ESB Driving me Bananas HELP

nickybutler

Okay,

So i just moved into this apartment, i usually spend about 80euros a month on electricity.

I open my second bill and get a shock its €450 for two months.

Im currently broke and unemployed and cant afford it so the ESB set up a payment plan of €65 per week.

I then really scrutinize my bill and my meter and realize that i have a day/night meter (in which i pay more in the day and half price at night) I use most of my electricity at night time.

So i contacted ESB who told me this is obviously a fault with the meter and hence why im paying so much that they would send out an engineer and sort the problem. He was meant to arrive on Thursday and never appeared.

They have also told me that they will make me pay the bill untill the meter problem is fixed and give me a refund then. They estimate the problem will take 12 weeks to fix. The €65 they were charging me a week was the difference of being able to have some spare cash or being really right with my money right now.

I think this is very unfair of the esb. Can anyone help or make any suggestions.

dudara

Moved to Talk to ESB

dudara

ESB CS: Chris

Hi nickybutler,

I'm sorry to hear that you are having issues with you electricity account in your new apartment.

If you would like to PM me your account number I will be able to look into this matter for you.

In general, the chance of a meter becoming faulty is very small. They have a worldwide reputation for accuracy and if they do become faulty, they tend to under-record the units used. From time to time, some of our customers experience a faulty timeswitch. From what you've mentioned, I believe this is what has happened to you. The timeswitch is the device that switches between your day and night meter.

If a timeswitch is switching at the wrong time (greater than 2 hours) or if it does not switch at all, there is a likelihood that you will be charged the incorrect rate for the units you used.

To give you an idea of when you should be charged our cheaper night tariff: the Nightsaver tariff runs between 12.00am and 9.00am in the Summer, and when the clocks go back in October, this becomes 11.00pm - 8.00am in the Winter.

Now that you have reported this fault, this is what you can expect to happen:

A technician from ESB Networks will visit the property to check the meter. He/She will replace the timeswitch, if it is faulty and they will send a report to the Billing department, here in ESB Customer Supply. If there is access to your meter outside your apartment, such as in a switch room, they will not need to call to your apartment. I can check to see if the engineer visited the property, if you PM me the account number.

Once the issue has been rectified, our billing department will look at your usage over the next 8- 12 weeks to gain an accurate picture of your usage. By comparing this with the previous usage, we will able to identify when the timeswitch problem started to occur and it will allow us to adjust your bill in a fair manner. Any adjustments to your bill, will take into account the date you moved in.

I appreciate your circumstances at the moment and I can understand that you are anxious to have the matter with your bill resolved as soon as possible. As I mentioned above, if you would like to PM me your account number, I will find out what is happening and when we expect to have this matter resolved for you.

Many thanks
Chris

Kimono-Girl

nickybutler wrote: »

Okay,

So i just moved into this apartment, i usually spend about 80euros a month on electricity.

I open my second bill and get a shock its €450 for two months.

Im currently broke and unemployed and cant afford it so the ESB set up a payment plan of €65 per week.

I then really scrutinize my bill and my meter and realize that i have a day/night meter (in which i pay more in the day and half price at night) I use most of my electricity at night time.

So i contacted ESB who told me this is obviously a fault with the meter and hence why im paying so much that they would send out an engineer and sort the problem. He was meant to arrive on Thursday and never appeared.

They have also told me that they will make me pay the bill untill the meter problem is fixed and give me a refund then. They estimate the problem will take 12 weeks to fix. The €65 they were charging me a week was the difference of being able to have some spare cash or being really right with my money right now.

I think this is very unfair of the esb. Can anyone help or make any suggestions.

simular story happened to us, the highest ESB bill we ever had was around the €150 mark until january 2010 when we got a bill for about €500 euro, we also have the day and night meter, i disputed this (especially since we were not home during the day over the period billed (between college/work/visiting family for dinner..etc) and ALL washing/drying..etc was done after 11pm when we eventually got home to the cold apartment) only to be told by a very rude customer service rep this was 'my' problem not the ESB's and all they can do is read the meter, not tell us how the bill was so high, we were told we could pay ourselves for them to get an engineer to call out to us. lo and behold every bill we have gotton since is back at the €100 mark and we got a credit from the estimate two months ago (so far we got nothing for the january one)

i think to be fair she was trying to get me to leave ESB as she was the most rude customer service agent i ever encountered in my life! :eek:

ESB CS: Chris

Hi Candlelover,

I'm sorry to hear that this was your experience with our customer service. If you would like to PM me your account number, I would be happy to look into this matter for you.

