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Airtricity charging 500€ for 2 weeks where no-one had access to building

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  • 22-03-2010 10:42am
    #1
    MD2510
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭


    We recently took over a premises from a company on a short term basis and then sold it on...

    We rang Airtricity to say we would be taking over the account and asked if there was anything we needed to do. They told us that if we just told them when we were moving on they would bill us for the period, and there was nothing further we needed to do.

    We were in possesion of the account for 2 weeks and made 3 site visits in that time. All during the day. No lights were left on and no-one else had access to the building.

    We then recieved a bill for the two weeks for 500Euro...when we spoke to Airtricity they said that the bill waqs based on an estimated initial reading against the actual finishing reading.

    When we queried the amount we recieved a phone call from a very rude collections agent in airtricity saying "It's your own stupidity you have to blame, what kind of idiot doesn't take a reading"

    Is there anything we can do to challenge this?


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    #2
    astrofool
    Registered Users Posts: 16,712 ✭✭✭✭astrofool


    Did you take a beginning and end reading from the meter?

    Otherwise, I'd be inclined to go with what the collections agent said.


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    #3
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    If you didn't take an initial reading when you signed up to use Airtricity, then you accepted the reading they had on file. Your only hope is to get the previous occupant to take responsibility for the usage, if they took a reading when they left, or if they will accept your word for it.

    Unless they've charged you an incorrect rate, I don't see how this is a rip off.


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    #4
    MD2510
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭MD2510


    Surely it is obvious to anyone that you can't rack up a €500 bill in two weeks no matter how many lights you leave on...


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    #5
    alexlyons
    Registered Users Posts: 2,182 ✭✭✭alexlyons


    best bet is to work out if you actually could have done that, ie how much electricity would have been used if everything was left on 24/7. If it's a big premises with machines etc then of course you could technically have, but if its only small and you can prove it was empty, then you may have a case.


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    #6
    jimoc
    Registered Users Posts: 634 ✭✭✭jimoc


    While I don't agree with the collection agents attitude I would have to agree with his sentiment.
    In taking over any account for anything be it electricity, gas etc, the first thing anyone should do is take the current reading on the day that it is signed over to them and ensure that the utility company has that reading.

    In this case, I think you have to suck it up and put it down to experience and not do it again.


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    #7
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    MD2510 wrote: »
    Surely it is obvious to anyone that you can't rack up a €500 bill in two weeks no matter how many lights you leave on...

    They don't know what you have, or had, on the premises. So no, it would not be obvious to anyone. All that matters is that they have an accurate present reading, and no previous reading to compare that too. Since you never corrected the previous estimate when you moved in, they have nothing else to go on.


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