Powergen rip off

[richthegill]

recieved a final bill from them today for Jan to March 2007 with Electric at £60 and Gas at £600!
When we rang them to sort it out they say it's because they estimated the gas over 3 years, and have now corrected it because we gave them the readings.
Do we just pay it or is there something that could be done. Surely they should have sent a metre reader round at some point in that 3 years.
It's really angered me this!

[ozzywizard]

The balance is not justified or collectable if they have failed to get a correct reading for a 2 year period.

[richthegill]

Originally Posted by ozzywizard

The balance is not justified or collectable if they have failed to get a correct reading for a 2 year period.

hi Ozzy thanks. Can you expand on that a bit though. Is it in their T&Cs?

[ozzywizard]

Yeah its in the Code of Practice for Accurate Bills.


Under what circumstances will suppliers agree not to charge customers for
energy used?
If the supplier is at fault, and the customer has not received a bill for more than two
years, then from 1st July 2006 any outstanding amounts that relate to energy consumed
more than two years ago will be cancelled. From July 2007, this will reduce to one year.
For customers on credit payment arrangements, suppliers will not be at fault where they
can demonstrate that they have taken all of the following four actions:
a) Attempted to read the meter at the customer’s premises within the last 24
months within the first year. From July 2007 onwards this will reduce to
within the last 15 months.
b) Provided opportunities for the customer to submit their own meter reading at
any time on any day
c) Ensured that it was clear on the bill that energy consumption had been
estimated
d) Used a system to ensure estimated bills relate to foreseeable actual
consumption (that is, the estimate was based on previous history, where
available, or on average energy consumption for a similar type of property)
Where the customer pays by direct debit, in addition to a) and b) above, the supplier
must be able to demonstrate that it has taken all of the following actions:
. the customer has been correctly set up on their billing system by both taking
deductions from the customer’s bank account and sending statements to them
. within the last 24 months in the first year reducing to 15 months for year 2
onwards it has re-assessed the customer’s direct debit payment to ensure that
the payments are sufficient to meet (either the actual or a reasonable estimate
of) the customer’s energy usage.

[richthegill]

Great stuff. Many Thanks indeed.

[lindsay22]

hi i work for powergen and u will find it very difficult to have the final bill reduced, as the bills clearly state they are estimates and if a meter reader has been and not gained access to the meter ie you were not in etc
have they billed the final bill to an actual read?
has there been a meter exchange?
these can always make a differance to the bill
also make sure the final read they have is correct as they obtain this reading from your new supplier.

[ozzywizard]

I also work for Powergen and you will find it very easy to have the bill reduced if the company have not stuck to the billing code and charging the consumer unlawfully. Too many people pay their bills without question.

[topjet]

hey power gen im with power basically ive a problem, some bloke read my token meter then i get a itemised bill why thought the bloke read my meter,ok its a token 1 they should know what i pay.
surley after some 1 reads a meter its a true reading why estimate.

[ozzywizard]

Either the meter reader did not hand the reading into Powergen properly or their has been a fault with your readings. Or they have the correct read but have to estimate on the day of a price increase or decrease. Phone them with your correct read and ask for a statement to date on that read.

[polly-anna]

Thankyou so much for all help Ozzy, your posts have helped me so much

[ozzywizard]

No problem this is what the forum is all about.

[vandermerwe]

As a pensioner couple living on the state pension, we could really do with some help and guidance concerning Powergen.

We joined the TXU Staywarm scheme for pensioners in 2001 which confirmed "Use as much energy as you need - an exclusive service for pensioners" at a fixed monthly payment of £38.33 for gas and electricity. This was later increased to £40.95 per month and paid by debit order.

Powergen then took over TXU Staywarm and the debit orders continued until January 2006 when I changed banks and somehow this debit order was not transferred to the new bank.

The first intimation was a demand for an unpaid energy bill of £201.27 allegedly for a bill dated May 2006, but not received.

Fair enough, I've been paying it off but have now been told this only covers gas as I allegedly transferred to an alternative electricity supplier in July 2003.

This is completely untrue and no account from any other supplier has been received. Powergen have given no indication of our gas consumption which makes it impossible for me to check alternative suppliers.

All suggestions as how to resolve the impasse would be gratefully received.

[lindsay22]

Originally Posted by vandermerwe

As a pensioner couple living on the state pension, we could really do with some help and guidance concerning Powergen.

We joined the TXU Staywarm scheme for pensioners in 2001 which confirmed "Use as much energy as you need - an exclusive service for pensioners" at a fixed monthly payment of £38.33 for gas and electricity. This was later increased to £40.95 per month and paid by debit order.

Powergen then took over TXU Staywarm and the debit orders continued until January 2006 when I changed banks and somehow this debit order was not transferred to the new bank.

The first intimation was a demand for an unpaid energy bill of £201.27 allegedly for a bill dated May 2006, but not received.

Fair enough, I've been paying it off but have now been told this only covers gas as I allegedly transferred to an alternative electricity supplier in July 2003.

This is completely untrue and no account from any other supplier has been received. Powergen have given no indication of our gas consumption which makes it impossible for me to check alternative suppliers.

All suggestions as how to resolve the impasse would be gratefully received.

what may have happened is that when ur staywarm contract ended as they are only 12 month contracts, powergen may have put u on there normal billing tarriff. basically a product switch ring up staywarm and i am sure they will help.

[ozzywizard]

You need to find out who supplies your electric, they can only bill you going back 2 years. In July this changes to one year so I wouldn’t be in a rush.

[vandermerwe]

Thanks Lindsay 22 and Ozzy Wizard for your help.

I note what is said about July.

[jonhstones]

Originally Posted by vandermerwe

Thanks Lindsay 22 and Ozzy Wizard for your help.

I note what is said about July.

Hi i have just got a bill from powergen saying that i owe them £524.00 i have a pre payment meter when i phoned them to ask about it i was told its because the meter has not been re ajusted in all the time i have had this meter it goes back to feb 2006 ,now i am a housewife so i am at home most of the time,i am here to let them in to read it but not to re ajust it , i was then told that i had refused entre to the house for the re ajustment,she then told me to make a appointment for them to change to meter for a key meter they would look at the old meter and we could come to some sort of arrangement ,but please tell me is this my fault? they were very quick to come and ajust the meter when the prices when up not so long ago please can anyone help?

[TheVindicator]

e-on are here and they're ripping off customers for good. they are devloping one of the uk's largest hot air outfits blah blah blah.

still, it will all be good when they give you the automated metres.... or then again

[ozzywizard]

I know this is quite a time ago but they cannot claim none calibration debt after April 2007 as they promised all meters would be set to the correct prices by this time. You say it goes back to Feb 2006. I very much doubt you built up 524 in 14 months unless you use loads of electric and your meter was set to like pre 2006 prices. find out from them your balance in April 2007 and also Feb 2006 .