ESB refuses to repay 50,000 overbilled users

[Green_Bear]

THE ESB is sitting on mountains of customers’ money – and is refusing to pay it back. The state monopoly has been systematically overbilling certain customers for years.

The Sunday Independent has discovered that the semi-state utility could be knowingly overcharging as many as 50,000 of its customers.

ESB customers with estimated bills have been victims of an inaccurate method of billing which may mean they are due refunds.

ESB customers who are not at home when the meter reader calls are sent estimated bills. All their bills are then estimated until either the meter reader gains access to make an accurate reading or the customer sends in an actual reading. The ESB then posts out an amended bill based on the actual usage.

The overcharge arises when the customer pays the bill that reflects the exact number of units used. The ESB charges any customer whose bill runs over a tariff hike date for all the excess units at the latest, higher unit rate, rather than at the rate at the time when the electricity was used.

Approximately 50,000 ESB customers are paying estimated bills which extend over a period of a price hike. In these cases, customers are charged for all their units at the higher rate, rather than at the lower rate running when the electricity was used.
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ESB refuses to repay 50,000 overbilled users
sindo

[DoNotPassGo]

My understanding of the estimated bill is that in your second, unestimated bill you pay for the difference between the estimated and final reading, and only those units at the higher rate. In that case, we’ll never know if the estimated bill underestimated the usage (in which case they overpay) or overestimated it (in which case they underpay).

Or am I missing something?

[Tyrannosaurus]

That was my understanding of it too. Hey how about an exact measurement sent to the ESB via Irelands Broadband network (technological hub of Europe remember) that we can monitor too! oh no wait. . . . scratch that one!

[Open_Window]

@Blindjustice BATONEFFECT

That was my understanding of it too. Hey how about an exact measurement sent to the ESB via Irelands Broadband network (technological hub of Europe remember) that we can monitor too! oh no wait. . . . scratch that one!

I’m sure I heard tell of a plan plan to send Broadband via the ESB network or was that canned too as it was simply uncompetative if highly desirable/effective?

[DoNotPassGo]

@Open Window

I’m sure I heard tell of a plan plan to send Broadband via the ESB network or was that canned too as it was simply uncompetative if highly desirable/effective?

There has been research into broadband through powerlines, but from what I’ve heard it was never sufficiently successful (if at all). However, the ESB do send data along their powerlines by wrapping fibre-optic cables around the lines: esb.ie/main/about_esb/esb_telecoms.jsp