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How to understand an estimated bill
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How to understand an estimated bill
Your meter knows how much power you use but, if it is not a smart meter, it may take time for your data to arrive. That is why estimated bills exist. They are not accurate but they are adjusted over time and you do pay what you use in the end
The bills have a fixed part which you will always pay for even if you don't use any power. And then there is the part that increases or decreases depending on whether you use more or less power.
And in this second part, a judge has the last say, i.e. the meter. Its verdict is needed to draft the bill but, in certain situations, it takes time to arrive. And if the meter does not show anything, an estimated bill is generated.
WHY ARE THERE ESTIMATES?
There are estimated bills for a simple reason: if your meter does not say anything, we do not know how much power you are using.
Technology is changing how electricity is read. Smart meters have arrived to end estimated bills. They are remotely read and the bills are always based on actual data.
What happens if you do not have a new meter? New meters will be installed over time but, until then, an electrician will go to your home and read the old one.
So far there are no smart meters for gas and a person will need to read the meters.
- If you have a smart meter: you will receive a bill every month and it is always based on actual usage.
- If you do not have a smart meter of we are talking about gas: you will normally receive a bill every two months and it is based on actual usage since the technician will go to your home every two months to read the meter. However, if the technician does not go to your home (or if he/she cannot access the meter), an estimated bill will have to be sent.
Estimated bills are generated when we do not have your actual usage data
TWO MONTHS WITHOUT RECEIVING A BILL
Here is the situation: 1) you do not have a smart meter; 2) you receive the bill every two months; and 3) we do not have your latest reading = we do not know how much you have used.
What do we do? We do not issue a bill.
That is the case. There will be a 2-month period in which you will not be charged anything.
We are waiting to have your reading so that we can bill you in the right way. At that moment, we can warn you (thus avoiding an accumulation of bills) but, to do this, we need your email address:
Register here so that we can notify youservicio
EVERYTHING RETURNS TO NORMAL
If 60 days have elapsed without any reply and we still do not have your reading, we will send you an estimated bill.
Until we have the data from your meter, we will continue to send you an estimated bill, with 60 days of delay. Nevertheless, in the end, when we receive the actual reading, everything will be adjusted and you will have paid what you used.
Remember that when this returns to normal and we receive your actual reading, you will receive 2 bills in the same month. Why? Because there was a 2-month period in which you did not receive any bills or paid anything.
An estimated bill is not final and it is adjusted when the actual reading is received
THE ACTUAL READING ADJUSTS ANY ESTIMATES
Estimated bills may be wrong and charge you more or less. No matter what happens, they are provisional.
Sooner rather than later, the technician will go to your home and read the meter, and your next bill will be adjusted:
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if you were overcharged, you will receive a deduction.
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if you were undercharged, you will have to pay more.
HOW ARE ESTIMATED BILLS CALCULATED?
Your meter has stopped working but we have to calculate your usage. How is this done? We look at your usage history, using an algorithm that works with such data.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO NOT RECEIVED ESTIMATED BILLS?
There are ways to stop receiving estimated electricity and gas bills:
LUZ
- Wait (up to 1,5 years): in 2019, all of Spain will have a smart meter and estimated bills will be history.
- Notify your reading: you can look at your meter, jot down the number and send it so that the bill takes into account that data.
GAS
- Send us your reading: there are no smart gas meters. To avoid estimates, please send us your gas meter reading.
The best way to avoid an estimated bill is to send us your gas meter reading
HOW TO SEND US YOUR METER READINGS
You only need 3 things:
Your contract number: it is shown in the heading of your bills.
The meter reading: no matter where your meter is, you have a right to access it and see the reading and jot it down.
Time: send it when necessary so that we can draft your bill accordingly. The deadline is 10 business days before the bill period starts.
For example, if you are billed between the 1st and 31st of each month, your deadline will be around the 18th of the previous month (depending on how the weekend falls).
Do you have everything? Send us your reading from My Endesa / My Contracts or, without having to register, from Solved in a minute / Give us your reading.
The data that you send us will be valuable and be taken into account but:
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a reading made by a technician will always have the priority.
- if the reading is not made by a technician, we will use the readings you send us.
- if we do not have either, we will make an estimate.
NEITHER EVERY MONTH NOR EVERY TWO MONTHS: AT ANY TIME
Smart meters have arrived to give you the power. When your smart meter is installed and operational, you are one click away from knowing what you have used.
You do not have to wait and there are no uncertainties. If you make the digital leap, you will know how much you are spending at any time, any day and any hour. All you have to do is click here: