Rest in Peace? Not when ESB overcharges dead customers.

gerbilgranny

This is the scenario. My aunt died shortly before her 86th birthday. She was a very ill lady who lived alone - except for her cat - in Kilkenny city. (The cat is a relevant detail, as I'll explain)

My aunt was admitted to hospital five weeks before her death, and never returned home. During those five weeks, I went down to Kilkenny for one night over the weekends - to visit her in hospital, and also to give the cat some shelter. (Cat has now been adopted by me).

My aunt's only living relatives in Ireland are her brother, who is a year younger than her, and me, and I live in Co Wicklow. After she died, I informed the Council that their tenant had died, and they kindly gave me a month to clear the house before handing back the keys to them. I spent a few days over the weekends emptying and cleaning the house. I was eager to get everything sorted out properly - phone, gas, electricity etc.

I was unable to locate the ESB meter, and phoned the ESB in May to ask for their help. The Customer Services Rep said that all they could say was that the meter was on an outside wall. Next time I went to Kilkenny, I searched high and low but no sign of the meter. I was determined to locate it, and even managed to open a box on a wall not too far from my aunt's front door (she lived in a terraced house), only to discover I'd actually broken into a neighbour's gas meter box! Awkward. My husband came down to Kilkenny and he too was unable to locate the meter.

I rang the ESB again and told them, and they said they would close the account, and an estimated bill for €19.69 would issue. I pointed out that my aunt had actually been in credit with the ESB for years - and given that the house had been unoccupied for a lot of the time in that final billing period, it was most unlikely that any money was owed by her. The Customer Services Rep told me not to worry, that after the 'Closing Bill', a 'Final Bill' would issue, following a meter reading, and that would show that no money was owed. They said that if I couldn't find the meter, a reading was going to be taken 'during June', and that would generate the correct bill. While it wasn't an ideal situation - the meter reading possibly being taken up to 4 weeks after the keys had been handed over - I was content enough with this solution, even though it was likely that the bill would include electricity used by the Council, if they were carrying out work in the house prior to letting it to new tenants.

I had another go at trying to find the meter/trying to contact the neighbours, on 31 May - the day I handed the keys over to the council. I left a typed note with the Council advising as to the situation with the utilities.

A while later, the bill for €19.69 issued, as expected, but I was waiting for the correct bill, based on the meter reading.

Around 20 June, I got a 'reminder' letter - no actually, my AUNT got the reminder letter, addressed to her, care of my address (which I'd supplied to the ESB, along with my phone number). It was a little upsetting to see the letter addressed to 'Miss Mary XXXX etc', and then the stern words. On 22 June, I replied in writing to the letter, which was issued by a Team Leader in 'Closed Accounts'. I explained everything, and included a copy of the note I'd given to the Council. I couldn't phone 'Closed Accounts' because no phone number had been included in the letter.

This week, I received a letter dated 27 June, from the same Team Leader - this time it was a Final Reminder Letter. But again, it was addressed to my aunt...'Dear Miss XXXX', etc. They are threatening her with legal action.

I phoned the Customer Care Centre the following morning, and told them the story. At first the Representative said that yes, there should have been a meter reading taken during June 'but maybe it wasn't done, because the account had been closed'. When I expressed disappointment that the ESB were demanding money which was not due, the Representative put me on hold for a while, and when she returned, she said that 'no, sorry, you were told the wrong information, the meter reading in June was never going to happen, it'll be in August'. She said the choice was either to pay up the €19.69, OR to wait until the meter was read in August! August - three full calendar months after the keys had been handed in! Or pay a charge for an extra meter reading - which presumably would be more than the €19.69. And anyway the extra meter reading would now be taken during July - at least five weeks after the keys had been handed back to the Council.

When waiting to speak to the Customer Services Rep, I was choosing various options, and when I enquired about 'Bill', the automated reply thingy told me that my aunt's last payment was in June 2007.

It seems a bit shoddy, that the ESB can't take it on trust that the amount of electricity used in the month prior to, and the month after, my aunt's death would have been less than her average usage, and considering that she didn't use enough to incur a charge for the past 4 years, there's no way any money would now be due.

I know the amount of money is trivial, in some ways, but it's actually been quite upsetting, because my aunt was a woman who worried and fretted about everything, and she would have been deeply upset to think that any 'trouble' was visited upon me, because of this matter. I will be applying for a Grant of Probate, so that her small amount of savings may be inherited by her brother and myself, and this bill for €19.69 will have to be included on the Application for the Grant. Technically, then, the €19.69 will have to come out of my late aunt's savings, and for some reason, I find that hurtful. I was actually in tears after speaking to the Customer Services Rep yesterday - I think was really got me was the 'Can we help you with anything else today?' question, after they'd refused to issue a bill based on her previous consumption, rather than this 'exaggerated amount of useage' - that's how the original Customer Services Rep had described the automated 'Closing Bill' which issues when an account is closed.

I would imagine this sort of thing happens a lot when an elderly person dies - why don't the ESB change the name of the charge they impose to a 'Closing Fee' (Telecom Eireann have something like that for their Social Welfare Customers) - at least that'd be more honest than sending out a bill with ficticious/exaggerated consumption of units.

I kept the ESB fully informed of things, as I wound up things regarding my aunt's house. I tried my best to locate the meter. I was told that the meter would be read in June. I feel like I've done nothing wrong, but the ESB has been inflexible and insensitive. A bit of humanity wouldn't go astray - can they not at least issue letters to personal representatives/next of kin, commencing with 'We regret to hear of the death of so-and-so', rather than continuing to issue unpleasant letters to customers who have died?

Victor

Sorry to hear of your loss.

gerbilgranny wrote: »

Around 20 June, I got a 'reminder' letter - no actually, my AUNT got the reminder letter, addressed to her, care of my address (which I'd supplied to the ESB, along with my phone number). It was a little upsetting to see the letter addressed to 'Miss Mary XXXX etc',

Its not your account, it is your aunt's (or rather her estate's) account.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Likewise, sorry for your loss but all you need do is hand that bill to the solicitor handling your aunt's estate. If there is none then simply return the correspondence to Electric Ireland marked "deceased". I don't mean to sound cruel but you really are making a mountain out of a molehill.

Electric Ireland: David

Hi gerbilgranny,

I'm sorry to hear of the trouble you've been through, and understand how upsetting all of this must be in the circumstances. Please feel free to PM the account details in question if you would like me to look into this for you.

Thanks,

David.

gerbilgranny

Thanks David, I appreciate that. Have pm'd you the details.

gerbilgranny

Thanks for getting this sorted David.

(I wanted to change the title of this thread...but have just realised it's not possible...drat)

Electric Ireland: David

Not to worry - many thanks for the compliment!