Npower and legal advice

[dirtydog]

Right here's the story...

My last flat was all electric (no gas etc) and I was suplied by NPower. As it was all electric there were 2 readings on the meter- day time and night time they were billed at different rates. I lived there between beginning March 07 until end of july last year. The meter is outside and all the readings were actual readings and not estimates. When I moved I gave the final reading and cleared the account.
Now a whole year later they tell me I owe them £250, obviously I queried this and thier response was the meter was read the wrong way around i.e the day time was given as night time and vice versa.

They say i have to pay but I don't see why I should pay for their mistake.
Anyone shed some light on where I stand on this?

unfortunately I don't think you have a leg to stand on. They made a mistake, they told you and you still have to cough up the money. I know it stinks but that's how it is.

The only thing you can do is try and meet them in the middle as it is their own error.

[Bri w]

If you did the last reading, and they are saying it was wrong....... Your error anyway.

Double bubbled, you pay

they did the reading. final bill was paid 11 months ago.

Being a meter reader I see this happen a occasionally.

The trouble is there are many types of dual rate meter. Most have three readings....day, night and a total. The trouble occurs because, where on one meter rate 1 is the day reading, on another meter it's the night....and vice versa.

It's really not complicated though, and it's down to the meter reader to know how to read the different meters. Another problem is that sometimes it only takes a couple of numpty meter readers to get it wrong, then even if the next meter reader reads it correctly, your supplier will just assume its been read wrong and switch the reads round so they continue on from previous readings.

If they have been reading them the wrong way round, you'll have been paying the cheap rate, for what you use in the day and vice versa. I don't know the legalities of it though, but I can remember seeing something on Watchdog about it a year or so ago. Maybe try a search?

If at all possible (if it was me) I'd try and go back to your old meter and take the readings and compare them to your old bills (if you still have them). It could be possible Npower are wrong about the way the meter should be read.

Originally Posted by Mr Farley

Being a meter reader I see this happen a occasionally.

I can appreciate mistakes happening occassionally but for every meter reading for 18 months to get muddled. Probably not the same meter reader, so its down to poor staff training, hardly think that is something DD should be penalised for.

Originally Posted by kitkat

I can appreciate mistakes happening occassionally but for every meter reading for 18 months to get muddled. Probably not the same meter reader, so its down to poor staff training, hardly think that is something DD should be penalised for.

I regularly go to properties with dual rate meters and when I enter the readings it says that I'm reading the meter wrong (computer says no!!, but I know I'm not), then when I do a test and put the readings in the wrong way round it accepts them. This is due to it being read wrong previously I guess?? I personally always then write a note on the computer explaning what has happened.

What the supplier then does with the data....I don't know. They may well assume that I'm wrong and switch my readings round.

I agree, it's totally unacceptable though, and you have every right to pi$$ed off. To be fair the job is pretty easy so mistakes like this shouldn't happen. Especially as your meter was outside, so the meter reader can stare at it for as long as he wants!

As I've said, the only way to really tell is to go back and look at the meter and check the current readings, and compare them to your bills.

did a wee search

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/bargain...in_page_id=513

they wrote off his bill as a gesture of goodwill, hope they do they same in this case

Originally Posted by kitkat

did a wee search

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/bargain...in_page_id=513

they wrote off his bill as a gesture of goodwill, hope they do they same in this case

Seems like they have some history with this, maybe they should check their training methods!!

[Bri w]

Originally Posted by kitkat

they did the reading. final bill was paid 11 months ago.

But DD says in his mail "I gave the final reading and cleared the account."