Just got an electricity bill combining two readings or estimates on one
bill, each itemised. As they didn't read the meter or send a bill for the
first of the two, and it is not dated, plus they don't say it was overdue,
they seem to be playing some little game.

This year my electric meter has been read (or estimated) every 2 mnths by
Powergen. I seem to remember that years ago it was read every 3 months. I
need to dig out all the old bills and check, but this post is easier.

This makes the electric more expensive.as the proportion of expensive
primary units (10.23p) to cheap secondary units (7.73p) is increased in a
2 month period rather than 3. Also the number of primary units is now
varying from reading to reading and seems to be decreasing. It was 173
units early in the year, now has been as low as 83.

So this seems to pan out that out that they say they read the meter every 2
months, but don't bother to physically turn up for half the readings. and
send a bill every 4 months.

This only makes a few pounds difference for me, but added up over say 1
million consumers, it could add up to several millions of extra pounds for
them.

Can anyone explain what is going on

thanks


bland

On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 14:46:14 -0000, "bland"
wrote:

Just got an electricity bill combining two readings or estimates on one
bill, each itemised. As they didn't read the meter or send a bill for the
first of the two, and it is not dated, plus they don't say it was overdue,
they seem to be playing some little game.

This year my electric meter has been read (or estimated) every 2 mnths by
Powergen. I seem to remember that years ago it was read every 3 months. I
need to dig out all the old bills and check, but this post is easier.

This makes the electric more expensive.as the proportion of expensive
primary units (10.23p) to cheap secondary units (7.73p) is increased in a
2 month period rather than 3. Also the number of primary units is now
varying from reading to reading and seems to be decreasing. It was 173
units early in the year, now has been as low as 83.

So this seems to pan out that out that they say they read the meter every 2
months, but don't bother to physically turn up for half the readings. and
send a bill every 4 months.

This only makes a few pounds difference for me, but added up over say 1
million consumers, it could add up to several millions of extra pounds for
them.

Can anyone explain what is going on


Are you sure that there isn't two set of readings because of the
latest price rise.

A proportion of the 3 month period will be at the old primary and
secondary rates and the rest at the increased price.

I doubt they are billing you for two month periods.

As for meter readings, you can go to the Powergen site and enter them
yourself. Just recently, they have been e-mailing me to request them
about two weeks before the bill is due.

Andy

Are you sure that there isn't two set of readings because of the
latest price rise.

A proportion of the 3 month period will be at the old primary and
secondary rates and the rest at the increased price.

I doubt they are billing you for two month periods.

As for meter readings, you can go to the Powergen site and enter them
yourself. Just recently, they have been e-mailing me to request them
about two weeks before the bill is due.


Thanks, the rate had gone up from 7.21 to 7.73 from one half bill to the
other, which would explain the two bills.

Things started to go to pot when they read the meter incorrectly in April
and thought I had used negative units so they credited £105. This was all
mixed up with a simultaneous price increase.

So its been a bit of a strange year.

bland.

On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 14:46:14 -0000, bland wrote:

Just got an electricity bill combining two readings or estimates on one
bill, each itemised. As they didn't read the meter or send a bill for the
first of the two, and it is not dated, plus they don't say it was overdue,
they seem to be playing some little game.

snip

Can anyone explain what is going on

Dunno what part of the country you're in, but PG have had massive problems
in East Anglia, I think not all of which are of their own making.

Eastern Electric was bought out by TXU Energi some five or six years ago.
All went well until TXU introduced a new billing suite ('corporate' level
software for them as don't know). From what I can make out, that had some
problems in that it wasn't fully compatible with the billing program
previously used by Eastern.

When TXU went tits up about 2 or 3 years back, PG stepped in and took on
all the customers. Again, as far as I can make out, they've since intoduced
at least one, possibly two new billing suites, seemingly without fully
proving them before they were implemented.

Having said all of that, I'd recommend *anyone* who gets an estimated bill
to check the meter readings as soon as they get the bill, and 'phone in
revised readings for a revised bill.

--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

Can anyone explain what is going on

a) the government made a ******** of things
b) the companies all have to make a profit

A meter now, under the auspices of the regulator (put in place to
allow the government to blame someone else for their failure) should
ideally be read by a human every 12 months - and IIRC it should
"definitely" be read every two years. Reducing the number of real
readings allows a company to shed staff thereby increasing their
"efficiency", while at the same time producing zero benefit for the
customer.

Ignore the repeated annoying visits from meter readers, as much of the
time the readings are wrong, made up at random, transposed digits, or
just an excuse to try to persuade you to change supplier to them.

--
Please add the word "newsgroup" in the subject line of personal emails
**** My email address includes "ngspamtrap" and " ****

if you ignore the meter reader for over 10 mths it will then be sent to a
nother meter reader as a "must read" they will then attempt to read your
meter at all times of day and night if they fail to read be careful as they
can and will get a warrent to enter the property to read the meters and
inspect then
as for the meter readers trying to get you to change suppliers this is not
the case with 90% of readers employed by accuread reading meters for all
the suppliers except the old regional electical suppliers e.g southern
electric
"Colin Wilson" wrote in message
t...
Can anyone explain what is going on

a) the government made a ******** of things
b) the companies all have to make a profit

A meter now, under the auspices of the regulator (put in place to
allow the government to blame someone else for their failure) should
ideally be read by a human every 12 months - and IIRC it should
"definitely" be read every two years. Reducing the number of real
readings allows a company to shed staff thereby increasing their
"efficiency", while at the same time producing zero benefit for the
customer.

Ignore the repeated annoying visits from meter readers, as much of the
time the readings are wrong, made up at random, transposed digits, or
just an excuse to try to persuade you to change supplier to them.