To find out what is causing an unexpected increase in electricity use, we normally ask customers to perform some simple checks to try and establish the cause.

You mentioned that you also have a Nightsaver meter. If it is clear that there is a faulty timeswitch at a property we would not charge a customer to come and fix it. We would ask you to check to see if it is switching over at the correct time. If the difference is greater than 2 hours, we will arrange for an Engineer from ESB Networks to call to the property free of charge to rectify the problem.

As I mentioned earlier, I would need you to PM me your account number and I can investigate this matter for you.

Many thanks
Chris

trolleydolly

Hi Chris,
You seem to be my only hope in this matter and i hope you can help me too! I bought my apartment last july and i've yet to make the big move (home is too handy still) So i've gotten esb bills in the past starting at 45 euro, up to last bill 145 euro and now recent bill 94 euro!! I rang esb monday 29/06/10 and explained my problem to a lovely lady, i told her i don't live there,i've probably only made 5 cups of tea there in the last 5 months and the only thing plugged in is the fridge. So she told me to unplug everything and get back to her. I took a photo of my readings on the meter outside and pulled all the circuit breakers and nothing left on. Today 01/07/10 i went down and checked the meter and R2 reading only went up 1 unit! Im so lost and now afraid to move in in case my bills get higher. Where do i go from here???

ESB CS: Chris

Hi Trolleydolly,

Congratulations on buying you new apartment! I appreciate that you are concerned over the bills you have received, especially if you are not moved in to the property yet.

To get a better understanding of what is happening, I would need you to PM me your account number.

In general, if a customer has a query like this, we would ask them to conduct the test you carried out with your meter. This is to ensure that the meter is only recording electricity being used. As I mentioned earlier, the chance of a meter becoming faulty, is very remote, however this is the first check we perform.

From the results of your test, there does not appear to be a problem with the recording on the meter. The next thing to check is if any of your appliances could have become faulty. We would also ask you what type of heating you have installed and if you have an immersion heater. If either of these are left on or timed incorrectly, they can use a large amount of electricity when not needed.

If you could PM me your details, I will look into this matter and I would hope this will be one less thing for you to worry about when you make the big move into your new place.

Many thanks
Chris

izzydumpling

Hi, a number of years ago, we were receiving bills that indicated we were running a small industrial plant..... Up around the €1300 per bill, this went on for a while, ESB checked the meter and found no problem. We ended up changing the meter - bills dropped to a couple of hundred and we ended up eventually getting the direct line to our area manager - who when presented with the graphs of useage etc, the fact the only differential was the meter - agreed to refund the difference.

I appreciate "the really NICE" person on the boards forum... however their customer service (ESB) is a disgrace and an insult to the customers... only to be beaten by Eircom for its ability to be rude and obnoxious... However - once you get to speak to the right person (NOT customer service) they can be so helpful.

Iz

ESB CS: Chris

Hi izzydumpling,

I'm very sorry to hear that you had an experience like this. My colleagues and I aim to provide top quality service to all our customers and in this incident we appear to have failed to reach this aim. I am sorry for that.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the chance of a meter becoming faulty is very remote. They normally tend to under-record if they become faulty. The majority of issues such as this arise from a faulty timeswitch or an internal fault in the customer's property. It is very unusual to have a faulty meter.

Thank you for sharing your experience and I am glad to hear that your issue was resolved in the end.

Many thanks
Chris

ESB CS: Chris

Hi Nickybutler,

Thanks for the PM.

An Engineer is due to visit the property tomorrow between 9.00am and 1.00pm to resolve the issue you are having with your meter.

If there is access to the meter, you do not need to be at home when the engineer calls.

I have responded by PM to the rest of your query.

