Tedaş charges when changing meter.

[Cuddles]

When I arrived in May 2011, I checked my meter and it was working and showing the same reading as when I left in Oct 2010. I had paid via the bank for the electric I had used and also received several bills with a zero reading up until and including 15 April 2011. On 16 May, I saw the meter reader leaving our apartments so rushed down to look for my bill. To my surprise there wasn't one, each of the other owners had been left one, but nothing for me. When I looked at my meter, it was totally blank but the juice was still flowing. On contacting the Tedaş, I was told to buy a new meter from 'Benli' and take it back to them for fitting "in a few days". Two weeks later no sign of new meter so I went back to their office to ask why? They sent a chap up to do it right then.
Fast forward to September 2012, and I receive a bill for 3,400TL. That's the equivalent of about 20 years bills at my normal rate of usage. On querying this at the Tedaş offices, I'm told that my old meter was giving false readings and they had billed me for the unpaid electric. Except that, aside from the price increases, my new meter and the bills from it's readings over the past year, have not increased. I still only use around 120 - 160TL of electricity per annum.
I was told that if I wanted to appeal this massive bill, I must produce photocopies of my passport showing when I had entered and left Turkey for the past 2 years, photocopies of my water bills for the same period, and a letter in Turkish. This would all then be sent to Antalya and the 'committee' would make a decision in due course.
Anyway, the following day I went in again with a more detailed letter and was told upon presenting it that a decision had already been made that, "I should be pleased with". Later that day they phoned my Turkish friend, who had been helping me understand all this, to say that the bill had been reduced to 132TL, or, around a years worth of electric.
Of course, I paid that amount or, rather, they took it via the bank. However, in my opinion, I only possibly owed them around 50TL maximum, for 4-5 weeks un-metered usage. So, is the other 80TL a fine? I can't see why it should be when I did my utmost to right the situation.
Has anyone else experienced anything untoward like this when they have changed their meter?

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=10504.0

[Chris S]

I have had very similar experiences with Tedas as, I believe, have  many others.   They seem to be a law unto themselves and kings of obfuscation.
KTLN have been conducting a survey on this very subject and if you use the search on this site you will find many posts on the subject.
In the end, out of total frustration, I engaged the services of Kader Gunes (Kalkan solicitor) to help me try to get some sense out of Tedas.  So far I have only managed to get an unsatisfactory explanation of my extortionate bills, but I couldn't even get that without a lawyer.  At this point,  at the beginning of June this year, I had to returon to the UK and will recommence battle when I return to Kalkan later this week, again with the help of a lawyer.
They seem to be really good at estimating bills, even when there is a perfectly good meter reading, and use the section of the bill  (+/-)Kwh to add in figures  which they pluck out of the ether. The phrase 'you need a new meter' seems to be a standard response to people who query bills and is their 'get out of jail' card followed by a load of smoke and mirrors culminating in the ludicrous request for copies of passports water bills etc. etc.

[Cuddles]

Good luck Chris.

To everybody else I would say, ensure that you retain your electric and water bills for at least a couple of years.