Monthly billing leads to surprise bill

A customer signed up for monthly billing with her retailer to manage her electricity usage. The customer had only recently moved into the property and when she received her third invoice it was triple the monthly accounts she’d previously received. Believing that the billing must be be incorrect or the meter faulty, the customer lodged a billing dispute with the retailer.

It was after that wasn't resolved, that the customer came to us.

First, we requested the retailer complete a meter accuracy test which passed. We also reviewed the billing and found that as the customer did not have historical usage at the premises the distributor was underestimating the customer’s usage each month. This resulted in an accumulation of under charges each month, leading to the customer receiving high catch up bills at the end of each quarter.

To allow the customer to continue receiving monthly bills, the retailer offered to upgrade the customer’s meter to a smart meter so that her billing could be based on actual reads each month. The retailer also offered an extended payment plan to assist the customer in managing the account as well as consideration of the customer’s eligibility for the Home Energy Emergency Assistance Scheme Grant.

The customer was most appreciative of the resolutions offered by the retailer and agreed to have her meter exchanged.