Many thanks
Chris

ESB CS: Chris

Hi Trolleydolly,

Thanks for the PM, glad to hear that you have got to bottom of this matter and found out what was using electricity in the house, while you were not there.

Many thanks
Chris

Steve30x

I got an ESB bill of over 550 euro in may. Thing is it was an Estimated bill. The bill was for a house I was living in for just over a year and not once was the meter read. Even though I am unemployed I am doing my best to get this bill paid off. In the past three weeks I have paid 50 euro a week off the bill and last month they got well over 200 euro off the bill. I talked to somebody about the bill over the phone and the guy basically said that its my problem that the bill is so high he was also trying to force a direct debit on me.

Also I got a letter threatening me with having an engineer call to disconnect my electricity and that not only will I have to pay to get my electricity disconnected but I will have to pay for the engineers visit and I will be brought to court. I actually got two of those letters even though before the second letter the ESB got 120 euro off the bill from me

If my calculations are right though my arrears should be below 100 euro by first week of august and my Arrears should be paid off totally by mid august. I will take a meter reading and call the ESB with the reading next week so that I wont get overcharged again.

I will be changing my supplier as soon as my arrears are cleared though. I am fed up with the ESB sending me such stupidly high bills. I keep getting high bills from these guys.

In may MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service) who pay my ESB bills once a month called the ESB and the person told the MABS woman that I was used to getting ESB bills under 30 euro which is total BULL> I havent recieved a bill less than 120 euro in four years.

Its summer now and I am not using much electricity but I guarantee my next bill will be over 120 euro again next month. 90% of my ESB will be my LCD TV , SKY HD box and my laptop. There is no way in hell I am using over 100 euro in electricity in two months.

Electric Ireland: David

Hi Steve30x,

I can appreciate that in your circumstances, being hit with such a high bill is far from ideal. If your final bill was estimated for the house you mentioned you were living in, I could look into getting this amended for you. However, before I could do so, I would need you to PM me your account details.

Readings should be taken by ESB Networks 4 times a year, so in a 12-month period, customers can expect 2 estimations. However, this number may increase if there are difficulties in gaining access to the meter. If a bill is estimated, an 'E' will always appear next to the present reading.

We try to make it as easy as possible for customers to submit readings (online, by SMS, or by calling 1850 33 77 77), or to amend them if they have already been estimated. To amend a bill online, click here; otherwise, you can contact our customer service on 1850 372 372.

A link that may also be useful to you (so as to get a reliable idea of your actual electricity consumption) is our online appliance calculator. It caters for most types of domestic appliances, including those you mentioned in your post.

I'm sorry to hear that you intend to change suppliers as soon as your arrears are clear; however, should you ever wish to come back, we would welcome doing business with you again.

Thanks,

David.

Steve30x

I just done a calculation on what I should owe on my bill and its at 91.40. PM on my Account details on its way. Also there is no difficulty in gaining access to my ESB meter because the meter is outside my house by the front door and its not a gated estate.

Electric Ireland: David

Hi Steve30x,

I have just responded to your PM. Thanks for providing the required info.

The bill was for a house I was living in for just over a year and not once was the meter read

There may have been some misunderstanding, but out of the 10 readings we have recorded for that premises, only 3 were estimated. This is in line with standard practice.

Just a note in relation to the appliance calculator; it can only approximate the levels of consumption for a specific appliance (as it works on averages - it does not have specific branding information. One model/brand may be a heavier user than another, for instance). Also, if appliances are left on standby, some can still be using up to a fifth/quarter of their power (again, depending on the model/brand in question). Generally, however, the appliance calculator is a reliable guide.

Of course, if in doubt, the best thing to do is to consult the meter itself.

If you have any further questions, I'll be glad to help.

Thanks,

David.

Steve30x

I know that my Washing machine , dishwasher , cooker and fridgefreezer are all A rated. Also I put in the correct wattages for my TV ,laptop and desktop computer.

Also What months were those 10 readings for? I was only living in the house from Feb 21st 2009 - may 21st 2010. The council changed the bill to my name two months before I was even living in the house. I had to wait for the council to do some work on the house which took two months to finish. So from December 2008 to Feb 2009 The house was unoccupied.

