Due to some glitch in their systems, TRU energy (AKA Energy Australia) sent my electricity bill to me after 9 months. I have called them at-least 5 times during this time to inform that I am not getting my bill and they said they will send it soon.
I want to know what are the options I have now. Could I call them and ask for a payment plan as don't want to pay this huge amount in 1 go. Seems highly unlikely, but is there anything else I can ask for? Like a discount?
Almost all companies like this will offer a payment plan if you ask. As for discount, you can try your luck I guess, but I wouldn't expect it.
They are obligated to provide a payment plan if you are struggling to make the payment. In the case of their delayed billing I think it is very likely they will easily agree.
I don't think you will get a discount unless you can argue some portion of the bill is incorrect (e.g. it should have started billing at a later date).
But if a payment plan is not that useful, it might be worth asking for it, but then letting on you could afford to pay the whole bill in one hit if it was e.g. $100 lower.
And hey, you have been earning interest on the money you would have paid in power for 3/4 of a year.
It sounds like you have been honest and up front with them which will only benefit you when talking to them again. I would think it's totally reasonable to be on a payment plan considering the amount of time it took to send them the bill. Just let them know what's happened. I don't know how you would go getting a discount but maybe it's worth trying.
It's a mission impossible to get a discount on bill already received, but I managed to do this once. You have a good ground to negotiate it as well.
And it's quite possible to bargain the discount for few bills in future. (I managed to get nice discount for a year).
Anyway it's never hurt to ask, isn't it.)))
I was in a similar situation….renting a place directly with a landlord and bills were under his name. Didnt receive bills for over a year despite reminding the landlord numerous times. End of the day when the bill arrived, I was put on a payment plan without any trouble. Plus in Victoria, the energy companies can only go back as far as 9 months (i think)…so the energy company discounted the bill for the period they were not entitled to bill me….I think they could only go back as far as 9 months…..
yup. 9 months back billing is the max they can do.
If you call the energy company, they can put you on a payment plan.
I used to work in this industry. Its 9 months max back billing if you moved in and didn't setup an account with a retailer.
For late bills it is different they are required to send you minimum of 1 bill a year based on an actual read of your meter (not estimated).
They MUST offer you a payment plan if you ask for it. You won't have any issues when you call and ask. They will generally give you the same amount of time as the billing period. Ie 9 month bill they will give you up to 9 months to pay it.
Thanks for all the help. Please keep on giving the suggestions. I will talk with them on Monday so any ideas I get before that will only help me. Cheers.
Have you had solar installed? I know it can take them months to fix up their billing after a solar install.
Cant you cry poor to some government body for releif ? I remember reading somewhere there was a surge of applicants (no pun intended).
Or seek non- gvt/charity agencies if you're really horrified. I think they hand out cheques.
Pretty sure my parents got a payment plan, when switching providers and bills delayed. They got a nice shock, and power co agreed to split payments apart.
I was on a payment plan all of last year after I had an electricity bill around $1800. I just found out my account is in credit, and the electricity company sent me a letter suggesting I drop my payments by $160 a month.
I had this happen to me with Origin, although it was only 7 months. They sent a letter out separate to the bill to apologise for the delay and a phone number to ring for any questions. I rang and said I couldn't possibly pay the whole sum in one go. They let me pay it over a couple of months, no problems.
The reason why most utilities companies goes a maximum of 9 months before sending you the bill is because you don't have to pay it anymore if it's over 12 months late. Of course, only the portion that is over 12 months is waived.
I believe, so you will need to check, that the most they can charge you is for usage up to 9 months, any charges relating to usage over 9 months is not allowed, so you do not have to pay the amounts that relate to usage over 9 months ago. you will still need to pay for the usage under 9 months.
There was a bill in NSW for this, but I dont know if it passed, which changed the time from 12 months to 9 months
to reduce from 12 months to 9 months after the event the period in which a retail supplier of electricity can recover from a small retail customer amounts for undercharging (including failure to issue a bill),
You should contact http://www.ewon.com.au/ for help (NSW)
The 9 month period refers to "unknown consumers", when power is used but no account is setup with a retailer. This period does not relate to delayed bills.
Not arguing but how exactly does someone use electricity (legally) without becoming a customer?
Never mind: I saw the word undercharging/not issuing a bill
Occupant moves into house, power is still on from last occupant, uses it without calling a retailer
Energy Australia and Tru Energy have become one and since then there has been continuing billing problems. The reports are all over the business news. There has been a stuffup in the billing somewhere. Google "energy Australia late bills" and have a look at some of the links. You may even get a clue in them on how to negotiate the bill down or something. You could even ask them to prove that the account is correct. Not sure how far you get with that but ….. As others have said, I am sure you would have no trouble getting on a payment plan.
I believe if they really wanted to, they could just provide you with a list of readings which would prove that the bill is correct. I've worked in the industry before, the readings isn't done by energy company, it is usually done by a external org like: http://www.aemo.com.au/
Yeah same thing happened to us, and now they have become Energy Australia.
Our bill had a note with it apologising for not sending us one for the past 8 months or so and offered us to go on a payment plan if we were going to have trouble paying it.
If you have any issues, contact your local Ombudsman for Energy and Water. For VIC, it's EWOV: http://www.ewov.com.au/
Check out the Energy Retail code for more info: (this one is for VIC: http://www.esc.vic.gov.au/getattachment/06661f37-494a-4f8c-8…)
Clause 4.2 (h) (Contents of a Bill)
if a customer’s bill is derived from smart meter interval data :
the index read at the end of the billing period; and
from 1 July 2012, the index read at the start of the billing period; and
the actual tariffs; and
the total amount of electricity (in kWh) or of gas (in MJ) or of both consumed in each period or class of period in respect of which a relevant tariff applies to the customer.
They couldn't provide me with a proper invoice … esp. the they did not mention any previous readings (which they need to) - so I can't check my bills. I get no invoice for around 5 months now …
You can request a proper bill though, if they cannot provide it then go to the Ombudsman and get the current bill frozen, then tell them you would like them to provide all readings and calculations so you can work out if they ripped you off or not.
Why do you think it unlikely they will allow you go renegotiate the payment schedule? Try it.