Contact urging customers to check their final bills

A former Contact Energy customer is warning other departing customers to check their final meter readings for over-estimations.

Karen Nielsen, of Dunedin, switched power providers from Contact to Meridian Energy last month.

Her final bill from Contact was an estimate which she believed was "grossly" overestimated by about 200 units, about $40.

Previously, estimated readings caused no problem for her as she would ring Contact and conduct a reading over the phone.

Her bill would be altered accordingly.

However, she was refused this service when she first contacted the company about the issue.

As she paid her bill by automatic payment she had no control over the money leaving her account and as a departing customer, Contact had refused to refund her any money.

After the Otago Daily Times phoned Contact about Ms Nielsen's issue, the company contacted her and resolved the issue.

She was originally concerned she would end up paying twice for power but she would now receive a full refund of the over-estimated portion of her bill.

"I'm just hoping that other people will do the same," she said about approaching Contact for a refund.

"We are certainly flexible, and where a customer has a problem we are willing to work with them on that," communications manager Jonathan Hill said.

Normally, if an estimated reading was taken for the final bill, the figure was passed from Contact to the new retailer, he said.

The new billing would begin from the estimated number so customers would not be charged for any power they had not used.

If the new retailer felt a bill was overestimated, they could contact the old retailer to rectify the situation.

 

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