Check a billEstimated readingsBack billingCatch-up bill
Back billing from estimated readings: separate catch-up from rule breach
Long periods of estimated readings can create a large corrected bill. The important question is whether this is valid catch-up billing, a reading correction, or a back billing issue.
Best next steps
Four checks before you complain
How long estimates lasted
A few weeks is different from many months.
When actual reading appeared
This often explains the sudden jump.
Whether you gave readings
Keep evidence if the supplier ignored readings you provided.
What period is being recovered
This decides whether the back billing question matters.
Written request
Please show how the estimated readings were replaced, which actual reading was used, and whether any part of the corrected charge relates to energy used more than 12 months before the bill date.
Next pages
Frequently asked questions
Are estimated readings always wrong?
No. They are common, but they can create large catch-up bills if not corrected for a long time.
What evidence helps most?
Reading photos, dates you submitted readings and copies of the estimated bills.