Excessive charges after switching power companies

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Excessive charges after switching power companies

TheMaskedOnion

51 posts

Master Geek

#289157 16-Aug-2021 16:50

Hi Geekzone,

We have just switched to a new power company after our previous provider decided to exit the power market. We have just received our first power bill from our new provider which came in at 1830kWh (60kWh per day, our normal monthly average is 30kWh per day). When we look at out smart meter usage through the new providers app or website it works out to be 891kWh for the month (which is about right compared to previous months winter bills). The additional 939kWh is based on the final read from our previous power company to the current read of our new power company.

I have spoken to the previous power company and they basically said that there are 2 options, either pay them for the 939kWh or pay the new provider for the 939kWh and then things will be normal for the following month.

While the new power companies bill is only $143, luckily due to a large sign up credit I'm wondering if there is any course of action i can use to reduce this cost since it seems very weird that the meter could be out by a whole month of winter power usage.

This is the first time I'm dealing with something like this so i don't really know where to start.

Thanks.

1 | 2 | 3

5810 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2760806 16-Aug-2021 16:54

Did you pay a final bill to your old power company?

Assuming you had a months worth of power from them, then changed to the new one, had another month. Two months power = current bill.

TheMaskedOnion

51 posts

Master Geek

#2760808 16-Aug-2021 16:59

the last bill from the previous company was for only 12 days and then we switched over to the new provider, the previous power company has offered to hold payment until they do some checks about the final meter read and if it was estimated.

EDIT: All previous bills with the previous power provider were paid on time.

DimasikTurbo

89 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

#2760972 16-Aug-2021 20:24

What was the last meter reading (carrent reading) in the last bill from the old power company?

What is the "previous reading" in the bill from the new company? Those numbers should match up if you just switched companies.

Jase2985

13459 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2760973 16-Aug-2021 20:25

so whats the problem? your paying for power you have used

TheMaskedOnion

51 posts

Master Geek

#2761229 17-Aug-2021 06:13

DimasikTurbo:

What was the last meter reading (carrent reading) in the last bill from the old power company?

What is the "previous reading" in the bill from the new company? Those numbers should match up if you just switched companies.

I did check this yesterday and they do match.

Jase2985:

so whats the problem? your paying for power you have used

I understand this, what I don't understand is how a smart meter that can be this out.

Maybe my question should be has anyone else had this issue and is it one of those just suck it up pay it and move on?

DimasikTurbo

89 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

#2761265 17-Aug-2021 09:27

If readings don't overlap then the bill from the new company could be wrong if they use estimated current reading. Have you compared current reading from the billl with your meter (not online, physically check the meter)?

Jase2985

13459 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2761269 17-Aug-2021 09:33

the smart meter wont be out it will be to do with how each company is charging you for it.

The best way to do it would be to use the final reading from company A and pay that to them and then pay everything else from then on to company b there should be no overlap then

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

TheMaskedOnion

51 posts

Master Geek

#2761388 17-Aug-2021 12:58

DimasikTurbo:

If readings don't overlap then the bill from the new company could be wrong if they use estimated current reading. Have you compared current reading from the billl with your meter (not online, physically check the meter)?

Yup i have checked the physical meter and it does align with the current read meter on the new providers bill.

Jase2985:

the smart meter wont be out it will be to do with how each company is charging you for it.

The best way to do it would be to use the final reading from company A and pay that to them and then pay everything else from then on to company b there should be no overlap then

I think that's whats going to happen but i still need to hear back from the previous power provider to see if there was any issues calculating the final meter reading.

DimasikTurbo

89 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

#2761409 17-Aug-2021 13:31

If meter readings are correct then the only explanaiton could be that the previous company was using "estimated" readings in last several bills and your payments were behind the actual power usage and latest bill from the new company is just a catch up payment.

When we were with Contact Energy they could use estimated readings two months in a row.

TheMaskedOnion

51 posts

Master Geek

#2761431 17-Aug-2021 14:19

Thanks that makes sense.

so estimated readings are based on what the smart meter is reporting and an actual reading is someone coming around looking at the physical meter for the reading?

Yoban

447 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2761439 17-Aug-2021 14:32

TheMaskedOnion:

Thanks that makes sense.

so estimated readings are based on what the smart meter is reporting and an actual reading is someone coming around looking at the physical meter for the reading?

estimated is based on historical readings and in this day in age only done when you do not have a smart meter or you power company does not have access to the half hour meter data from the smart meter. In this case they send a person to physically read the meter often only every couple of months and estimate in between.

TheMaskedOnion

51 posts

Master Geek

#2761579 17-Aug-2021 16:01

Thanks for the explanation, this is probably what the issue is.

The invoices from the previous power company are very hard to tell what is going on, e.g. no mention if it's estimated or an actual reading. No actual date range from when the billing month started and ended.

DimasikTurbo

89 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

#2761667 17-Aug-2021 17:09

I might be wrong, but my understanding was that having smart meter does not automatically mean a power provider has access to real time data ("actual readings"). Meters are not owned by power providers and to get access to data they need to pay a fee, some companies may decide it is cheaper to send a person to read the meters and every even months just to use "estimated" figures for billing.

TheMaskedOnion

51 posts

Master Geek

#2761672 17-Aug-2021 17:15

Are they legally required to have this sort of info on the bill?

TheMaskedOnion

51 posts

Master Geek

#2762493 18-Aug-2021 14:17

The previous power company got back to me, the last reading was an actual reading. They can't explain why there is such a massive difference between their reading and the new power providers reading but from their end the final meter reading stands.

so 1830kWh over 30days = 61kWh per day.

this is what our smart meter reports for the time we have been with the new provider.

1 | 2 | 3