£2,800 gas bill!!

julesnhs

Hi
I hope you can help with a quick query - I've had a look at lots of pages and can't quite find an answer.
My mum has received a gas bill from BG for £2,800 - basically over the last two years she has been paying about £100 per month, but I don't think she has ever had someone round to read the meter.
She knows that she should have done this herself now but didn't really twig that they were estimated, but it's a bit late now!! (It's only one person living there, with hot water and heating on once a day for approx 2 hours, which is why she didn't really look into it too much). She has never received a letter from them asking for a reading either.
Someone has mentioned to her that the the suppliers have a responsibility to read the meters every so often, but we're not sure if that is correct. Others have said that you can only be billed for the last 12 months, but I guess she has sort of been paying so this prob won't apply.
Has anyone got any advice?? Presumably she's just got to pay it, but just wondered if anyone has any bright ideas.
Thanks

anniecave

have you checked that the meter reading they are now using is correct?
That sounds like a lot to underpay by - is that really all gas? if she has been paying £100 per a month, and she still owes £2800 ? or is the £2800 less the payments made so she only owes £1600 ish? Even so - that's a lot of gas? Is she in a big property?

julesnhs

Thanks for replying so quickly.
It is just for gas, and this is the amount she still owes. So I suppose you're looking at £5k for the two years which does sound a lot.
It's a three bed bungalow with an old boiler (not sure what type).
She gave the reading (not sure what prompted it, I should find out really), so I could double check it is correct, but she's pretty clued up so I can't imagine she has messed up that much, but you never know!
Thanks again

6022tivo

Also check your meter to see if it is metric or not, and check the bill to see if you are getting charged for metric units or not.
Has been known, and recently on watchdog that the meter companies are getting this wrong, especially if the meter has been changed.

It can mean they are getting billed about three times more than it should be.