--
Please add the word "newsgroup" in the subject line of personal emails
**** My email address includes "ngspamtrap" and " ****

On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 19:54:45 -0000, Colin Wilson wrote:

Can anyone explain what is going on

a) the government made a ******** of things
b) the companies all have to make a profit

Ahh, yes! where are all those people in the late 80's early 90's who were
saying 'Just wait till you lot are privatised. Things will be so much
better for the customer. Bit of competition will shake you lot up.'

My retort was always 'Yes, just you wait till we're privatised, and see if
you continue to get the same level of service you've become used to over
the years.' I don't hear too many people extolling the virtues of
privatisation these days......

--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

"The Wanderer" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 19:54:45 -0000, Colin Wilson wrote:

Can anyone explain what is going on

a) the government made a ******** of things
b) the companies all have to make a profit

Ahh, yes! where are all those people in the late 80's early 90's who were
saying 'Just wait till you lot are privatised. Things will be so much
better for the customer. Bit of competition will shake you lot up.'

My retort was always 'Yes, just you wait till we're privatised, and see if
you continue to get the same level of service you've become used to over
the years.' I don't hear too many people extolling the virtues of
privatisation these days......


I do

Mark BR

In article , The Wanderer
writes
On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 19:54:45 -0000, Colin Wilson wrote:

Can anyone explain what is going on

a) the government made a ******** of things
b) the companies all have to make a profit

Ahh, yes! where are all those people in the late 80's early 90's who were
saying 'Just wait till you lot are privatised. Things will be so much
better for the customer. Bit of competition will shake you lot up.'

My retort was always 'Yes, just you wait till we're privatised, and see if
you continue to get the same level of service you've become used to over
the years.' I don't hear too many people extolling the virtues of
privatisation these days......


I don't think its all as bad as people think it is. We don't have as
many power cuts as we once used to here. Prices have been fairly cheap
for a very long while now, and at least you can go to different supplier
companies.

Take telecoms for instance. Remember the time when the good 'ole GPO
would take months to put a new line in?.

And remember the times the gasman would come to call with the wrong bits
etc?.

Good old days eh?. Time don't 'arf distort the memory;!.....
--
Tony Sayer

In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
And remember the times the gasman would come to call with the wrong bits
etc?

Not really. They seemed to know what they were doing. It's easier when you're
a tradesman first and last - not a salesman pretending to be a gas fitter.

--
John Cartmell john@ followed by finnybank.com 0845 006 8822
Qercus magazine FAX +44 (0)8700-519-527 www.finnybank.com
Qercus - the best guide to RISC OS computing

On Fri, 11 Nov 2005 16:25:08 +0700, Mark BR wrote:

"The Wanderer" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 19:54:45 -0000, Colin Wilson wrote:

Can anyone explain what is going on

a) the government made a ******** of things
b) the companies all have to make a profit

Ahh, yes! where are all those people in the late 80's early 90's who were
saying 'Just wait till you lot are privatised. Things will be so much
better for the customer. Bit of competition will shake you lot up.'

My retort was always 'Yes, just you wait till we're privatised, and see if
you continue to get the same level of service you've become used to over
the years.' I don't hear too many people extolling the virtues of
privatisation these days......


I do

1, and counting.....

--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

In article ews.net, Mark
BR wrote:
I don't hear too many people extolling the virtues of privatisation these
days......

I do

Water? Railways? Buses?

Do you like paying much more for less - or do you have shares?

--
John Cartmell john@ followed by finnybank.com 0845 006 8822
Qercus magazine FAX +44 (0)8700-519-527 www.finnybank.com
Qercus - the best guide to RISC OS computing

The Wanderer wrote:
On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 19:54:45 -0000, Colin Wilson wrote:

Can anyone explain what is going on

a) the government made a ******** of things
b) the companies all have to make a profit

Ahh, yes! where are all those people in the late 80's early 90's who were
saying 'Just wait till you lot are privatised. Things will be so much
better for the customer. Bit of competition will shake you lot up.'

My retort was always 'Yes, just you wait till we're privatised, and see if
you continue to get the same level of service you've become used to over
the years.' I don't hear too many people extolling the virtues of
privatisation these days......


That's because satisfied customers just get on with their lives. The
people who suffered were the employees.

MBQ

On 11 Nov 2005 04:01:53 -0800, wrote:

The Wanderer wrote:
On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 19:54:45 -0000, Colin Wilson wrote:

Can anyone explain what is going on

a) the government made a ******** of things
b) the companies all have to make a profit

Ahh, yes! where are all those people in the late 80's early 90's who were
saying 'Just wait till you lot are privatised. Things will be so much
better for the customer. Bit of competition will shake you lot up.'

My retort was always 'Yes, just you wait till we're privatised, and see if
you continue to get the same level of service you've become used to over
the years.' I don't hear too many people extolling the virtues of
privatisation these days......


That's because satisfied customers just get on with their lives. The
people who suffered were the employees.

I don't think I suffered - early retirement, a very generous golden
handshake, time to do the things I wanted with my life and with the money
to be able to afford them.....

What I could see, however, was an erosion of standards almost as soon as
privatisation was announced.

Discuss:-

Any company that publishes guaranteed minimum standards of service by
definition is unable to meet those standards.


--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net

The Wanderer wrote:
On Fri, 11 Nov 2005 16:25:08 +0700, Mark BR wrote:
My retort was always 'Yes, just you wait till we're privatised, and see if
you continue to get the same level of service you've become used to over
the years.' I don't hear too many people extolling the virtues of
privatisation these days......


I do


1, and counting.....


Two


--
David Clark

$message_body_include ="PLES RING IF AN RNSR IS REQIRD"