Electricity meter

Just got my electric bill covering the last 5 months. It had an actual reading rather than the usual estimated. The bill was far far lower than I expected, so I decided to double check the readings....which were exactly the same as the readings from the week before when the meter was read.

It's a digital meter with 4 different tarrifs depending on the time of day and all 4 are showing as 'no load'. Essentially it's not racking up any charge hence the low bill. I would guess it's been like this for 3 or 4 monthe judging by the level of usage.

Now there was no earthly reason for me to check the meter, so presumably theres no reason why I should know it's not working.

Does anyone know where I stand legally (Obviously morally is a different matter) when the 'leccy company finally click that it's broken?

Result!!

I have no idea about the legalities of that situation, but given that you are absolutely not permitted to tamper with the meter in any way and that it is the property of the company I would guess you can use the "I didnt realise" argument. tbh, they either will notice the low usage pattern, or if they dont then they ought to have.

oh, just found this, check out the last couple of posts

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=73945

To save from getting a nasty visit from the debt collection team of which will probably be asking questions and will always assume that you knew that the electric meter was faulty i would phone up the billing company and explain to them that you have realised your meter is not registering any load at the property.

There is no 'i didn't know it wasn't working arguement' as essentially you have still used the electricity and still owe for the electricity usage. You can't really be blamed if it is paid by direct debit as most people never check the meter unless they are key meters or there is a problem. Now that you 'know' that the meter is faulty i would phone the company and tell them the problem. They will send someone around to investigate and they will also probably make an estimate of how much you owe dependent on how much your last few months (paid months) have cost. For instance if your last quarterly bill was £400 for example you will incrue a debt of that amount.

If you need any more info drop me a PM and i am happy to talk to you about what you may be able to do etc.

I wonder how long you can avoid the next actual meter reading

They will find out, you can do that, and TBH they may not notice for a long time. You want to be careful however as if you are honest you will probably be able to come to some sort of arrangement, however if say a year goes past and they then catch up with you its pretty obvious that you knew you were not paying any electricity and they will probably be in no mood to haggle. So you are likely to be paying off a large bill for some time.

On a plus note, you are under no obligation to pay off the debt in one and will not incrue interest and so you can pay it off at a minimum of £5 a week interest free.

This happened to us, best thing to do is change provider. The settlement figure should be low with your current people (say you have not be at this address much, work away from home etc). The new provider will take a reading and it will half a year before they realise the meter's busted and they wont have any previous readings to go from so you can shaft them as well. When they install a new meter, live in the dark for a month and they will probably give you a very low estimate. Then change provider again.

Best of both - at some point you're going to be found out so why not switch companies now (find the best on from http://www.uswitch.com ). Then when they come and read the meter to start the service you can honest say after the first quarters bill that it appears not to be registering.. (however, make sure you put into uswitch what you should really be paying as a monthly figure).

The recent meter readings are on a central database, if it is a new electronic meter then they send a report of the recent readings to a computer that is accessible by anyone who wishes to see what has been happening at that address, for instance it will tell you who has lived there and how much debt etc, what supply they had for the last few years.

What is more is the engineer coming out will take a final reading, the engineer will probably just take the meter off and go to the next job without much thought but the lack of kWh used will stick out and you will be charged for the lack of usage anyway.

You can try it, it may work, but it may not.

OK guys, it looks like honesty is likely to be the best policy here.

Hopefully I'll be able to argue the 5 months dodgy readings should be significantly lower than the previous year due to one or two changes in personal circumstances.

'Sighs and makes mental note to phone and report it this weekend.'

OK guys, it looks like honesty is likely to be the best policy here.

 

Hopefully I'll be able to argue the 5 months dodgy readings should be significantly lower than the previous year due to one or two changes in personal circumstances.

 

'Sighs and makes mental note to phone and report it this weekend.'

Do as I say - swap suppliers then you've got no comeback?

