Final bill from Scottish Gas makes no sense

jem16

I'm just finishing my changeover from Scottish Gas to London Energy Online. I have received my final electricity bill from them as it switched about 10 days before the gas. That seemed fine although not exactly the meter reading I had provided but near enough.

Today I got an email from them saying my new gas bill is available online - no mention of final. The email goes on about paying it now to remain on track for paperless billing discount, asks me to simplify things by setting up a direct debit with them (I've cancelled my DD strangely enough) and reminds me that a prompt payment no longer warrants a discount.

I then look at the bill online - which says statement as opposed to the electricity bill which says final. It says that I have used £0.00 gas between 3rd Nov(my last billing date) and the 12th December(switch was due to take place on the 7th). It mentions my payment on 22nd Nov and then says I am £7.83 in credit.

This is rubbish and makes no sense whatsoever. I have used gas, obviously - about 111 units. Why does the bill not say final and why do they ask all the other stupid questions?

I feel like ignoring them but I don't suppose I will. Any suggestions as to how to handle this?

sxi-kenny

it may be due to the fact theres a balance on your account, since your in credit i would phone them up ask them for a cheque to be sent out for the amount and for them to close the account

jem16

There's only a credit on my gas account because they've charged me £0.00 for gas used between 4th November and 12th December. They have included no meter reading and therefore haven't calculated what I've used. I know I have used 111 units so I should have been charged and would probably now owe them about £30.

Still I've decided to play them at their own game. Recently they have been taking over 2 weeks to answer emails so I have sent them an email saying that their bill does not make a lot of sense but that I would be happy to accept it as final and full settlement of my account. I have asked them to send a cheque for the credit that they owe me.

We'll see if it takes them over 2 weeks to reply this time.

beeniemac

I've sent you a PM

TREVORCOLMAN

I have just signed up to Lond Elect from Scot Power and am going to cancel my DD to Scot Power about a month before the transfer. I will thus end up owing them a little. I feel this is far better than me having to ask for them to refund any overpayment.

I will then wait till they email me with the final bill. Then send them one back saying something like "Your email is important to me, I will reply when I can be bothered to get around to it - please do not reply to this email as I will not read any reply". Then about a week later I will email them again saying I have looked at their email and will be sending them a cheque for the balance.

Which I will wait another week to do.

As you may have guessed they have messed me around, and their admin is rubbish - one of the reasons for me switching.

jem16

An interesting idea. However as Scottish Gas take about 2/3 weeks to reply to any emails and sometimes they never do reply, they would never notice my email to them!

Finally got my final bill for gas yesterday. They made it so ridiculously complicated by replacing a previous bill then recalculating it, including payments in a supposed previous balance, then giving me a total for gas used without breaking it down. Just as well Maths is a strong point for me so I could check it. They then charged me for an extra week using a reading different to the one I had given both them and London Energy. When I checked with London Energy they confirmed that they had used the reading that Scottish Gas had closed my account with and that would be my opening reading. They felt it wasn't worth arguing about it for 28 units. It probably isn't as it works out about £5.