I buy Electricity tokens for my token meter how on earth can I owe them anything?

Question

I have a token meter and I can't have electric unless I put a token in the meter (with the exception of the £20 emergency that is on there and that is payed back the next time a token is inserted).
I left the address where I had the token meter and I have just received a bill for £165!!!!!!
HOW CAN THIS BE?????
I informed them straight away of the cut off date and indeed, the bill is only upto that date.
How can I possibly owe them any money?
If you have had this happen to you, or you know why this happens please could you let me know.
I don't want to get on the phone and start ranting if there is some small print I have missed somewhere!

Answer 1

Hi,

Was the rate done properly, perhaps it was not on the right setting and they did not charge you the correct amount.

This has happened to me, when i moved i had a bill, and when i said how cah i owe you anything when i have a token meter, i was told that they had not been charging me enough for the electricity.

If this is the same in your case, you can have your new meter set a little bit higher to take off the bill.

But i would phone them up again and ask if this was the case.

Good luck with getting to the bottom of this.

Answer 2

Obviously a lot depends on your personal circumstance,history and company that you are using.

A couple of things that spring to mind.

1.Some companies:- British Gas (Centrica), SWALEC, Scottish Power and NPower are renowned for having really bad Customer Service records.

2. There may have been a debt on the meter from a previous tenant and the company is trying to get it back.(Usually happens where you take over key without informing them)

3. Your area has recently been visited by a "utility salesperson" and has done something naughty and got you signed up and put you down as being on a quarterly meter instead of prepayment.

4.For future reference, if you press your Blue button on the meter four (think thats right) you will be able to read what the daily charge is and if there is any debt on the meter.

5. Only EDF (electricity de France) charge you the same per unit of electricity as someone on a credit meter paying quarterly or by direct debit.

Best advice - stick it out, they would find it hard to prove the debt unless you were on credit meter and swapped to key meter due to debt.

Hope that helps!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

I cant remember where or how the terms are stated but i had this problem about 5 years ago, i fought it and won.



There is something like a statutory limit of 7/10 days where they have to update the meter if the rates change and you can only be held liable for any additional charges in this 7/10 day window, anything above this is there own responsibility for not updating the meter in a timely manner, go and visit the CAB as i'm sure it was them that helped me.

Answer 4

A couple of years ago i got a similar bill, i also have a card meter and got a bill for £140 odd , they insisted that the meter wasn't working properly thus charging me less, and they took the previous years consumption made comparison and sent me the bill, i had too pay it.

Answer 5

i have just hadan 85 quid bill from my company yet since i moved in there has always been a metre. there was also a bill for the landlord for 118 quid seems some person previous to me ran up a debt somehow and they try to get the next people to pay. im on a metre too wont use anything else

Answer 6

The electric meters are a waste of money it is better to pay your bill quarterly.

Answer 7

Which country are you in? That sounds weird to have to put money in a meter to get electricity. (In the USA you just use whatever you want and they send you a bill in the mail every month.)

Answer 8

ive just had the same problem i had a huge bill in saying that they had me on the wrong trariff for nearly a year ive told them im not paying it as thats not my fault thats theres i will pay it off it they set up a amount i can afford but till then they can get stuffed its a rip off if i move i will set up a payment plan where i can pay weekly towards getting my bill in

Answer 9

Send them a email it maybe that it is a previous supplier who are trying it on if not contact Citizen advice bureau

Answer 10

As far as I have been told you pay for the mater too. It is a total rip off. That is why I don't have one.

Answer 11

the bureaucrats and big wigs made a mistake and you must pay for it as usual.