Back billing by Direct $#@$##* energy

[LIP MAN]

So my friend generally gets the bill, and Direct Energy is usually around 150-200 for the condo townhouse (is that normal not sure) So she calls and finds out this months bills and it ends up being $1960, as they had adjusted from estimated to readings!

From what I've tried to find it seems like the normal law in most provinces is they have to check the meter every 3-6 months, and this amount they are trying to get them to back pay is from October 2007. After calling and letting them know it's a load of crap to try and get someone to backpay, and spouting about the media, government (yay alberta :/) and legal possible Class action needless to say they changed their tone. I'm just wondering what legal recourse there may be as it seems to be a grey area. Thanks for any help, this person is really desperate, it could put them out on the street!

[Torture]

Similar thing happened to me with Enmax.

They weren't charging me for electricity.....so one year down the road they realize their mistake and slap $1000 on to my bill.

[Sluggo]

Why can't you guys just be normal? :P

[JustAnotherGuy]

Originally Posted by Torture

Similar thing happened to me with Enmax.

They weren't charging me for electricity.....so one year down the road they realize their mistake and slap $1000 on to my bill.

Your case is a little different. I assume you were aware that you weren't being charged for electricity? If were aware what do you think was going to happen?

[ken0042]

I left DE because of a screwy bill. In October they went and back- adjusted my gas usage to July (when it was double the price per GJ) so that I ended up owing more.

[Flames0910]

Originally Posted by JustAnotherGuy

Your case is a little different. I assume you were aware that you weren't being charged for electricity? If were aware what do you think was going to happen?

they were not aware.

[T@T]

Sounds like your friend started a few more plants last month.

[wooohooo]

Is it normal for energy bills to be that high??? I live in a apartment and only pay like $30-40 bucks a month.

[Deegee]

wooohooo: Out here in east central Alberta we are stuck with Direct Energy for energy and we pay about $70.00 in fees before you add in actual electricity costs. Even in the summer my energy bills run $110.00.

[WilsonFourTwo]

Originally Posted by LIP MAN

So my friend generally gets the bill, and Direct Energy is usually around 150-200 for the condo townhouse (is that normal not sure) So she calls and finds out this months bills and it ends up being $1960, as they had adjusted from estimated to readings!

From what I've tried to find it seems like the normal law in most provinces is they have to check the meter every 3-6 months, and this amount they are trying to get them to back pay is from October 2007. After calling and letting them know it's a load of crap to try and get someone to backpay, and spouting about the media, government (yay alberta :/) and legal possible Class action needless to say they changed their tone. I'm just wondering what legal recourse there may be as it seems to be a grey area. Thanks for any help, this person is really desperate, it could put them out on the street!

Tony Tighe ttighe@globaltv.com

He does a story about this kind of thing two or three times a year it seems. It's been a while......go get 'em.

[Frank MetaMusil]

Do you rent or own? If you rent, legally the utilities provider can't go after a renter, its just a name on the bill. They will have to recoup their losses from the owner of the property.

[Ducay]

I remember a big story on the news about this a year or two ago. IIRC I thought there was a limit to how far they could go back.

I'll see if I can find the story

[MJM]

Enmax almost went half a year without billing me anything (no water/sewage, no electricity, no gas). I was getting very pissed off because I kept calling them every week telling them to fix the problem, and all they could tell me was "it was under review, and would be fixed shortly". I ended up getting an $1,800 bill. That's BS that they weren't billing me, but I have no sympathy for some of the people I've heard around town whining about not being able to pay their bill when received. You know damn-well you are receiving these services, and you also know about what it's going to be (give or take $50 bucks). People should be putting that money aside to pay the bill when received. This isn't some winfall, you do actually owe that company that money. If people are so dumb that they go out and spend their utility money just because they didn't receive the bill, that's not Enmax/Direct Energy's problem.

Something tells me your friend isn't telling you the whole story. They likely weren't getting a bill, or getting a bill that was not including all her services (which has been the problem Enmax/Direct Energy have been experiencing). If $1,900 bucks is going to put your friend on the street, how the heck do they own a condo to begin with? What if they ever got a cash call?

[moncton golden flames]

there is some good advice in this thread...

