Airtricity bill over €1000

DARK-KNIGHT

Our gas bill was estimated by calor gas for a number of years and a year ago we got a bill for 3000

Prepay meter installed now

Laziness on their part

EagererBeaver

Johngoose wrote: »

Typical Irish attitude of passing the buck, kicking the can down the road?

More like typical Irish attitude of "**** that, I don't want to pay because I don't want to pay. How do I get out of my contractual obligations?"

OP doing anyone with a genuine issue with a utilities provider a disservice.

DARK-KNIGHT

Do what I did and install a solid fuel stove never looking back and calor gas will be repaid in around the year 2035 only thing I use gas for now is the hob

TitianGerm

Johngoose wrote: »

Somebody with sense, thank you

You've said yourself your bill has been a couple of hundred Euro every two month's.

Say you've been paying €300. This was an estimated bill every two months for the last three years.

Now it's come to light that you've been estimated for so long and obviously a reading has been taken and shown a shortfall, in your case €1200.

So instead of paying €300 every two months you should have been paying €369 every two months for the last three years.

Now Airtricity are looking for the money which should have been paid all along.

As above posters have said ring Airtricity and see will they agree a payment plan. They might agree to €20 a month for the next 60 months(just a guess at a figure). If you get cut off for non payment/refusing to talk to them you will be hit with a disconnect fee and a reconnect fee once this is all sorted.

Something else to note is that the utility companies do allow you to submit your own meter readings via email/text phone or online. I put my own in every 4/5 months just so I don't get a nasty surprise in the future.

slimjimmc

Johngoose wrote: »

just that a mate told me that big companies have online profiles to attack anybody dissing them in discussion forums.

And if you suspect someone is posting in that capacity use the report post facility and let the mods investigate. Commenting on thread is annoying and can be provocative even if unintentional.

HeidiHeidi

Johngoose wrote: »

Is it not their duty to get somebody to check my meter? Reminds me of the Shaggy song "It Wasn't Me."

No it's not, as it happens.

And even if it was, are you completely incapable of fully reading a bill and seeing that it's estimated every single time for thee years?

You're beginning to remind me of that song yourself with your attitude, if the truth be told.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Kovu

Johngoose wrote: »

Is it not their duty to get somebody to check my meter? Reminds me of the Shaggy song "It Wasn't Me."

Did all your bills not say they were estimated?
If so, common sense at some stage should have meant you checked your meter to compare.

HeidiHeidi

Have you checked your meter now, op?

(As in since you started this thread)

andekwarhola

EagererBeaver wrote: »

More like typical Irish attitude of "**** that, I don't want to pay because I don't want to pay. How do I get out of my contractual obligations?"

OP doing anyone with a genuine issue with a utilities provider a disservice.

The OP's attitude isn't great (as is their seeming inability to check their own readings or take advice) but it's pretty sloppy business practice not to inform an account holder/address of the inability to procure a actual meter reading for 3 years.

You can say blah blah cough up what you owe (I would of course do this) but an arrears bill of that size could present quite a financial difficulty and could have been avoided.

EagererBeaver

OP, I don't think your attitude entitles you to much in the way of advice, but regarding cancelling your direct debit, this is unwise unless you've organised different payment arrangments with Airtricity. If they attempt to process a direct debit and your bank refuses it (as per your instruction), you could still be liable for a refused dd fee from the bank. I was in a similar position when in a contract dispute with UPC.

Saipanne

EagererBeaver wrote: »

OP, I don't think your attitude entitles you to much in the way of advice, but regarding cancelling your direct debit, this is unwise unless you've organised different payment arrangments with Airtricity. If they attempt to process a direct debit and your bank refuses it (as per your instruction), you could still be liable for a refused dd fee from the bank. I was in a similar position when in a contract dispute with UPC.

And it effects your credit rating via an entry to the ICB.

EagererBeaver

andekwarhola wrote: »

The OP's attitude isn't great (as is their seeming inability to check their own readings or take advice) but it's pretty sloppy business practice not to inform an account holder/address of the inability to procure a actual meter reading for 3 years.

You can say blah blah cough up what you owe (I would of course do this) but an arrears bill of that size could present quite a financial difficulty and could have been avoided.

I don't dispute or deny that for a second - it is certainly less than ideal but as has been pointed out, it's Bord Gais who read the networks, not the provider. Given the OP's attitude (didn't know whether it was estimated, didn't know when the last reading was, wasn't bothered about checking meter, blamed everyone else), I'll give Airtricity the benefit of the doubt on this one, especially if, as has also been mentioned, the OP attempts to set up a payment plan for clearing the arrears, the company would in all likelihood be more than prepared to work with him on it. However, he's gone for the "I don't want to pay that amount of money, so I won't" approach.

