Electricity bill misery.... advice needed

qwertman

Got a bill through today saying that I owe british gas £2800 for electricity...rang them up basically they said that the readings that they got previously, they've somehow forgot to input it into the computer or something for my bill and I've been billed the estimates. This dating back to 2004! Now they've suddenly found the readings again and amended the whole bill. They've basically credited back all the money I've paid since 2004, recalculated the bill with the readings and then taken away the credit again and I've been hit with a £3000 bill now

I've never missed a payment, always let them read the meter and paid exactly what they've asked and I think this is so unfair and just laid so much misery on me and my family. Is there anything I can do or anyone I can ask for professional advice? The letter and the amended bill are below...

Letter:
http://img505.imageshack.us/my.php?image=top1xd5.jpg

Amended Bill:
http://img267.imageshack.us/my.php?image=leccy1copyuu3.jpg


Any advice appreciated. Thanks in advance

dollarjon

They can only back bill you one year, its their fault! offer them a years payment over 12 months.

Magentasue

Are you disputing the meter readings? In other words, do you use the electricity you are being charged for.

If you have used the electricity, your DD payments have obviously been woefully inadequate. Many people here will be quite harsh and say you should have read your meter and checked the bills. But, hey, we all make mistakes and have to learn from them. Your best course of action is to negotiate a sensible replayment plan. You may be able to negotiate a rebate for being wrongly invoiced, especially as it seems they are at fault.

If their readings are wrong, that's quite different. You need to find out where it's all gone wrong. Other posters may feel that it is worth seeking professional advice but, from what I've read on this board, if you've been receiving bills but not checking them, there's not much to be done other than negotiate an expended repayment period.

Magentasue

dollarjon wrote: »

They can only back bill you one year, its their fault! offer them a years payment over 12 months.

Even if they've been sending bills?

qwertman

dollarjon wrote: »

They can only back bill you one year, its their fault! offer them a years payment over 12 months.

can anyone confirm this? any acts or rulings that explicitly states this? would be of great help if this is true.

as I've said, they've been taking the readings I've never stopped them once, and I've always paid my bills when they send them. I've been worrying about this bill ever since I've got it now.

DreamerV

Well it's a somewhat different scenario, but my family house were supplied by British Gas. My parents at that time, not understanding the complicated bills, just always took for granted they'd be right, and never looked through them (were on direct debit, just let money go as usual each month). Problem is after quite some time (think it was 3 yrs) British Gas realised the elec meter hadn't increased (faulty?)...so either they hadn't taken actual meter readings in all that time (house isn't that hard to get to..despite being a village, it's an urban village) or they'd taken them and not realised the meter hadn't gone up at all in yrs. Anyhow they wanted to backbill for the whole time, but in that time my bro (who used the net about 8hrs a day, spent hrs reading with light on, etc, and at weekend was on computer up to 18hrs a day, same in holidays) had moved out...and he used the bulk of electricity. My family said it wasn't fair to bill an estimated amount based on previous amounts because of this, but that they would be willing to pay a much reduced rate for a yr back. They could have refused, as British Gas couldn't prove what was used, but they were happy enough to pay a nominal amount.

I know this situation is completely different, but British Gas did try to back bill for 3yrs.


P.s. I know someone who lived in a house for 4 yrs, gas and elec still running into house, no idea who by...tried to contact every company to see who to pay, but no company admitted they were supplying...then they finally moved out after 4 yrs after paying nothing....don't we all wish we were in that situation!

Premier_2

The bill is based on an estimated reading - the last actual reading was taken in March 2007. In this period they have estimated you've used about 40% of total consumption since October 2004.

I suggest you give them an actual reading so that they can create an accurate bill.

Unfortunately, since they have been billing you using estimated readings (presumably notated as such), the 12 month back bill rule does not apply. You are liable for the total you have consumed.

Since the error was partly caused by them, perhaps they will be prepared to spread any debt over a period of time if you ask them.

brysiewysie

Premier wrote: »

.....
Unfortunately, since they have been billing you using estimated readings (presumably notated as such), the 12 month back bill rule does not apply. You are liable for the total you have consumed.

Since the error was partly caused by them, perhaps they will be prepared to spread any debt over a period of time if you ask them.

Agreed. They can amend existing bills, 12 mths isn't really relevant. You should be able to get them to reduce the debt by a reasonable amount although they could probably rightly argue that the amount you've been billed in the past is obviously wrong?

notbritishgas

As Premier states, the two readings in Sep 08 were both estimates, take a reading now and see how it compares with the estimate of 30 sep 08.
Hopefully it will be much lower than the 57618 they estimated it to be.

qwertman

so I've read the meter its 55436 compared to the 57618 estimate. it is something I guess. what would likely be a reasonable middle ground with them so that I know what to aim for when I talk with them? On the initial phone call they've already offered something like 15% if I paid outright, or 10% if over a period of time. I've got no choice really but to pay over months as things are very tight right now (as with everybody).

Thanks

honeyD

Contact Energywatch. My parents just had this problem with a different company and they were told the provider could only claim back for one year.
My parents just got their bill squashed because Scottish Power admitted it was their fault for not calibrating the meter.
Good luck, and dont give in without a fight!