Anyone gotten a bigger than usual esb bill?

ejmaztec

Selah Howling Eraser wrote: »

Something like 8cent every 2 months goes towards Meter Reading. Your Standing Charge covers much more besides. Sad world if you complain about anybody taking 48 cent a year and doing, in your opinion, very little for it.

Is this sufficient to pay the meter-readers for their services, or would there be a loss situation? I can't think of anyone in their right mind, particularly in a rural area, who would wish to travel around from one meter to the next to earn such a piddling amount.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

ejmaztec wrote: »

Is this sufficient to pay the meter-readers for their services, or would there be a loss situation? I can't think of anyone in their right mind, particularly in a rural area, who would wish to travel around from one meter to the next to earn such a piddling amount.

There's a loss in it. It's all tied to Regulatory Allowances....for another day!:P

foggy_lad

my point is not about how much they get for reading each meter but that they are obliged to read meters as part of the service they provide and they are failing to do this! if ESB networks were a private company reading meters they would have lost the contract by now.

coffee_chucker

foggy_lad wrote: »

my point is not about how much they get for reading each meter but that they are obliged to read meters as part of the service they provide and they are failing to do this! if ESB networks were a private company reading meters they would have lost the contract by now.

I think the ESB do contract out meter reading to other companies/people. Every few months, there is a knock on our door asking to read the meter, it used to be one guy for years but now we have a different guy checking our meter. Anyway, on Paddy's day this year the new guy came to check our meter, I asked him how come he was working on a bank holiday, he says his work is contract based and if he doesn't work he doesn't get paid, and our house was on the list of meters that had to be read by that day.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

coffee_chucker wrote: »

I think the ESB do contract out meter reading to other companies/people. Every few months, there is a knock on our door asking to read the meter, it used to be one guy for years but now we have a different guy checking our meter. Anyway, on Paddy's day this year the new guy came to check our meter, I asked him how come he was working on a bank holiday, he says his work is contract based and if he doesn't work he doesn't get paid, and our house was on the list of meters that had to be read by that day.

You are totally correct. The majority of meter readers (certainly all outside Dublin) are self-employed contractors who bill ESB Networks for their services. They work whatever days or hours they like.

foggy-lad wrote:

they are obliged to read meters as part of the service they provide and they are failing to do this!

BTW there are no Customer Charter Guarantees about the number of times a meter is read in a year. In some european countries meters are only read once a year. ESB used to attempt 6 reads a year now they aim for 4 but they are not obliged to do so.

foggy_lad

Selah Howling Eraser wrote: »

BTW there are no Customer Charter Guarantees about the number of times a meter is read in a year. In some european countries meters are only read once a year. ESB used to attempt 6 reads a year now they aim for 4 but they are not obliged to do so.

is it not time that this laziness on the part of ESB networks was addressed? thay should be forced to read meters every two months and a credit given when it can be shown they did not read a meter where it was easily accessible.

bear in mind that many houses where the meter is indoors are occupied by elderly people who can least afford to be hit by these dodgey estimated readings.

jenzz

Of the 6 bills a year I get 4 are estimated. They have gone from about €150 to €280 in 12 months. Esb say must be fault inside the garden yet have never ever checked the outside. I have even had ESB friends in to check inside my property & cant find anything a miss. My current summer bill is higher than christmas yet no heating on, lights , dryer etc etc. Just makes no sense.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

jenzz wrote: »

Of the 6 bills a year I get 4 are estimated. They have gone from about €150 to €280 in 12 months. Esb say must be fault inside the garden yet have never ever checked the outside. I have even had ESB friends in to check inside my property & cant find anything a miss. My current summer bill is higher than christmas yet no heating on, lights , dryer etc etc. Just makes no sense.

Nothing on the ESB side of the meter can affect your bill so it's either a meter fault (highly unlikely despite everybody thinking otherwise) or it's consumption on your part. Read the meter last thing at night and again first thing in the morning; you should only use a few units if no water heating etc is turned on.

Fnergg

foggy_lad wrote: »

is it not time that this laziness on the part of ESB networks was addressed? thay should be forced to read meters every two months and a credit given when it can be shown they did not read a meter where it was easily accessible.

bear in mind that many houses where the meter is indoors are occupied by elderly people who can least afford to be hit by these dodgey estimated readings.

foggy_lad you are incorrigable! You give the impression that failure to read easily accessible meters is a widespread problem when it simply is not. Obviously there are isolated instances where due to a failure by the meter reader or difficulty in obtaining a reader to read in the first place are causing problems. But they are isolated cases. The vast majority of meters are read on a regular basis and ESB Networks have actually increased their capture of actual reads over the last couple of years.