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthr...ighlight=ENMAX

[valo403]

Originally Posted by MJM

Enmax almost went half a year without billing me anything (no water/sewage, no electricity, no gas). I was getting very pissed off because I kept calling them every week telling them to fix the problem, and all they could tell me was "it was under review, and would be fixed shortly". I ended up getting an $1,800 bill. That's BS that they weren't billing me, but I have no sympathy for some of the people I've heard around town whining about not being able to pay their bill when received. You know damn-well you are receiving these services, and you also know about what it's going to be (give or take $50 bucks). People should be putting that money aside to pay the bill when received. This isn't some winfall, you do actually owe that company that money. If people are so dumb that they go out and spend their utility money just because they didn't receive the bill, that's not Enmax/Direct Energy's problem.

Something tells me your friend isn't telling you the whole story. They likely weren't getting a bill, or getting a bill that was not including all her services (which has been the problem Enmax/Direct Energy have been experiencing). If $1,900 bucks is going to put your friend on the street, how the heck do they own a condo to begin with? What if they ever got a cash call?

I think you've confused two different posts, and two different scenarios, and created one super scenario and then gone on a rant about it.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Ducay

I remember a big story on the news about this a year or two ago. IIRC I thought there was a limit to how far they could go back.

I'm not a lawyer (so hopefully one of our resident lawyers can chime in here) but I wonder if this would be covered by the "you only have 2 years to collect on a debt" law that's out there.

Then it would be up to them to try and estimate what was used in the last 2 years, how much in each month, what the price of gas was then, how much of a gov't rebate was in place that you should have received.

Could a person get in much trouble with their credit if you returned the bill with a letter saying "I dispute this bill in its entirety. If you wish to proceed, I will see you in small claims court." Because if you have proof of payment; it would seem to me to be like when Homer tried to charge Millhouse the extra $19 for seeing Stampy the Elephant.

[MJM]

Originally Posted by valo403

I think you've confused two different posts, and two different scenarios, and created one super scenario and then gone on a rant about it.

I just don't believe for a second that the company is going back an rebilling items which were already billed to the tune of $1900. That's $100 more a per month on your electricity bill for one and a half years.

There's been billing problems (well reported) all over the Province, but they are generally for specific services not being billed. Even when Enmax wasn't billing me, they were checking my meter and had the amounts by month on file. For an amount to be $1,900 higher logic points to it being a service which wasn't billed. Anyone who took ten second to look at one of their bills would be able to note that. It's something the original poster should look into before potentially wasting their time arguing with Direct Energy.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by MJM

I just don't believe for a second that the company is going back an rebilling items which were already billed to the tune of $1900. That's $100 more a per month on your electricity bill for one and a half years.

There's been billing problems (well reported) all over the Province, but they are generally for specific services not being billed. Even when Enmax wasn't billing me, they were checking my meter and had the amounts by month on file. For an amount to be $1,900 higher logic points to it being a service which wasn't billed. Anyone who took ten second to look at one of their bills would be able to note that. It's something the original poster should look into before potentially wasting their time arguing with Direct Energy.

Orrrr, it's a billing error. Which happens all the time.

[MJM]

Originally Posted by valo403

Orrrr, it's a billing error. Which happens all the time.

Yup, but it was being said in the original post that they actually went back and adjust prior invoices to go from estimated to actual. That's not a billing error.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by MJM

Enmax almost went half a year without billing me anything (no water/sewage, no electricity, no gas). I was getting very pissed off because I kept calling them every week telling them to fix the problem, and all they could tell me was "it was under review, and would be fixed shortly". I ended up getting an $1,800 bill. That's BS that they weren't billing me, but I have no sympathy for some of the people I've heard around town whining about not being able to pay their bill when received. You know damn-well you are receiving these services, and you also know about what it's going to be (give or take $50 bucks). People should be putting that money aside to pay the bill when received. This isn't some winfall, you do actually owe that company that money. If people are so dumb that they go out and spend their utility money just because they didn't receive the bill, that's not Enmax/Direct Energy's problem.

Something tells me your friend isn't telling you the whole story. They likely weren't getting a bill, or getting a bill that was not including all her services (which has been the problem Enmax/Direct Energy have been experiencing). If $1,900 bucks is going to put your friend on the street, how the heck do they own a condo to begin with? What if they ever got a cash call?

Your story sounds just like my step-daughters. She has been renting this house since September and she has yet to get an electrical bill from Enmax.... and yes she has called them to advise them that they haven't been billing her.

Enmax is one screwed up company...

They also screwed up my bill too.... except they kept billing us for the house I used to live in (moved out in August) and they billed us for the current house I live in... thus we were getting double billed for about 4 months (and yes I did advise them to cancel the account at the old address at the same time I had them start up a new account at my new address).... what a cluster######.