| Can anyone help me with this? 16:51 - Jun 29 with 858 views | Bent_double |
Electricity pre-payment meters.
Me being completely stupid, assumed that they are exactly what they say they are - ie you add money to the meter (pre-pay), then use electricity until the money runs out, or you top-up the meter again.
I mean, if you had one of these, moved house where there is a different system in operation, and you had about £20 credit on the meter when you left, you would expect (or hope) to have that refunded to you, right?
Instead, you get a bill for over £200, because apparently you've used more electricity than they thought (despite it being a 'smart' meter, that sends them daily readings), oh and dipped into 'emergency' usage when there wasn't any credit left.
How does that work then, anyone else come across this?? (EDF Energy, btw)
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 17:11 - Jun 29 with 786 views | jeera |
I would think the same as you.
If it's a faulty meter and not been working as it should that has to be their problem.
Sounds like someone's trying it on but what do I know?
I had one for a few weeks once at some flat I had as a stop gap and it did what it said. You either had credit or you didn't. Yes there was an 'emergency' back-up but that was only a small amount to give the user a chance to top up.
Edit: Just to add to that.
I just had a quick Google like you do, and an answer stated that a bill can be run up as it will continue to run on emergency rather than cut off supply.
But that doesn't make sense if it's been topped up as the top-up cash should be automatically swallowed up. Besides, the meter would read a in debt and not in credit wouldn't it.
Not getting this at all atm. I wouldn't pay a thing without a full run down of their reasoning and proof to boot. [Post edited 29 Jun 2022 17:24]
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 17:26 - Jun 29 with 748 views | You_Bloo_Right |
Assuming you advised EDF of the date you moved out (and gave them a meter reading) then they could look at the usage figures supplied by the meter and work out if someone has used the supply after that date.
Telling you to take a photo of the meter reading on the day you moved out is advice that has come way too late obviously. |  |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 17:27 - Jun 29 with 746 views | Bent_double |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 17:11 - Jun 29 by jeera |
I would think the same as you.
If it's a faulty meter and not been working as it should that has to be their problem.
Sounds like someone's trying it on but what do I know?
I had one for a few weeks once at some flat I had as a stop gap and it did what it said. You either had credit or you didn't. Yes there was an 'emergency' back-up but that was only a small amount to give the user a chance to top up.
Edit: Just to add to that.
I just had a quick Google like you do, and an answer stated that a bill can be run up as it will continue to run on emergency rather than cut off supply.
But that doesn't make sense if it's been topped up as the top-up cash should be automatically swallowed up. Besides, the meter would read a in debt and not in credit wouldn't it.
Not getting this at all atm. I wouldn't pay a thing without a full run down of their reasoning and proof to boot. [Post edited 29 Jun 2022 17:24]
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Cheers - not just me being daft then.
It just doesn't make sense, I mean it's *only* £200, but it could easily be £400, £500, £600 if it carried on.
If there were any 'debts' from emergency usage, why not just take that out of the next top-up?
It's my old dears account, she had a meter change a couple of years ago, I wonder if that's got anything to do with it.
They (EDF) are apparently going to send me a breakdown of the charges, because unless they can show exactly when this happened, I don't think she should pay. She always kept the account in credit (sometimes hundreds of pounds), and became anxious if it got down to £20-£30. | |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 17:32 - Jun 29 with 739 views | jeera |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 17:27 - Jun 29 by Bent_double |
Cheers - not just me being daft then.
It just doesn't make sense, I mean it's *only* £200, but it could easily be £400, £500, £600 if it carried on.
If there were any 'debts' from emergency usage, why not just take that out of the next top-up?
It's my old dears account, she had a meter change a couple of years ago, I wonder if that's got anything to do with it.
They (EDF) are apparently going to send me a breakdown of the charges, because unless they can show exactly when this happened, I don't think she should pay. She always kept the account in credit (sometimes hundreds of pounds), and became anxious if it got down to £20-£30. |
"If there were any 'debts' from emergency usage, why not just take that out of the next top-up?"
