Metering error forces Central Ostrobothnia utility to bill customers thousands

A metering error made more than 10 years ago is now leaving fewer than 10 customers with additional electricity bills of up to thousands of euros, Yle reports. The error occurred at the electricity company Korpelan Voima and its subsidiary, the grid operator Verkko Korpela.

The mistake was made when electricity meters were replaced in 2012 and 2013. The phases were connected incorrectly, causing customers’ electricity consumption to be recorded as electricity production.

Verkko Korpela discovered the error while replacing meters across its distribution network. Under the grid service terms, the company can recover unpaid charges from only the previous three years. Any underpayments from earlier years will not be collected.

Korpelan Voima has not disclosed the total amount being recovered, but according to information obtained by Yle, an individual bill could reach several thousand euros. The company has more than 20,000 metering points.

Mikael Tuorila, Korpelan Voima’s director of administration and finance, said the company can determine from its records how many kilowatt-hours were incorrectly recorded and therefore not billed.

“The situation is naturally regrettable. When three years are involved, the amount collected at once can potentially be substantial,” Tuorila said.

He said the company would try to find a suitable payment arrangement with customers facing a large bill. The amount would not have to be paid all at once.

Customer questioned the bill

A person who owns a holiday property in Kalajoki criticised the company’s handling of the matter. Yle is withholding the person’s name to protect their privacy and has seen correspondence between the customer and Korpelan Voima.

The customer said they initially suspected a vague email from the company was a scam. After contacting Korpelan Voima, they were told that an installation error had caused some customers to pay too little for their electricity for about 10 years, and that the company was now seeking payment for the previous three years in a single bill.

The customer was told the additional bill might be around 2,500 euros, but said the company did not explain the cause of the error or provide a breakdown that would allow the basis of the bill to be checked.

The property had been used only during the summer and had otherwise been kept at basic heating levels, the customer said. Electricity had been used for only a few days during the summers covered by the three-year period.

The customer questioned why consumers should have to pay for an error made by the company. Tuorila said that if one customer pays less for electricity distribution than their actual consumption requires, the remaining costs are ultimately paid by other grid customers.

“It is important to understand that customers should be treated equally,” Tuorila said.