Johngoose

andekwarhola wrote: »

The OP's attitude isn't great (as is their seeming inability to check their own readings or take advice) but it's pretty sloppy business practice not to inform an account holder/address of the inability to procure a actual meter reading for 3 years.

You can say blah blah cough up what you owe (I would of course do this) but an arrears bill of that size could present quite a financial difficulty and could have been avoided.

Thanks some compassion at last. After Christmas not too many can take a 1200 bill.

EagererBeaver

Saipanne wrote: »

And it effects your credit rating via an entry to the ICB.

Yep, that'll be the next one. Shortly to be followed by "fecking bank won't give me a loan, the bastards".

Johngoose

Thanks for all the advice. A lot of you are speaking sense. I'll be contacting the Energy Regulator to get their side of it.

Johngoose

EagererBeaver wrote: »

Yep, that'll be the next one. Shortly to be followed by "fecking bank won't give me a loan, the bastards".

haha good one.

EagererBeaver

Johngoose wrote: »

Thanks some compassion at last. After Christmas not too many can take a 1200 bill.

Agreed. The timing is ****ty but in all likelihood, the details of the bill are correct.

Therefore, talk to Airtricity about fact that this bill has hit you out of the blue and explain that you would like to work with them to come up with a payment plan to pay off the arrears. They want you to pay them - they'll be more than accommodating.

Or, alternatively, don't pay and accept every consequence that comes with that decision.

andekwarhola

EagererBeaver wrote: »

but as has been pointed out, it's Bord Gais who read the networks, not the provider.

This is meaningless as if the provider are issuing 3 years worth of estimated bills, it's implicit that a meter reading has not been forthcoming for that account in that period.

I would obviously pay what I owe (and I submit my own readings and check all readings online) but slapping large, backdated bills isn't helpful to anybody, not least the company who will have to chase down the arrears, have cashflow affected by long payment plans etc.

Obviously though, my advice to the OP is to leave the DD alone, pay up (or arrange a plan), get an account set up and start checking reading and submitting readings in future.

Johngoose

EagererBeaver wrote: »

Agreed. The timing is ****ty but in all likelihood, the details of the bill are correct.

Therefore, talk to Airtricity about fact that this bill has hit you out of the blue and explain that you would like to work with them to come up with a payment plan to pay off the arrears. They want you to pay them - they'll be more than accommodating.

Or, alternatively, don't pay and accept every consequence that comes with that decision.

I know you are trying to help. Thanks

Skid X

Johngoose wrote: »

I'm not tempted to go checking a meter in the dark and wet.Tomorrow when there is daylight I'll go out.I have heard of people getting the wrong energy bills with Airtricity. As regards the people who have said the date they rang me is immaterial,the bill isn't due till mid January and they felt the need to ring today.

Christmas has come and gone, did you ever check the meter reading?

The reading on the bill may be incorrect. It happened to me once.

It's the first thing you should have done, and numerous people advised you to do it on this thread.

Johngoose

I'm signing off for today. I'll keep you all posted..

whatismyname

How long have you lived in the property OP?

Johngoose

Johngoose wrote: »

I'm signing off for today. I'll keep you all posted..

have to go. i have checked the meter and it has gone slightly higher, so no joy there.

Johngoose

3 years. So started with reading for that day that I moved in, it was read off the meter by the letting agency. talk tomorrow.

HeidiHeidi

Johngoose wrote: »

I know you are trying to help. Thanks

There's a lot of us on here trying to help, in fairness.

You just don't seem to be inclined to help yourself very much. Hence our frustration.

whatismyname

Johngoose wrote: »

have to go. i have checked the meter and it has gone slightly higher, so no joy there.

Well at least you have established you owe what has been billed, and what has happened with it being the difference between what was estimated and paid over the past 3 years and what was used by you.

slimjimmc

Saipanne wrote: »

And it effects your credit rating via an entry to the ICB.

That applies to missed loan repayments and only if the lender is an ICB member. Missed payments to utility companies won't affect ICB ratings since no utility is a member.

pxdf9i5cmoavkz

slimjimmc wrote: »

That applies to missed loan repayments and only if the lender is an ICB member. Missed payments to utility companies won't affect ICB ratings since no utility is a member.

Correct. The only time it could affect your ICB rating is if the utility company passes your utility bill off to a debt collector.

Fred Swanson

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