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Electricity Bill Issue-help/info needed!

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  • 22-05-2013 1:08pm
    #1
    Jane5
    Registered Users Posts: 216 ✭✭


    Hi all, hope this is the right place for this thread.

    We moved into a new place last year, Jan 2012, and took a meter reading. Ever since then we have been getting estimated bills, which have always been paid in full. We just always missed the meter guy as we both work crazy hours, and anyway, estimations seemed reasonable.

    We recently went to switch providers, took a meter reading, calculated from the reading that we had been undercharged around 300 euros or so since we moved in, not a problem.

    We then were shocked when we received a closing bill for over 700 euros! :eek: when we queried this with the company they said that it was for "standing charges"!!!!?????

    We have been paying "standing charges" on our estimated bills.

    And regardless, there is literally no way that standing charges on an amount of 300 euros or so could work out as MORE than the bill amount itself.

    The electricity company cannot explain this satisfactorily to us, and basically told us it was punishment for not getting the meter read!

    We have asked for an itemised breakdown of what these "standing charges" are, to be sent out to us, but something just does not seem right about all this. This has never happened before with any other provider, and it makes bugger all sense!

    Does anyone have any idea what to do next? There doesn't seem to be an "Electricity Supply Ombudsman" or anything. I'd be really grateful for some advice!


Comments

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    #2
    freelancerTax
    Registered Users Posts: 391 ✭✭freelancerTax


    are you locked into a long term contract - if you are it could be the standing charges for the remainder of the contract


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    #3
    Cushie Butterfield
    Registered Users Posts: 1,861 ✭✭✭Cushie Butterfield


    The regulator for electricity suppliers is CER http://www.cer.ie/

    Would it be the case that because your bills were estimated that you were being charged the Low User Standing Charge https://www.electricireland.ie/ei/residential/price-plans/low-user-standing-charge.jsp This would be a lower standing charge if your bill was estimated at 2 units or less per day in a billing period, but I don't know if the difference could have amounted to €300.


    Either way you should get back on to the supplier & ask them to clarify exactly what they mean. Make sure you have all your bills & if you don't ask for copies of the missing ones. You could also get on to CER & ask their advise on how to proceed with a complaint/investigation.


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    #4
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Who mentioned Electric Ireland?. Before we go any further - which supplier was it?


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    #5
    Cushie Butterfield
    Registered Users Posts: 1,861 ✭✭✭Cushie Butterfield


    Ian Sour Hedge wrote: »
    Who mentioned Electric Ireland?.
    I did, in error, probably because I had posted one of their links.
    Ian Sour Hedge wrote:
    Before we go any further - which supplier was it?
    What difference does it make which supplier it was?


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    #6
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Cushie Butterfield wrote: »
    I did, in error, probably because I had posted one of their links.


    What difference does it make which supplier it was?

    Well, I for one will have different advice depending on who the supplier is and their T&Cs .


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    #7
    brightspark
    Registered Users Posts: 2,637 ✭✭✭brightspark


    Cushie Butterfield wrote: »
    The regulator for electricity suppliers is CER http://www.cer.ie/

    Would it be the case that because your bills were estimated that you were being charged the Low User Standing Charge https://www.electricireland.ie/ei/residential/price-plans/low-user-standing-charge.jsp This would be a lower standing charge if your bill was estimated at 2 units or less per day in a billing period, but I don't know if the difference could have amounted to €300.


    .

    The low user standing charge is HIGHER than the normal charge to reflect the increased cost (per unit sold) of supplying the service.
    So that cannot be an explanation.


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    #8
    Jane5
    Registered Users Posts: 216 ✭✭Jane5


    Hi Srameen, yes it was Electric Ireland. Any further info there?

    Thanks all for the all the responses-great to get some info! :)


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    #9
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Jane5 wrote: »
    Hi Srameen, yes it was Electric Ireland. Any further info there?

    Thanks all for the all the responses-great to get some info! :)

    Absolutely! Go to the Talk to....electric Ireland forum here on Boards. They are very good at speedy replies and resolving queries. They will have the facts while we are all guessing.


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    #10
    Jane5
    Registered Users Posts: 216 ✭✭Jane5


    Hi,
    Any info or help you could give me would be really appreciated.

    Basically-moved into a house Jan 2012, signed up with Electric Ireland, meter read when moved in and no outstanding bills owed etc.

    We have received estimated bills since then which were always paid in full. We both work crazy hours so always missed the meter reader but most of the time the estimated bills seemed reasonable.

    We went to switch providers and closed out the account, sent in a meter reading and were shocked when we got over 700 euro bill sent!

    We looked at the meter reading yesterday and when we moved in, calculated that if we were at the high rate the whole time we would only have used 820 euros electricity since then. About 500 of that has been paid via the estimated bills, so we would only owe 320 max.

    We queried this with EI and were told the 700 euros was for Standing Charges. We have been paying high standing charges on the estimated bills-are we being double charged for these? Also how could standing charges on an amount of 320 be MORE than the amount owed?

    None of this makes any sense-we have asked for an itemised breakdown of what charges are for what-but we think there has been a mistake somewhere, and possibly they are not taking into account the payments of the estimated amounts. We were unable to get anywhere with customer service though in terms of any explanation or checking up if there was an error.

    Is there any light that could be shed on this? This has never happened before with any other energy provider and I've lived in quite a few places and only paid estimated bills before-never have I had standing charges amount to more than the actual usage.

    Thanks for any info anyone can give me!


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    #11
    dudara
    Registered Users Posts: 33,518 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    Moved to Talk to Electric Ireland & merged with duplicate post

    @Srameen - please don't tell a poster to create another thread in a forum. Please use the Report Post functionality so that it can be moved, rather than cleaning up duplicate threads. Thanks.

    dudara


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    #12
    Cushie Butterfield
    Registered Users Posts: 1,861 ✭✭✭Cushie Butterfield


    Ian Sour Hedge wrote: »
    Well, I for one will have different advice depending on who the supplier is and their T&Cs .
    They will still have to talk to the supplier, no matter who that is, as I advised above. CER is the regulator for all suppliers.


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    #13
    EI: Aoife O
    Closed Accounts Posts: 282 ✭✭EI: Aoife O


    Hi Jane5,

    Thanks for getting in touch with us. If you can private message me your Electric Ireland account number, full name and address, I will certainly investigate this issue for you.

    Regards,
    Aoife


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