| Powergen billing: cheeky... [message #386816] |
Fr, 12 Mai 2006 16:52 |
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Powergen put their gas & electricity prices up wef 10 Mar 2006. Thanks
to a posting on this group, I took meter readings on 10 Mar and rang
them in to Powergen so that they'd get the split right across the
different tariffs.
Got a bill yesterday. Did they bother to use the readings I'd given
them for 10 March? Nope: they'd estimated readings for the 10 March, and
estimated too low, thereby charging more units at the higher (post 10
Mar) tariff.
To add injury to insult, I rang customer services to get the bill
revised. The nice lady I spoke to understood what had happened, was
surprised that the bill hadn't used the 10 March readings I'd given them
(which she could see on her screen), apologised profusely and kicked off
another (hopefully correct) bill.
Moral of story: if your billing period includes a price increase, check
the apportionment to the old and new tariffs, as Powergen have (in this
case anyway) calculated in their favour, and even when they were given
readings and didn't need to estimate!
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| Re: Powergen billing: cheeky... [message #386827 ] |
Fr, 12 Mai 2006 20:06 |
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> Got a bill yesterday. Did they bother to use the readings I'd given
> them for 10 March? Nope: they'd estimated readings for the 10 March, and
> estimated too low, thereby charging more units at the higher (post 10
> Mar) tariff.
You could always highlight the issue to OFGEM and Energywatch :-p
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| Re: Powergen billing: cheeky... [message #386833 ] |
Fr, 12 Mai 2006 22:46 |
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>>Got a bill yesterday. Did they bother to use the readings I'd given
> > them for 10 March? Nope: they'd estimated readings for the 10 March, and
> > estimated too low, thereby charging more units at the higher (post 10
> > Mar) tariff.
>
> You could always highlight the issue to OFGEM and Energywatch :-p
Good idea - I think the same just happened to me (Scottish Power though).
Although I didn't unfortunately have the foresight of taking the readings on
the last day of the old tariff and the same thought occured to me that they
are therefore probably estimating incorrectly on both tariffs - although I
guess if its not intentional, then it could be a positive or a negative
financial impact for the consumer. If it was always a higher estimate on the
more expensive tariff then I'd be inclined to feel that there was something
dodgy going on and this should perhaps be reported to the regulating
authorities - which it should either way really.
Well spotted that man.
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| Re: Powergen billing: cheeky... [message #386837 ] |
Sa, 13 Mai 2006 01:15 |
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"Allan Gould" <invalid [at] invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:4cjlpgF163ai7U1 [at] individual.net...
> Powergen put their gas & electricity prices up wef 10 Mar 2006. Thanks to
> a posting on this group, I took meter readings on 10 Mar and rang them in
> to Powergen so that they'd get the split right across the different
> tariffs.
>
> Got a bill yesterday. Did they bother to use the readings I'd given them
> for 10 March? Nope: they'd estimated readings for the 10 March, and
> estimated too low, thereby charging more units at the higher (post 10 Mar)
> tariff.
>
> To add injury to insult, I rang customer services to get the bill revised.
> The nice lady I spoke to understood what had happened, was surprised that
> the bill hadn't used the 10 March readings I'd given them (which she could
> see on her screen), apologised profusely and kicked off another (hopefully
> correct) bill.
>
> Moral of story: if your billing period includes a price increase, check
> the apportionment to the old and new tariffs, as Powergen have (in this
> case anyway) calculated in their favour, and even when they were given
> readings and didn't need to estimate!
>
By way of contrast, we just received our latest gas bill (Atlantic) - yet
another estimate. Way above actual, so I phoned correct figures through and
they promptly credited the excess units at the new, higher, price. So I
guess you win some and lose some - and this time we're winners (albeit, the
amount is a only quid or so).
--
Martin
[Remove barrier to reply]
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| Re: Powergen billing: cheeky... [message #386934 ] |
So, 14 Mai 2006 20:22 |
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>You could always highlight the issue to OFGEM and Energywatch :-p
To right. The same happened to me. I was overcharged by at least 6
pence.
And if I don't get the equivalent of a Senate Hearing I shall of course
be writing to Tony Blair.
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| Re: Powergen billing: cheeky... [message #386941 ] |
So, 14 Mai 2006 22:03 |
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> >You could always highlight the issue to OFGEM and Energywatch :-p
> To right. The same happened to me. I was overcharged by at least 6
> pence.
If the value equates to a couple of quid overcharged, when you take into
account several million customers each overcharged in the same way...
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| Re: Powergen billing: cheeky... [message #386962 ] |
Mo, 15 Mai 2006 11:26 |
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> If the value equates to a couple of quid overcharged, when you take into
> account several million customers each overcharged in the same way...
And I'm sure the fuel pumps are charging at least a penny more lately
whevener you have your finger off the trigger and are lifting the pump head
up to get last few drips out of the pump (which you have presumerably
already paid for) - times that one by millions and count the profit on that.
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| Re: Powergen billing: cheeky... [message #387018 ] |
Di, 16 Mai 2006 09:32 |
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Allan Gould wrote:
> Powergen put their gas & electricity prices up wef 10 Mar 2006. Thanks
> to a posting on this group, I took meter readings on 10 Mar and rang
> them in to Powergen so that they'd get the split right across the
> different tariffs.
>
> Got a bill yesterday. Did they bother to use the readings I'd given
> them for 10 March? Nope: they'd estimated readings for the 10 March, and
> estimated too low, thereby charging more units at the higher (post 10
> Mar) tariff.
Revised bill came this morning.
Bill reduced by £4.12 (inc VAT)
Nuff said.
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