Beware New Electricity Billing System

[pepsipuss]

I don't know if the other electricity companies are guilty of this, but in case those in the clutches of Endesa-Sevillana haven't noticed, here is what they are up to:

In December they changed their billing system to one whereby they bill you monthly, with an estimated bill every other month. The first of these in our area was December and we were a bit puzzled that the estimates on both our houses were so low as to be almost non existent compared with normal consumption.

On 1st January the increased tarif came in.

We have now received the first of our January bills, with a meter reading of 14th Jan, for one of our properties. The reading brought the total consumption to more or less what we might have expected over the two months. HOWEVER, we have been hit with a 'recargo exceso consumo' on 25% of the units, because it takes the reading (since the estimate) over a norm that is applied, PLUS of course this bill, being a much higher reading than normal because of the previous low one, has a much higher proportion at the new prices.

To me this whole thing appears nothing short of fraud and tomorrow I am off to our local offices to make a big stink!!

[fincafern]

Just received the same, rather devious isn't it ? Our bill was high because of the extra charge and I was only running one property at the time of the bill so was not expecting excess charge this time.
I am used to getting the excess usage charge, but it is going to hurt those with single houses. One reading will be estimated and the second real giving false figures to the second.

[Marks]

Iberdrola have also moved to a monthly billing cycle from January 09.

[Partridge]

Errrm ok I just happened to log in to my bank account today and was puzzled as to why I had an electricity payment taken from Endesa for December and January (December I expected) as it is usually bi monthly, so this is a timely thread indeed.

However, I'm not sure I'm following the 'excess' charges bit. Don't think I've ever had an excess charge/tariff ? I had guests in over Xmas and my December bill was around 36 euros, January one 19 euros but I'm just assuming the meter was read both times

[pepsipuss]

Hi Party
With such modest bills you have not transgressed into the area of 'excess charges': these occur at a much higher level of consumption - lucky you

[Partridge]

Well that's a relief, thanks. Our highest bi monthly is usually around 165 euros in the summer with constant guests and air con use, don't think I've ever seen an 'excess' anything then either.

[ashtondav]

Our 2 bed apartment has been occupied for the last 2 months and i accessed my online spanish bank to see what the latest bill was, as our meter reading is in February 20th.

€230!!!! plus €40 for the january 'estimate'. How much is a unit of electricity now? I charge our guests 13p per KWh. Do i need to raise it?

[pepsipuss]

Price per Kwh in our area (Andalucia) 11 cents approx plus 4% elec tax and 16% IVA. Don't know if it varies by area and company but 13p barely enough, especially if your next bill which will be a real reading, takes you into the 'exceso consumo cargo'.
Not good news

[Marks]

We have the pleasure (?) of Iberdrola supplying both the apartment and the house.

One kilowatt hour is charged at 13.0476 cents including IVA. I understand that once you use 550 kilowatt hours per month you are in the 'excessive use' category which is charged at 3.1787 cents per kwh above 550.

550 kwh per month is very low. We have all electric heating in the house where we live full time, plus A/C and all the usual 'mod cons' - our average use over the last 12 months has been 895kwh per month so we get hit every time but I refuse to be cold indoors in the winter. I know people near me who heat their house using gas and a wood burner and they manage to just keep under the 550kwh limit each month.

[mimosa]

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I have just got out my last 2 bills and now I’m hopping mad!
My husband seems to spend a lot of time reclaiming things with the consumer’s office, so here is another one for him.
You have to be careful as they do this all the time in Spain. The fine they get is a lot less than the money they have made by unlawful practices, and if you don’t claim, it won’t be given back automatically.

Watch out for Telefonica too, things appear on your bill that you haven’t asked for. We had a refund for months of paying 10 euros a month for a bono USA that we never asked for (I never even phone the USA) Also if you have a contract with Movistar you get charged a certain amount a month even if you don’t use it, up to here is quite normal. What is not normal (or legal as it clear stated a general “Consumo”) is that SMS’s are not included, nor calls when you are abroad or a number of other things. This gets added on top of the monthly rate even if you have not reached it.

[CSE]

The reason for the change is a new law written by the government of Spain. But it is hard to find any information as to why they changed the billing system.

[Casa Montana]

Hi all,

I too got a shock this month when i had €224 taken out of my account. Last bill in January was €382.

We have got a pretty big house that runs solely on Electric, but that is just crazy. Worried now that we're going to get a similar kind of bill in March. We were there for a week in January, but apart from that the house has been pretty much empty.

Unless theres gremlins living in the house while i'm away and using electricity

I live in the UK, so think i'm going to get my property manager to get a reading this week. Anyone know if you can email your monthly meter reading? Or do you have to call it in?

Then you probably have to go throught the hassle of claiming the money back. Anyone had experience of this? Or do they just deduct it from your next bill?

Anybody registered online for paperless billing? What's your experience of that if you have? Easier to manage if you don't live on-site/same country?

Thanks

Carl
Casa Montana
www.holidaylettings.co.uk/54076
www.casamontanaspain@iowners.net

[CSE]

..... I live in the UK, so think i'm going to get my property manager to get a reading this week. Anyone know if you can email your monthly meter reading? Or do you have to call it in?

Then you probably have to go throught the hassle of claiming the money back. Anyone had experience of this? Or do they just deduct it from your next bill?

Anybody registered online for paperless billing? What's your experience of that if you have? Easier to manage if you don't live on-site/same country?

Thanks

Carl

No experience of paperless billing.
If you want your money back you have to go to the offices. Here in Galicia and I think some areas of the south consumers have resulted in writing Denuncias to try and get the money back.
Yes everything is easier if you live in the country, but it is just as hard to do things, as you have to have time and must be patient to sort things out. An ability to understand when the person behind the desk is telling stories helps too. We hope your manager has a good knowledge of Spanish.
Good luck!!!!!!

[pepsipuss]

I use electronic billing now and it works fine with Endesa Sevillana. There is a facility for reading your own meter and submitting it but I haven't got round to it yet.

[Big Sis..]

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