ᐅ Utility company has incorrect meter numbers in their system – what should I do?
Created on: 4 Sep 2023 15:53
K
kati1337
Hello everyone,
We have received the welcome letters from our local supplier (Pfalzwerke) confirming that we have been placed on the basic supply tariff. We have two meters, and Pfalzwerke is demanding a total prepayment of 390€.
Of course, we don’t want to pay that much, so we intended to switch to another electricity provider based on our actual, calculated electricity consumption.
However, we noticed that the meter numbers on the welcome letters are incorrect. After speaking with Pfalzwerke Netz by phone, it turned out that these wrong meter numbers from the letters are registered in their system. They do not recognize the actual meter numbers we have on our meters.
When I asked what I should do next, the customer service agent didn’t have an answer. He advised against signing a contract using the incorrect meter numbers registered in their system since these might belong to someone else (??). Also, entering a contract with the correct meter numbers likely won’t work because these are unknown to the grid operator’s system.
Do you have any suggestions on how I should proceed? I definitely don’t want to be stuck on their basic supply tariff. Their reputation in the region, judging by Google reviews, matches my experience: they seem overwhelmed and understaffed. I don’t expect any quick resolution from the grid operator.
What would you do in my place? Would you pay these absurdly high prepayments? Honestly, I don’t see why I should. Those aren’t my meter numbers, the calculation is baseless and not transparent. They don’t even have my SEPA mandate yet.
I am considering simply not paying when the first prepayment is due or disputing the payment because the meter number is not mine. Is the contract even valid? First, the meter number is wrong. Secondly, the cancellation policy states a "14-day period starting from the day the contract was concluded." The contract is dated August 14, but I only received the letter explaining these terms on August 28. Moreover, it was sent to the construction site address and just left there without a mailbox. The meters were also installed later than the supposed contract date.
On the other hand, I do not want them to cut off our power. The first prepayment is due at the end of September. If nothing is resolved by then, I am thinking of involving a lawyer.
Additionally, I am considering going ahead and signing my desired electricity contract using the CORRECT meter numbers as seen in the meter cabinet, and just waiting to see what happens.
We have received the welcome letters from our local supplier (Pfalzwerke) confirming that we have been placed on the basic supply tariff. We have two meters, and Pfalzwerke is demanding a total prepayment of 390€.
Of course, we don’t want to pay that much, so we intended to switch to another electricity provider based on our actual, calculated electricity consumption.
However, we noticed that the meter numbers on the welcome letters are incorrect. After speaking with Pfalzwerke Netz by phone, it turned out that these wrong meter numbers from the letters are registered in their system. They do not recognize the actual meter numbers we have on our meters.
When I asked what I should do next, the customer service agent didn’t have an answer. He advised against signing a contract using the incorrect meter numbers registered in their system since these might belong to someone else (??). Also, entering a contract with the correct meter numbers likely won’t work because these are unknown to the grid operator’s system.
Do you have any suggestions on how I should proceed? I definitely don’t want to be stuck on their basic supply tariff. Their reputation in the region, judging by Google reviews, matches my experience: they seem overwhelmed and understaffed. I don’t expect any quick resolution from the grid operator.
What would you do in my place? Would you pay these absurdly high prepayments? Honestly, I don’t see why I should. Those aren’t my meter numbers, the calculation is baseless and not transparent. They don’t even have my SEPA mandate yet.
I am considering simply not paying when the first prepayment is due or disputing the payment because the meter number is not mine. Is the contract even valid? First, the meter number is wrong. Secondly, the cancellation policy states a "14-day period starting from the day the contract was concluded." The contract is dated August 14, but I only received the letter explaining these terms on August 28. Moreover, it was sent to the construction site address and just left there without a mailbox. The meters were also installed later than the supposed contract date.
On the other hand, I do not want them to cut off our power. The first prepayment is due at the end of September. If nothing is resolved by then, I am thinking of involving a lawyer.
Additionally, I am considering going ahead and signing my desired electricity contract using the CORRECT meter numbers as seen in the meter cabinet, and just waiting to see what happens.
HeimatBauer schrieb:
Was was the exact same meter model really installed again, or was it replaced by some supposedly "smarter" meter? It could be that the utility reserves that for photovoltaic systems. I can’t tell you that. I never saw the initial meters. We were on vacation for two weeks, during which the first meters and also the new ones apparently arrived. When we came back after the vacation, the current ones were already installed.
H
HeimatBauer11 Sep 2023 18:17So it's a cascade after all. Then I’m really keeping my fingers crossed that it goes faster than it did for dab_dab and me.
kati1337 schrieb:
With the main utility provider, I can only reduce my advance payments online by about 20 euros or so. I would still do it just in case, especially if they won’t lower it for you otherwise, in case the process takes longer... For some providers, once the confirmation is issued, you can immediately repeat the same step and reduce it again... (it depends on how smart their systems are programmed...)
H
HeimatBauer11 Sep 2023 20:21One more thing: Are you sure that a "free" tariff is worthwhile for the heat pump? For me, the basic supply tariff for the heat pump is significantly cheaper than the cheapest regular electricity offer for heat pumps. Of course, this tariff is well hidden and hard to find – but it is still accessible.
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WilderSueden11 Sep 2023 20:35It depends on where you live. Here, EnBW charges 30 cents and the cheapest offer on the platform is 29.x cents 😉
HeimatBauer schrieb:
Something else: Are you sure that a "free" tariff for the heat pump is worthwhile? In my case, the basic supply for the heat pump is significantly cheaper than the cheapest regular heat pump electricity offer. The tariff is, of course, so well hidden that you can’t find it – but you can still get it.Our new heat pump tariff is slightly more expensive, I think by about 1 cent or so, but the basic supplier sells us coal power / mix, and we want to buy from a pure green energy provider.Similar topics