 7

They have to. Show them the evidence - a copy of your last years bill and complain. I had horrendous problems with Powergen and was being charged thousands when my usual bill was £40-£70 per quarter. They recalculated it and I still wasn't happy with their response and had to contact the Energy watch dog. They did respond a bit more positively and I didn't pay the £2000 and odd but I let it go in the end. They were rubbish. Don't stand for it. Make sure you get the service you're paying for.

http://www.energywatch.org.uk/