In my experience that's precisely what it does.
If you buy £20 on the card and are a tenner in debt then you have £10 showing in credit.
The whole point of the thing is that it's that simlpe.
I think someone's made a mistake.
For the record make sure mum doesn't trust them just because they're a big known firm. I was receiving stupid bills one winter and the firm were taking the DD each month despite the sums being unrealistic.
The rows I had with them. In the end I rang day after day and kept on until they sent out an engineer to confirm the meter was faulty. They eventually refunded £400 but they owed me bloody more really.
So yeah it does happen. | |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 17:42 - Jun 29 with 729 views | SitfcB |
SSE (who we are still with in the new place) are trying to get £59 from us via a debt recovery service from our old place even though we ran it down and left it on £0 and gave them a meter reading.
Safe to say we aren’t paying. |  |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:07 - Jun 29 with 690 views | Bent_double |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 17:26 - Jun 29 by You_Bloo_Right |
Assuming you advised EDF of the date you moved out (and gave them a meter reading) then they could look at the usage figures supplied by the meter and work out if someone has used the supply after that date.
Telling you to take a photo of the meter reading on the day you moved out is advice that has come way too late obviously. |
Well, OK, this is perhaps where I was a bit stupid - no I didn't take a meter reading or photo of the meter.
Why? Because I stupidly thought that being a 'pre-payment' meter, and with £20+ on there (they had just taken an automatic top-up payment from my card), it was just a case of waiting for them to close the account and refund any credit.
Also, the house (a housing association place) was then empty for 2 weeks until mums tenancy expired, and even now it's empty (6+ weeks later) as they redecorate before renting it out again. | |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:11 - Jun 29 with 654 views | jeera |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:07 - Jun 29 by Bent_double |
Well, OK, this is perhaps where I was a bit stupid - no I didn't take a meter reading or photo of the meter.
Why? Because I stupidly thought that being a 'pre-payment' meter, and with £20+ on there (they had just taken an automatic top-up payment from my card), it was just a case of waiting for them to close the account and refund any credit.
Also, the house (a housing association place) was then empty for 2 weeks until mums tenancy expired, and even now it's empty (6+ weeks later) as they redecorate before renting it out again. |
Automatic payment?
How's that work? | |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:18 - Jun 29 with 633 views | Bent_double |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:11 - Jun 29 by jeera |
Automatic payment?
How's that work? |
I'd installed the app on my phone so I can check the balance - we had to remove the smart meter display from her place, she was constantly checking it and switching things off (like storage heaters through the winter).
The app allows you to add a debit/credit card and let them take a payment from it when the credit on the meter goes below a set amount. | |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:19 - Jun 29 with 629 views | Bent_double |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 17:42 - Jun 29 by SitfcB |
SSE (who we are still with in the new place) are trying to get £59 from us via a debt recovery service from our old place even though we ran it down and left it on £0 and gave them a meter reading.
Safe to say we aren’t paying. |
Did they explain why there was a £59 debt? | |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:20 - Jun 29 with 627 views | jeera |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:18 - Jun 29 by Bent_double |
I'd installed the app on my phone so I can check the balance - we had to remove the smart meter display from her place, she was constantly checking it and switching things off (like storage heaters through the winter).
The app allows you to add a debit/credit card and let them take a payment from it when the credit on the meter goes below a set amount. |
Then their claim makes no sense surely.
Hopefully you have proof of payments then.
Sounds pretty water tight from your end. | |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:23 - Jun 29 with 620 views | SitfcB |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:19 - Jun 29 by Bent_double |
Did they explain why there was a £59 debt? |
Nope, they’re just saying it’s an overdue bill, first I heard of it was by letter from the debt collection agency a few months ago, we moved in May 2021. | |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:32 - Jun 29 with 594 views | You_Bloo_Right |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:07 - Jun 29 by Bent_double |
Well, OK, this is perhaps where I was a bit stupid - no I didn't take a meter reading or photo of the meter.
