"Puzzled Over Electricity Bills": Man Inquiries About Bill, Receives Dismissal in Response
In the scenic town of Bad Tölz, a retired resident named Hermann K. (name changed) has found himself in a billing dispute with his local energy supplier, '17er Oberlandenergie'. The retiree, who has a photovoltaic system and a storage battery, was shocked to receive an electricity bill for over 2300 euros earlier this year.
The bill, issued by Stadtwerke Bad Tölz GmbH, was marked as 'meter reading by network operator' or 'estimation', but no meter reading was performed at Hermann K.'s home. The confusion stems from a malfunctioning Smart-Meter installed by Bayernwerk, the network operator, which was designed to transmit consumption and feed-in values via LTE every 15 minutes. However, due to the lack of internet connection in Hermann K.'s house, Bayernwerk had to estimate consumption based on 'standard load profiles'.
This led to an enormous electricity consumption calculation of 12,375 kilowatt hours, a significant increase compared to the previous year. The increase can be attributed to the installation of two heat pumps at the end of 2023 and in mid-2024, which have caused a considerable rise in electricity consumption, especially during the winter months.
Despite writing to '17er Oberlandenergie' for clarification and paying part of the bill based on his handwritten records of the meter readings, Hermann K. was threatened with a power cutoff. This prompted the intervention of the local newspaper, Merkur, which facilitated a conversation between the customer and the supplier.
Business manager Karl Steingruber from '17er Oberlandenergie' has expressed a desire to continue investigating the case in collaboration with Bayernwerk, also using K.'s manual records. The case is being jointly investigated by '17er Oberlandenergie' and Bayernwerk in collaboration with the customer. They aim to rectify the issue and ensure that the retiree is billed accurately for his energy consumption.
Whether a lower bill will result in the end cannot be said at this point. However, the situation highlights the importance of proper meter registration and the challenges posed by Smart-Meters in areas with poor internet connectivity. It serves as a reminder for energy suppliers to prioritise transparency and accuracy in their billing processes to avoid such disputes in the future.
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