On Wed, 3 Sep 2003 22:12:18 +0100, Jaime wrote:

snip
Won't the meter reading be done by the same people, "Acuread" (spits over
left shoulder).


Yeh I guess so, don't some of these copanies offer a self read option or
something, as Southern electric always seem less than helpful when we have
tried to pay the correct amount, only to be struck with a larger bill later.

They all do! If you get three or four estimated accounts and don't
bother to give them corrected readings you only have yourself to blame
when they send an account based on their actual readings.

I used to be in the industry, it never ceased to amaze me just how many
people used leccy like it was going out of fashion, and happily
continued to take estimated accounts thinking to themselves that the
electricity bill was much less than they thought it was going to be, and
then moaned like hell when reality caught up with them.

You do, of course, check that the readings they quote are realistic.
It's not unknown for a meter reader to get a reading out by 1,000 or
10,000.