Why? Because I stupidly thought that being a 'pre-payment' meter, and with £20+ on there (they had just taken an automatic top-up payment from my card), it was just a case of waiting for them to close the account and refund any credit.
Also, the house (a housing association place) was then empty for 2 weeks until mums tenancy expired, and even now it's empty (6+ weeks later) as they redecorate before renting it out again. |
OK no particular drama as they were presumably still advised of the moving date. Plus, of course, your Mum's tenancy ended shortly after.
So EDF shoud be able to use either one of those dates (preferably the former) as the end of your Mum's contract with them at that property. Any electricity use after that is surely the landlord's responsibility.
I'm with Jeera on this but unfortunately you may have to fight your corner. | |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:46 - Jun 29 with 564 views | jeera |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:32 - Jun 29 by You_Bloo_Right |
OK no particular drama as they were presumably still advised of the moving date. Plus, of course, your Mum's tenancy ended shortly after.
So EDF shoud be able to use either one of those dates (preferably the former) as the end of your Mum's contract with them at that property. Any electricity use after that is surely the landlord's responsibility.
I'm with Jeera on this but unfortunately you may have to fight your corner. |
I think these issues arise through someone's laziness somewhere.
I know it's different but I moved into this place as a new build my fist water bill came in showing units used before my moving in date.
I was being charged for the builders making their tea and using my bathroom I reckon!
They did sort it once I complained but that's not the point. If I hadn't realised then I'd have wrongly been out of pocket, paying someone else's bill. | |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:48 - Jun 29 with 560 views | Bent_double |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:20 - Jun 29 by jeera |
Then their claim makes no sense surely.
Hopefully you have proof of payments then.
Sounds pretty water tight from your end. |
Well yes, I mean I wasn't using the app from the start, only since last year, so any debts *may* have occurred earlier, but if such debts existed, I don't understand why they weren't mentioned a longtime ago.
I guess I'll just have to wait to see what their 'breakdown' of the figures show. | |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:54 - Jun 29 with 550 views | jeera |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:48 - Jun 29 by Bent_double |
Well yes, I mean I wasn't using the app from the start, only since last year, so any debts *may* have occurred earlier, but if such debts existed, I don't understand why they weren't mentioned a longtime ago.
I guess I'll just have to wait to see what their 'breakdown' of the figures show. |
Have a nose through this piece when you get 5 minutes.
https://lookaftermybills.com/blog/prepayment-meters-explained/ | |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 21:30 - Jun 29 with 437 views | Coastalblue |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 18:46 - Jun 29 by jeera |
I think these issues arise through someone's laziness somewhere.
I know it's different but I moved into this place as a new build my fist water bill came in showing units used before my moving in date.
I was being charged for the builders making their tea and using my bathroom I reckon!
They did sort it once I complained but that's not the point. If I hadn't realised then I'd have wrongly been out of pocket, paying someone else's bill. |
Had exactly the same, but for electric. When we moved here in 2016 it's a new build and part of a block of around 20 flats. Can't bring myself to say apartments. Ours was one of the last finished, but because we have a flat roof outside was used for access for a lot of materials, and presumably as workshop/tearoom/storage.
We started getting demands for £100's the week after we moved in. |  |
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| Can anyone help me with this? on 21:46 - Jun 29 with 409 views | jeera |
| Can anyone help me with this? on 21:30 - Jun 29 by Coastalblue |
Had exactly the same, but for electric. When we moved here in 2016 it's a new build and part of a block of around 20 flats. Can't bring myself to say apartments. Ours was one of the last finished, but because we have a flat roof outside was used for access for a lot of materials, and presumably as workshop/tearoom/storage.
We started getting demands for £100's the week after we moved in. |
You'd think someone might read the meter once they're done. | |
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