On 2007-01-13 18:59:33 +0000, "tim....." said:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message ...
On 2007-01-13 09:42:16 +0000, David Hansen
said:

On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:46:53 +0000 someone who may be Adam Funk
wrote this:-

Utility companies
routinely overestimate so they can get interest-free loans from their
customers.

Indeed, but not always. I am currently having a row with a utility
company because I want to pay them more than on their "highly
accurate [1]" estimated bill. This appears to cause them great
confusion. As far as I can see they are all incompetent.

[1] their phrase, not mine.

Why on earth would one want to do that?

because the rate goes up next month and you will have
to pay for some electricity that you have already used
at the new rate, if the current bill is low.

tim

It was really the *pay* aspect that I was querying.

Granted it makes sense to provide a reading at reality if the estimate
is too low at the point of price change
in order to lock in a lower rate for what was actually used.

However, *paying* them for it is a completely separate issue.