Electric Ireland: David

Hi Steve30x,

The initial move in reading was for 24/12/10, which was provided by the Council. The next two readings, at the close of Jan and March, were taken by the meter reader on site. At the beginning of June an estimate was submitted, and for the following two readings (at the close of July and September) the meter reader obliged. In November, the reading was estimated, as it was again in April, but the reading in between (February) was accurate. And lastly, the move out reading, submitted on the 19/05/10, was a customer provided reading.

That makes for 3 estimates out of 10 recorded readings. I hope you don't mind me posting this information here; if you require more confidential information specific to your account (rather than the premises), it would be best to PM me.

In relation to the appliance calculator, if you feel there is a significant discrepancy between what you have calculated and the consumption the meter actually records, I would recommend you do the following check:
- Turn off all your power at the main trip switch
- Plug everything out
- Wait 10mins, then check your meter. The disc should no longer be rotating (if the meter is digital, the red LED should no longer be flashing)
- *If at this stage the meter is still active, you need to get an electrician to test your installation for faults*
- If the meter is not active, turn on the power at the trip switch again. If it starts to spin (or flash), there is something left on that was unaccounted for.

I hope this information helps you, and perhaps anyone else who may have similar concerns.

Thanks,

David.

Heroditas

Steve30x wrote: »

I just done a calculation on what I should owe on my bill and its at 91.40. PM on my Account details on its way. Also there is no difficulty in gaining access to my ESB meter because the meter is outside my house by the front door and its not a gated estate.

Have you included the standing charge in your calculation?

Steve30x

OK I am now p****d with the ESB. I got a letter stating that my bill is overdue by 20 euro and that if its not paid today my payment plan will be cancelled and my full outstanding balance will be due immediately.

Here is what the letter states

We Recently Agreeda payment plan with you to bring your account up to date but having reviewed your account we note you have not kept to our agreement.

Please pay the overdue ammount today

Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of your payment plan and the full outstanding balance will be due immediately.

It is important that you act immediately on this notification to ensure the continuation of your electricity supply.

Yours sincerely.

First of all I didnt agree on any payment plan and secondly I dont owe you8 guys anything. I have proof of my payments.

Also whats with the 180 euro of an ESB Bill I just got? I did not use that much electricity in the psat two months.

Electric Ireland: David

Steve30x wrote: »

First of all I didnt agree on any payment plan and secondly I dont owe you8 guys anything. I have proof of my payments.

Hi Steve30x,

I understand that a phone call was made to the account holder on 26/07/10. The agent that made the call agreed to break down the outstanding amount into separate instalments to accommodate the account holder.

Going into further detail would not be appropriate on a public forum, so I will continue this over PM, and would be grateful if you would co-operate in this respect.

Steve30x wrote: »

Also whats with the 180 euro of an ESB Bill I just got? I did not use that much electricity in the psat two months.

I would just like to point out that yes, you're absolutely right; you didn't use €180 worth of electricity in the past two months. But on a general note, invoices will include not only the amount of electricity consumed in the last billing period, but will also include any arrears, if present. (I will go into further detail with you over PM)

If there is a problem with recorded consumption, please follow the advice I have posted above. We do not charge for electricity that has not been used. The following section of our website has been designed to help customers reduce their bill; if you have not already had a look through it, I would recommend that you do. I hope it is of benefit.

Thanks,

David.

meeney78

Steve30x wrote: »

In may MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service) who pay my ESB bills once a month called the ESB and the person told the MABS woman that I was used to getting ESB bills under 30 euro which is total BULL> I havent recieved a bill less than 120 euro in four years.

Its summer now and I am not using much electricity but I guarantee my next bill will be over 120 euro again next month. 90% of my ESB will be my LCD TV , SKY HD box and my laptop. There is no way in hell I am using over 100 euro in electricity in two months.

We all have bills to pay. When you spend your money on fancy electrical kits like LCD TV's, HD Boxes, laptops etc. then you should expect higher than average bills, as they obviously consume a lot more electricity :pac: :pac: