Powergen

[loopylu]

Hi All,

Having a huge :o problem with Powergen, they have been underestimating my bill for years, and when I have called them with a meter reading they are now saying that I owe them £8,500... I can't afford this... I understand that I probably should have called them with a meter reading earlier, but I didn't and now there is this debt... is there a maximum time they can leave it for without reading it, can I force them to enter into a repayment scheme with me, and do they not have some liability to make sure that I don't end up in this position?

It is also a small house that has not been hugely occupied over the few years, I just don't understand how it is this much. Whenever I bring this up with Powergen they keep saying that it was all based on an estimate blah blah blah, is there anyway I can dispute this??

Thank you for your help in advance.

Lucy

[ozzywizard]

It is up to the supplier to get an actual reading at least once every two years, They are governed to this by the code of practise for accurate bills.
If they have failed to do this they cannot bill you further back than than 2 years. This complaint then can be sent to the energy supply ombudsman which is an independant service.
First you need to discuss with Powergen when they have actual readings from, if they do not have any for the last 2 years you can take a 7 day reading and backdate this useage 2 years and that will give you a bill, remember if your heating is electric useage wil be more this time of year than in June etc.

[mree]

Sorry, small correction ozzywizard, they can only bill back 1 year, not 2! Can make all the difference between a big bill and an enormous bill!

[ozzywizard]

It is my understanding that if you have not received a bill in over 12 months they can only go back 12 months according to the code of accurate billing but in this case bills have been produced based on estimated readings which they are allowed to do for a period of 2 years. So this in effect meens they can bill back 2 years. Think you are possibly getting the two mixed up.

[mree]

You are absolutely right, of course, looking at the time of my post I can see that it was way past my bed time! Thanks for keeping me right, ozzywizard!

[ozzywizard]

No probs Mree, your help on here is appreciated. Do you work for a supply company ?

[mree]

I certainly do, I work for EDF (part-time whilst at uni). In fact I'm off there now

[ozzywizard]

Gawd, well if it makes you feel any better im off to work at 8pm for a 12 hour shift. No fun, lol. I used to work for BG for a few years and been at Powergen for 3 years but just left them 2 months ago.. loadsa fun

[Gump]

Can someone clarify this one or two year back-billing allowance?

I have the same problem with BG, got billed for 2 years of electricity at £2415, they had been sending quarterly statements based on estimations saying I was in credit until they actually read the meter again. As I understand there is a statuary requirement that they have to read the meter once every two years, which they did within a week or so, the billing part I'm not too sure....

My case is slightly different in that I told them they must have got it wrong ages ago. I didn't want to read the meter myself as its a strange dial setup (different to how the 'do it yourself' dials on the paper they send) which meant I was too worried of making an incorrect reading. The Siemens meter reader guy said they should replace it, but they haven't bothered yet..

[ozzywizard]

It is every 2 years they have to read your meter. They should get a reading every 6 months but only have too once in a 2 year period. The one year refers to not being billed at all. They can only back bill for a period of one year.

[Gump]

Thanks!

First all I clarified with BG customer service the exact dates of my previous readings and it turns out to be over a 2 year period, in fact 2 years 5 months!

I then mentioned the Energy Retail Association code of practice in which they cannot back bill me for more than a year.

All this scared them into offering to take off 10% of my current balance (not the higher balance of the original bill), probably because they broke the law with the two year gap. I happily let them do this but made clear it wasn't in settlement.

However, they will not take off the amount above 1 year as they dispute the definition of "back billing". I think they're claiming their phony quarterly estimatations count as bills and I got one of those every 3 months??? So am writing in to dispute further! I figure they have to write off about £1300 in total of which they've only written off £172 so far.

My estimates were always in credit during the two year period. So a lot hangs on the exact legal definition of "back billing". I know from a Siemens meter reader that a judge threw out anything based on estimates as reason to say someone was indebted to BG but don't know if estimates have the power to some how destroy the one year "back billing" rule. Anyone??

[Gump]

Sorry, to clarify, if I did receive quarterly estimates as statements, but those estimates always said I was in credit, does that count as being billed?

[ozzywizard]

Yes it does, unless you were billed on estimates for over 2 years.

[Gump]

Speaking to the expert at the Energy Retail Association he says that as the statements were not demands for payments and I made no other payments via direct debit, etc. then the 1 year rule will indeed apply as long as the £2415 bill was received on or after 1st July 2007 when the new rule kicked in.

I believe they sent me the bill probably around that time, but haven't got it in front of me to confirm. Will be digging it out shortly...

[ozzywizard]

billed for 2 years of electricity at £2415, they had been sending quarterly bills based on estimations

Quote from your first post, this being the case they have billed you and you have not gone a period of one year without bills. Even though they were estimatoins they were bills so the one rule does not apply however they failed to get a reading for over a 2 year period so they can only go back 2 years. This is what your supplier will say. let us know how you get on.

[Gump]

Sorry, when I said "quarterly bills" I meant "quarterly statements" as there was no demand for payment. I'll edit my first post.

[Gump]

Yes! Was billed in August 2007, so they the one year rule can be argued from what I understand.