“I couldn’t believe it,” Mr Veitch said.

“I work so much and I live alone, and here was this bill higher than anything I’ve ever been charged before.”  

What had transpired was an estimated meter reading – a legal calculation electricity companies use when a meter reader is unable to access the property’s power box to determine the amount of electricity used.

But Mr Veich said his power box has stayed unlocked in the same position for 15 years, only recently noticing the estimated readings.

On his last bill, issued by Origin Energy, the estimated reading was 241 per cent higher than the actual usage, amounting to an extra $295.26 he has to pay.

“I thought ‘how long has this been going on?’,” he said. 

“But after reflection, how many people are just blindly paying the account figure – as I had done in the past – while the provider is making an absolute motza on charging for unused electricity?

“If it happened to me, it must be happening to many more people in Wagga.”

Worsening Mr Veitch’s gripe with Origin was what he deemed “unprofessional” attitudes when he sought an explanation.

 “The gentleman was most unhelpful … I asked for a re-read and was told a further charge would be incurred I asked if my previous bills were actual or estimated, and could not get a definitive answer on that either,” he said. 

“I continued to press my questions and was told ‘have a nice day’ and the call terminated.”

Origin Energy spokesman Ryan Auger said the company’s meter reading activities in Wagga were carried out by the network owner, Essential Energy, and could only charge based on Essential’s readings.

Mr Auger said if a customer was overcharged or undercharged based on estimated readings, it would be adjusted on the next bill.

“It would appear we could have better explained these industry rules to Mr Veitch, and better addressed his concerns – we’ll round back to resolve this issue with him,” he said.

According to the NSW Energy and Water Ombudsman, estimated readings are among one of the most common complaints. 

The Ombudsman’s latest data said estimated reading complaints increased by 38 per cent last year.

Origin Energy – full statement to the Advertiser

Energy retailers like Origin issue bills based on the meter reads provided by our customers’ local network provider.

If the network company tells us they unable to access a customer’s meter for whatever reason, they send us an estimated read, and we issue a bill based on that data.

Any “overs” or “unders” from the estimated read are corrected on a subsequent bill, once the network provider can access the customer’s meter and obtain an actual meter read.

It would appear we could have better explained these industry rules to Mr Veitch, and better addressed his concerns – we’ll round back to resolve this issue with him.