Huge ESB bill

ClubMan said:
Do you think that they should include a covering letter just because the bill is large compared to normal? If so, why?
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Because for many people this would be a major source of stress and an offer to spread the bill over a period, which came with a later letter, would ease their concerns. If I undercharged a customer like this I would do more than just send an invoice; I would send a cover letter explaining why it had happened and apologising for my bad business practice. They don't have to do that because for the domestic consumer they are still a monopoly. That goes against the grain for me as in my world there is full and open competition and the customer is king.
 
I suspect that ESB charges units at the rate actually in force when they were actually used but it's worth double checking to be sure.
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If they haven't taken any meter readings, how they would know when the units were used?

It sounds like there's been one manual reading recently, the billing computer has subtracted the last estimate from this, and then issued a bill for the last usage period, assuming that all the extra units were used then. Lack of human intervention would also explain why there was no covering letter.
 
MugsGame said:
If they haven't taken any meter readings, how they would know when the units were used?
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True. Good point.
It sounds like there's been one manual reading recently, the billing computer has subtracted the last estimate from this, and then issued a bill for the last usage period, assuming that all the extra units were used then.
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That's plausible but until the original poster can clarify (a) if all bills over the 2.5 years were estimated before this one which was based on a meter reading and (b) whether or not he actually used the number of units in question while renovating the property it's impossible to say for sure.

Since it seems that the meter reader needs access to the property to read the meter perhaps the original poster clarify when meter readings actually took place in recent times?
 
ClubMan said:
But, by your own admission earlier, you don't yet know for sure that this is a case of undercharging.
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It's either that or overcharging. They are saying that they have undercharged me for two years. My point is that if I did that I would be very embarrassed and would do more than just send a bill. In my world it matters if my customer thinks I'm an idiot so I would at least send a letter of apology and explanation with the bill.
 
ClubMan said:
Where/when did they say that? This is the first time that you mentioned this piece of info.
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I don't understand your post. The reason I have a large bill now is that they have been undercharging me for the electricity that I have used. They have not undercharged me per unit but they have undercharged for the amount actually used. Please don't turn this into a tit for tat on semantics.

I just spoke to a guy in their customer service, he was very helpful. He said that they took a reading in February this year but it took 'till now for them to adjust the bill. All my bills since I have moved in have been estimated bills. So according to him the period for this bill is 24 months.
He said that since my bills in my last house were higher than those issued for the new house they should have estimated my bills on my previous usage, not the previous usage in my current house. I transferred my account from one house to the other so all my records are in plain view for the ESB.
I fully accept that the bill is legitimate, the guy from the ESB made the above points.

He also accepted that not all of the usage should be charged at the current price. He gave me his name and told me to call him when I get my revised bill (less the amount I gave them from my meter reading last night). He will then have the bill re-examined to take into account the price increases over the last two years.

The reason I posted this in LOS was because I was unhappy with the way this was presented, not because I disputed the amount charged. I am in the fortunate position that this is not that big a deal but the same is not the case for most people.
 
ClubMan said:
I suspect that ESB charges units at the rate actually in force when they were actually used but it's worth double checking to be sure.
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the esb can smarten their act when it needs two. last year (2006) my bills for feby/april/june/aug/oct and dec were all estimated. by this stage I was in credit for enough units to cover a 2 month period
by april I was in credit by 270 units, june 851, aug 1090, oct 1101, dec 1411. meter read in feby this year. enough units in credit to cover the reading - however clever old esb decided that this meter reading should be at the 'new rate' and simply billed me at the new rate and gave me a credit for the surplus units at the 'old' rate. thus I actually received a bill for all of €16.
So purple should dispute the rate the units are charged at. if they underestimated his meter by xxx units over 30 months they should divide the underestimation by 15 and get an average two monthly figure. then apply those units at the rate that was then current.
in my case anyway esb have now smartened their act and this years estimated bills are unbelievably accurate.
2006
period estimated actual
april 79793 79523
june 81126 80375
aug 82531 81441
oct 83634 82533
dec 84876 83465


2007
apr 86098 86135
june 87116 87108

spot the difference.
 
are they charging you at todays rate Purple or at the specific rates when the electricity was used, as there have been changes in the price in the last 2 years ( up up up )
 
But you said above that you were not sure if most or all of your bills over the 2.5 years were estimated and that you were not sure if the recent renovations/work on the house might have been responsible for the big bill.
So - at least we have some clarification on the above now.
 
ClubMan said:
But you said above that you were not sure if most or all of your bills over the 2.5 years were estimated and that you were not sure if the recent renovations/work on the house might have been responsible for the big bill.
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I said from the start that I did not dispute that the bill was due. The first lines of my first post were;
Purple said:
I just got an ESB bill for €3'500. It turns out that they haven't read my meter for two and a half years.
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As they have billed my for less than I have used then they have undercharged my.
 
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