Lack of meter reading leaves vulnerable couple with €5,000 bill

The problem with estimated energy billing and the potential for bill shock that it generates is a long standing one with stories related to unexpectedly high charges featuring on this page on several occasions in recent years.

The scale of the problem was highlighted by a reader who shared the experience of his parents, an older couple with significant health challenges last week.

They were landed with an enormous bill from Airtricity as a result of a long period in which their meter was not read.

“It seems a new meter was put in and ESB never bothered to read it and SSE went on sending my parents estimated bills which were paid by direct debit for two years until eventually they got the shock of their lives,” he writes. “Mum has liver cancer. Dad’s a stroke survivor (currently in hospital). SSE are threatening them with debt collectors.”

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He goes on to outline the details of their story.

Neither of his parents have much experience with the internet other than sending and receiving emails on his mother’s phone.

“They are registered with SEE Airtricity as vulnerable people. They have always paid their bills by direct debit, on time and in full as invoiced by SSE Airtricity.”

He says the “origin of this complaint is that [his parents] availed of a disability grant from the local county council to adapt a room downstairs for facilities to help [my mother] care for [my father]. In the course of these improvements the house’s fuse box was identified as in dire need of upgrading. They immediately upgraded their fuse box at a cost of approximately €1,500.”

He says that it should be noted that the house was built in the 1970s and the meter box is 7ft off the ground and neither of his parents can reach into it or note the numbers on it safely.

“They are physically unable to submit meter readings even when requested to. It would appear that since the new meter went in ESB failed to read the meters for almost two years. In that time SSE Airtricity supplied [them] with estimated bills which were paid. At no time were the two vulnerable digitally illiterate pensioners informed that their meter was not being read and that all the bills were estimates.”

Our reader says that according to SEE Airtricity’s records the ESB conducted its last reading in January 2021 so all bills were estimated (and paid) until he provided meter readings for his parents in April and May of this year.

“SSE Airtricity then sent out a bill based on the undercharging that had taken place. This was a bill for thousands of euros for which no explanation was made to vulnerable and confused seniors at the height of the energy price crisis,” our reader writes.

He writes that when the bill arrived “it was unlike any bill they had ever received before.

“A company like SEE Airtricity should not allow any customer to build up thousands of euro through no fault of their own. And when it issued such a bill it should be clear to the customer what the bill was for and how it had occurred. None of this information was provided to [his parents}. When they sought answers they were treated to cheery shoulder shrugging explanations and requests to pay the sum immediately. There was no compassion, patience or understanding given.”

He says that an email the family sent to Airtricity in May outlined “how distressed and upset she and her husband were. She asked for help, for explanations. She outlined how vulnerable they both were and that they were confused by what was happening. She said she couldn’t understand the bill.”

He then sent us the mail that Airtricity had sent back in response.

“Thanks for your email regarding your account 2*******.

I have requested that a member of our credit control team call you in the next few working days to set up a payment arrangement for your account. If you require any further assistance, you can also contact our customer service department or simply respond to this email. We will be delighted to help.

Kind Regards

Home Energy E-Service Team”

Our reader wonders if this is SSE Airtricity customer service at work? “No response to any individual requests for help and assistance in understanding what’s going on? Just pay up was the message.”

He says his parents were “shocked and upset at how they had been treated by a company they had trusted and relied upon and paid the sum of €3,454 by bank transfer on three days after submitting their meter reading.

“Upset, they sought out another supplier. Then they received another bill from SEE Airtricity. This time for €1,212.28. This was understandably another serious shock to a couple who had to borrow from the credit union to settle the €3,454 bill.”

He says that when his mother sought out information on how this happened SEE Airtricity confirmed that the last meter reading submitted from the ESB was January 16th, 2021 and that SEE Airtricity had never received another reading from the ESB.

“At no time did Airtricity contact the ESB for an update or flag an issue with them despite the ESB being obliged to submit meter readings to SSE Airtricity.”

He concludes by saying that SSE Airtricity “resorted to threatening legal action and when this didn’t work – because we said we would welcome our day in court to highlight our experiences –SSE then phoned [my mother] and threatened to send debt collectors.”

Our reader points out that his father is currently in hospital and his mother has been dealing with a very serious medical issue herself.

We contacted the company and received the following statement.

“While SSE Airtricity has acted based on the information provided to it by the customer and ESB Networks, we completely understand the customer’s frustration and concern with their account. We apologise for the issues they have experienced. However, once energy has been used at a property, the registered energy supplier is obliged to bill based on the information it has been provided.

“SSE Airtricity has a long-standing commitment to working with and supporting our customers. While the balance on the account is a result of energy used, as confirmed by meter reads provided by the network and the customer, and SSE is not responsible for the meter or meter reads provided, given the circumstances of this particular case, we have decided to offer a goodwill gesture to the customer which will cover the final bill issued of €1,212.93.”