If you want to cash in on the falling energy prices – you just may have to do your own homework. News has come out that you have to supply your provider with a meter reading that shows the approximate date of the price cut in order to get the deal.
The Trap of Estimated Usage
While energy companies are now reducing their charges, they rely on the estimated usage to do so. And, of course, this estimate could easily be out of date or inaccurate.
Which?, the consumer watchdog group has estimated that £4million each year is swallowed by providers as a result of estimated meter readings and billing mistakes. Of course, customers rarely know about these hidden charges, since the price changes are occurring right in the middle of billing cycles.
Burden of Proof
This means that the burden of proof is smacked directly onto the consumer to show an accurate meter reading. As James Tallack, a policy adviser at Which? has said,
“If a tariff changes and you don’t know the actual energy you have used, it is easy to get overcharged – the only way to avoid it is to provide a meter reading on the day of the price change. Providers must notify any tariff changes by letter within 30 days, but it is still up to the customer to provide the accurate reading.”
Now, it’s up to consumers to carefully check their energy usage, to be in touch with the energy company with this information, and to know what types of energy slashing programs their company has implemented.