Meter readings

[french frank]

I believe there's one day in January when they're forecasting temperatures in single figures.

I've lived through many Aberdeen winters in January BCH (before central heating). Or did you mean single figures Fahrenheit? I was certainly up there when it fell to 10F or -12 C in December .

[oddoneout]

Sadly very much par for the course for today's energy companies ..... good customer service is very much a thing of the past for the many I have recently dealt with.
While I understand your reservations about their online accounts .... I have never had any problems with the companies using them for dodgy purposes and they do, usually, give you useful details on what is going on, or not, with your account.

While I was in the bank on Friday I asked about whether, having altered the date, frequency and amount of the existing DD - in effect creating a new one as far as I could see - SSE could also take money from the "old" DD , but they were unable to give me an answer.

[antongould]

While I was in the bank on Friday I asked about whether, having altered the date, frequency and amount of the existing DD - in effect creating a new one as far as I could see - SSE could also take money from the "old" DD , but they were unable to give me an answer.

My flabber will never have been more gasted if they take the quarterly amount as well as the monthly ……..

[oddoneout]

My flabber will never have been more gasted if they take the quarterly amount as well as the monthly ……..

But if they don't then I still owe them 3 months worth of gas and electricity, not forgetting(as if one could) the standing charges...

[antongould]

But if they don't then I still owe them 3 months worth of gas and electricity, not forgetting(as if one could) the standing charges...

I don’t think so your monthly payments - if assessed properly - should cover all your charges ….

[oddoneout]

I don’t think so your monthly payments - if assessed properly - should cover all your charges ….

Or not as the case may be. I gritted my teeth and went through the account registration. I now know that today(6th) they claim to have taken the 7th November DD payment, as a result of which my electricity account is in debt (but not by an amount which would correspond with the quarterly bill) and my gas account is in credit(but not by an amount which makes sense). I will have another search tomorrow but I couldn't find any actual detail as to how they arrived at those figures.

[Sir Velo]

I've lived through many Aberdeen winters in January BCH (before central heating).

That was BCC (before climate change). The key was in my use of the word "forecasting" as in something predicted to happen in the future; not something which occurred in the past.

Or did you mean single figures Fahrenheit?

Whassat?

[Pulcinella]

...
Whassat?

Probably still used in Mogg Towers, not too far from you, especially when Nanny is testing the temperature of the bath water she's just 'drawn'.
None of those useful European decimal systems in operation there, I'm sure.

[antongould]

Or not as the case may be. I gritted my teeth and went through the account registration. I now know that today(6th) they claim to have taken the 7th November DD payment, as a result of which my electricity account is in debt (but not by an amount which would correspond with the quarterly bill) and my gas account is in credit(but not by an amount which makes sense). I will have another search tomorrow but I couldn't find any actual detail as to how they arrived at those figures.

Hopefully you should be able to find your most recent bill and the balance thereon then deduct the total of payments shown since then and this should give you your gas balance + your electricity balance.

[oddoneout]

Hopefully you should be able to find your most recent bill and the balance thereon then deduct the total of payments shown since then and this should give you your gas balance + your electricity balance.

Nope, no bills and they say my next one is due February so the message about being switched to monthly DD doesn't seem to have got through. They have the quarterly meter reading I submitted in October for which I would previously expect be sent a breakdown of usage and charges and the date on which the DD would be taken - but I don't have that hard copy yet (and don't know if I will get it now) and nowhere does the information appear online. This is the kind of problem I've had in the past with online accounts, most recently with Shell's takeover of PO Broadband. Perhaps if I wait 6 months(the time it took Shell to get almost fully organised with bills) there might be something useful to see...
In theory if they have now taken a payment (I haven't checked my bank statement yet) I should get my government discount payment(s) paid into my bank account next week, but I'm not counting on it.

[antongould]

Nope, no bills and they say my next one is due February so the message about being switched to monthly DD doesn't seem to have got through. They have the quarterly meter reading I submitted in October for which I would previously expect be sent a breakdown of usage and charges and the date on which the DD would be taken - but I don't have that hard copy yet (and don't know if I will get it now) and nowhere does the information appear online. This is the kind of problem I've had in the past with online accounts, most recently with Shell's takeover of PO Broadband. Perhaps if I wait 6 months(the time it took Shell to get almost fully organised with bills) there might be something useful to see...
In theory if they have now taken a payment (I haven't checked my bank statement yet) I should get my government discount payment(s) paid into my bank account next week, but I'm not counting on it.

So on the last hard copy bill you received .....
What was the date of the bill?
What was the date of the readings billed to?
What was the balance on the bill after charges and payments?

How much have you paid since both by quarterly and monthly Direct Debit?

[oddoneout]

So on the last hard copy bill you received .....
What was the date of the bill?
What was the date of the readings billed to?
What was the balance on the bill after charges and payments?

How much have you paid since both by quarterly and monthly Direct Debit?

5th August
22nd July
Paid in full by DD on 22nd August
Nothing paid quarterly since but due under "normal" arrangement around 22 November against the meter reading submitted 22 October as per usual request. New monthly DD arrangement today took £42 electricity(leaving £14-03 debit) and £53gas(£2 odd in credit) both sums being what they said they would take. The monthly DD figures are less than annual projection divided by 12.

[antongould]

Sorry to use this place as a means of recording the detailed complaint I will eventually make against the bungling EDF …..

Latest events - when I checked my gas meter a couple of mornings ago there was a reading and all has been OK since.
The same day I got a WhatsApp message to say EDF were aware of my various problems and would “ …. be in touch ….”
So yesterday a young lady rang up and said they were coming to check the gas meter …. I said “ … and the electricity meter as your engineer said that’s where the problem is … ???? “ - she said no just the gas meter as “ … that is what my sheet says …. “ I told her the highlights of the saga and she said “ let me check “…. 10 minutes later she was back and said “I see what you mean but I can only work from my sheet” and then with an echo of remembered times past “ …. Someone will be in touch …”

Today’s nonsense missed a call on my mobile but recognised the number as EDF …. even though they had been told to ring my landline …. I rang back got recorded message saying the call had been about my smart meter and not to worry it wasn’t important …
But they have just rang back and informed me my smart meters weren’t sending readings - you don’t say - and they would like to come and do an inspection ….. I said “ you’ve already done an inspection and had the problem diagnosed … “ There was seemingly no record of this but he would update the database and someone will be in touch …. !!!!!!!

[Petrushka]

While on the subject of smart meters, ever since the change of rates came in on October 1 I've noticed considerable inconsistency in readings at the very start of each morning when rising. As my routine is well established and the appliances on overnight are always the same I'd expect the smart meter reading to be pretty well consistent day to day.

Instead, I'm getting some wildly varying readings usually between something like 77p and £1.20. Bearing in mind, as I say, that the appliances kept on overnight are identical each night and I get up at the same time each day, the smart meter should be reading the same barring a very small shift either side as it was doing pre-October 1..

Has anyone else noticed similar or can offer an explanation?

[french frank]

Has anyone else noticed this or offer an explanation?

Yes, I've noticed that in the morning it can vary even though - as far as I can see - the only appliance on overnight has been the fridge. But as the variation is between about 75p and 90p I didn't bother too much. The gas is negligible - usually about 20p.