Meter Day

[Sharky]

Apparently, it is meter day tomorrow. Our gas supplier has asked for a meter reading tomorrow, as I don't have a smart meter.

I guess it's to calculate charges at new rates and to work out when the "cap" is applied.

But hypothetically, would it be in my interests to "accidentally" miss read the meter and give a slightly higher or lower reading?

If I gave a lower reading, it would make reaching the cap sooner when the next readings are taken and once over the cap, presumably you don't incur extra charge?

A higher reading would increase my bill at the pre Oct rates, but would reduce my usage at the Oct onwards rates.

All hyperthetical and no doubt I will be returning the accurate readings.

 

[DCLane]

Apparently, it is meter day tomorrow. Our gas supplier has asked for a meter reading tomorrow, as I don't have a smart meter.

I guess it's to calculate charges at new rates and to work out when the "cap" is applied.

But hypothetically, would it be in my interests to "accidentally" miss read the meter and give a slightly higher or lower reading?

If I gave a lower reading, it would make reaching the cap sooner when the next readings are taken and once over the cap, presumably you don't incur extra charge?

A higher reading would increase my bill at the pre Oct rates, but would reduce my usage at the Oct onwards rates.

All hyperthetical and no doubt I will be returning the accurate readings.

If you give a lower reading then the difference to that and the actual would incur the increased charge.

It would make more sense to submit a higher reading so you're above where you actually are, thereby paying less for the difference.

Hypothetically of course

Mine's irrelevant as it's all fixed from September 2021 until September 2023 fortunately. I submitted a reading a few days ago anyway.

 

[I like Skol]

You are misunderstanding the use of the expression 'cap' in relation to your energy bills. There is no cap, they will charge you for what you use. If you use a lot they will charge you a lot, if you use less they will charge you for less. Your bill does not stop accruing at any point, so no use trying to fudge the figures to make you reach the cap sooner.

The 'cap' is a limit on the maximum price per unit that can be charged. It means that rather than paying the market value, the price per unit is held at an artificially lower cost that is being set by OFGEM.

 

[I like Skol]

But in reply to your original question....

If the price cap were about to be raised (I'm not following it very closely as I already use as little as possible so the cost is out of my hands) you could potentially benefit by submitting a higher reading, thereby buying some energy in advance at the cheaper rate. I guess this would count as fraud?

 

[fossyant]

Just to note, Scottish Power have a queue to get on their site - I'll probably submit tonight as I do it monthly.

They aren't putting my DD up as I'm massively in credit, slashed leccy use, and overpaying currently by £150 a month.

 

[biggs682]

Loving the fixed rate for another year

 

[Jody]

A higher reading would increase my bill at the pre Oct rates, but would reduce my usage at the Oct onwards rates.

All hyperthetical and no doubt I will be returning the accurate readings.

'tis true. I mis-keyed one of my readings before an increase and got 200+ units at the pre rise rate.

 

[wiggydiggy]

You are misunderstanding the use of the expression 'cap' in relation to your energy bills. There is no cap, they will charge you for what you use. If you use a lot they will charge you a lot, if you use less they will charge you for less. Your bill does not stop accruing at any point, so no use trying to fudge the figures to make you reach the cap sooner.

The 'cap' is a limit on the maximum price per unit that can be charged. It means that rather than paying the market value, the price per unit is held at an artificially lower cost that is being set by OFGEM.

You're absolutely right and me and someone else made this same mistake, we know now but I think they really need to make it clearer.

 

[I like Skol]

While we are on the subject of energy costs and flagrant excessive usage I have a tale to tell.

I live near a railway. Not really close enough to be noticeable most of the time, but close enough to receive a rainforest of updates, notifications and advance warning letters from Network Rail about ongoing electrification works. Work usually takes place at nights/weekends/Bank Holidays and again is rarely noticeable as the work takes place over a long stretch so is often way out of earshot.

Anyway. A few weeks ago, maybe even 4 or 5 weeks, one weekend night we noticed an annoying sound, a high pitched whistle or whining, a bit like something electrical or maybe a continuous house alarm or fast jetwasher in the distance. We assumed it was something to do with the railway work so thought nothing about it. After a busy working week we noticed it was still going the next weekend and again thought it was the railway. Now it was on our radar we realised it was on almost all the time, with only brief lulls, all week, day and night. It was particularly noticeable at night as we sleep in a converted loft with the window open so sound travels above most physical barriers on the ground.
Mrs Skol even asked on the local community Facebook page if anyone knew what it was and the only replies we got were 'oh yeah, they're doing pile driving on the railway at weekends"

Anyway, this week we decided enough was enough and went hunting for the source. We found it was much closer than expected.

At the back of my house is an old building/mansion that contains flats run by the local council linked housing association. One of the boiler flue outlets is whistling like a runaway Thomas the tank engine!

Anyway, that's a long winded way of saying that someone in these flats who is probably on a low income or benefits (one of the conditions of entry into authority housing?) has, at the first hint of cooler weather whacked the heating on continuously and had it running non-stop for about a month

I hope they have not misunderstood the cap too, or they may be in for a nasty shock?

 

[presta]

I guess this would count as fraud?

Programming the computer to highlight abnormal recent consumption wouldn't exactly be difficult, either.

 

[Mike_P]

At the back of my house is an old building/mansion that contains flats run by the local council linked housing association. One of the boiler flue outlets is whistling like a runaway Thomas the tank engine!

Anyway, that's a long winded way of saying that someone in these flats who is probably on a low income or benefits (one of the conditions of entry into authority housing?) has, at the first hint of cooler weather whacked the heating on continuously and had it running non-stop for about a month

I hope they have not misunderstood the cap too, or they may be in for a nasty shock?

Might be an idea to advise the housing association.

 

[I like Skol]

Might be an idea to advise the housing association.

We've reported the whistling flue (What a palaver that was as a non-client trying to notify a fault/repair) but not mentioned the continuous boiler activity....

 

[fossyant]

15 minute queue to get onto Scottish Power website today !

 

[Sharky]

Just submitted my readings (the correct/actual) readings online.
In an attempt to make things easy, they seem to have complicated the process.
Just used to sign in and submit.

But was fairly quick.

 

[PeteXXX]

Did mine online with Octopus yesterday. No problem. Straight on, both leccys & gas numbers entered, no free spins on the Wheel of Pointlessness as I did them on the 1st September.
I'll enter new figures tomorrow, 1st October, so they have up to date usage.