The recent meter readings are on a central database,

Yep, and have been for years: even before I baled out of the industry some years ago. They have to be otherwise you couldn't transfer to a new provider. To save yourself hassle it's best to volunteer the information (although in the meantime keep your consumption low!). If they end up estimating you'll help yourself by keeping consumption low now, and when you finally get the bill you'll find that your living standards don't really suffer from being a little careful. Win, win situation! Sod me, why am I telling you this? I've got shares in the local company.:-)

Yep, and have been for years: even before I baled out of the industry some years ago. They have to be otherwise you couldn't transfer to a new provider. To save yourself hassle it's best to volunteer the information (although in the meantime keep your consumption low!). If they end up estimating you'll help yourself by keeping consumption low now, and when you finally get the bill you'll find that your living standards don't really suffer from being a little careful. Win, win situation! Sod me, why am I telling you this? I've got shares in the local company.:-)

Me too, but they have dropped significantly over the past 3 years or so

Do as I say - swap suppliers then you've got no comeback?

Trouble being I'm on a dead weird tarif with 4 spearate price bands depending on the time of day. No one else offers a similar tarif as cheaply.

You're OK Suewhistle and Smirking Saint, I'm with EDF - they're French I think! your shares are safe. :-)

Why do you want a 'dead weird tariff'. ukpower.co.uk have 'godirect' tariff with Scottish and Southern, its really cheap, maybe cheapest nationally.

Why do you want a 'dead weird tariff'. Gocompare have a special deal with Scottish and Southern, its really cheap, maybe cheapest nationally.

'Cos I've got night storage heaters and the tarif I'm on sticks them on for a couple of hours in the afternoon as well as overnight. Also means I can stick the washing machine to come on at the lower rate mid afternoon rather than wake up the neighbours with it on overnight. Simples.

'Cos I've got night storage heaters and the tarif I'm on sticks them on for a couple of hours in the afternoon as well as overnight. Also means I can stick the washing machine to come on at the lower rate mid afternoon rather than wake up the neighbours with it on overnight. Simples.

Fair enough. that http://www.ukpower.co.uk comparison site is worth checking out though.

Me too, but they have dropped significantly over the past 3 years or so

Heh, heh.. I wonder if I know you? To be honest, I put them in a PEP years ago and they are just rolling up the divis until I get really old, and compared with the price I got them at, well... P.S. I didn't vote Tory.. the bribe failed...

Heh, heh.. I wonder if I know you? To be honest, I put them in a PEP years ago and they are just rolling up the divis until I get really old, and compared with the price I got them at, well... P.S. I didn't vote Tory.. the bribe failed...

Hi Sue x

Heh, heh.. I wonder if I know you? To be honest, I put them in a PEP years ago and they are just rolling up the divis until I get really old, and compared with the price I got them at, well... P.S. I didn't vote Tory.. the bribe failed...

Only been there for about 3 years now, depends where you worked i suppose !!!

Only been there for about 3 years now, depends where you worked i suppose !!!

Ah.. I made the home run in late 2001..:-) Sod me, I'm poor now, but was I bored!!

But I know Havant FC's ground very well!!

But I know Havant FC's ground very well!!

You were down in the call center then ??

I am operational, but have been to the old place, and the new place, very nice.

Nah. IT analyst in those days. Didn't they move to the old Xeratex (or summat) place? I was not a call centre operative!

Nah. IT analyst in those days. Didn't they move to the old Xeratex (or summat) place? I was not a call centre operative!

Lol,

Some of them earn half decent money for the work, though they do long hours for it

Penner road ??

...

When you sent a meter reading in, it should been returned as being invalid by the power company. I had the same issue but the opposite way, in that they stated that the meter readings I sent them, were not correct, due to that there was no significant increase from one month to the next. I knew this was the case as I hadn't been living at home, they didn't believe this and demanded entry to the house to check - of course, I had no issue with them doing this.

This should have been picked up by the power company, they will just send someone round the house to re-check the readings. BTW the meter should be replaced every ten years, if they haven't done this, then it's the fault of the power company if the meter is now defective.