I agree with you in relation to reading every 2 months as used to be the case up to 10 years ago or so. The move from 6 reading visits per year to 4 was a retrograde step. It was done in the interests of reducing reading costs but it actually increased costs in other parts of the ESB due to more customers asking for estimated bills to be adjusted and the like. However, it is highly unlikely that the Regulator will force any change in that regard given the advent of smart metering.

Meanwhile, I can only repeat: if you get an estimated bill check the reading yourself and get it adjusted if it's out of line. We can argue the toss until the cows come home about meter readers not doing their job and so forth but at the end of the day it is you who will have to pay the bill when an actual reading is eventually obtained. Customers need to do more to help themselves.

Regards,

Fnergg

foggy_lad

Fnergg wrote: »

foggy_lad you are incorrigable! You give the impression that failure to read easily accessible meters is a widespread problem when it simply is not. Obviously there are isolated instances where due to a failure by the meter reader or difficulty in obtaining a reader to read in the first place are causing problems. But they are isolated cases. The vast majority of meters are read on a regular basis and ESB Networks have actually increased their capture of actual reads over the last couple of years.

I agree with you in relation to reading every 2 months as used to be the case up to 10 years ago or so. The move from 6 reading visits per year to 4 was a retrograde step. It was done in the interests of reducing reading costs but it actually increased costs in other parts of the ESB due to more customers asking for estimated bills to be adjusted and the like. However, it is highly unlikely that the Regulator will force any change in that regard given the advent of smart metering.

Meanwhile, I can only repeat: if you get an estimated bill check the reading yourself and get it adjusted if it's out of line. We can argue the toss until the cows come home about meter readers not doing their job and so forth but at the end of the day it is you who will have to pay the bill when an actual reading is eventually obtained. Customers need to do more to help themselves.

Regards,

Fnergg

i agree about getting your bill adjusted if the ESB are incapable of reading your meter but in my experience they simply adjust the original bill by adding the extra units or adding a credit for less units and re-issue it which then shows your bill as being "overdue" for payment!

this is not right for customers that are not late in paying their bill and i think each time your account shows as overdue is recorded by esb systems and used for credit scoring on your account.

Fnergg

foggy_lad wrote: »

i agree about getting your bill adjusted if the ESB are incapable of reading your meter but in my experience they simply adjust the original bill by adding the extra units or adding a credit for less units and re-issue it which then shows your bill as being "overdue" for payment!

this is not right for customers that are not late in paying their bill and i think each time your account shows as overdue is recorded by esb systems and used for credit scoring on your account.

I agree that "overdue" in this context is incorrect. A better wording would be: "balance brought forward" and I understand that ESB are looking at this. It doesn't in fact affect the credit scoring at all but the word is inappropriate nonetheless.

It also depends on whom you contact to adjust the bill. If you submit the reading via ESB Networks (1850337777) an adjusted bill will have the "overdue" wording whereas if you contact ESB Customer Supply (1850372372) it won't. It's one of those dumb IT issues that needs sorting. The end result as regards the balance payable is the same of course.

Regards,

Fnergg

mcaul

Just got the latest bord gais lecky bill - €90.12!!!:D

OK, so the last one was estimated and was over by about €40, it still means 4 months electricity (4th march to 6th July) was €300. - best for a long time and for 4 bed house with daily electric shower, regular cooking / dishwasher / washing machine, some portable heat and the usual small appliances. All lights including down lighters are low wattage / led.

parsi

mcaul wrote: »

Just got the latest bord gais lecky bill - €90.12!!!:D

OK, so the last one was estimated and was over by about €40, it still means 4 months electricity (4th march to 6th July) was €300. - best for a long time and for 4 bed house with daily electric shower, regular cooking / dishwasher / washing machine, some portable heat and the usual small appliances. All lights including down lighters are low wattage / led.

Go away. This is a bad news thread. No place here for that sort of "My bill is cheaper" talk.

Off with ya, be gone.

tomsav

The Overdue issue is not just with ESB. I got a delayed bill for servicing my gas meter (the delay was on the Bord Gas side) and it came as overdue. I have always paid my bills on time and was a bit miffed. I believe they have had problems with their new billing system.