British Gas estimates either side of price change

npower-victim_3

I've just received a gas bill, and the prices went down 13% on 19th Feb. I have actual readings at the start and finish of the quarter, but they've estimated the split of my usage at a rate of 130 KWH/day at the higher price (8 weeks starting boxing Day) and 97KWH/day at the lower price (5 weeks starting 19th Feb).

I'm not sure my usage would have been all that much lower in late Feb/March, particularly as a result of the cold snap and snow in March. I work from home so things like school holidays should not affect my usage.

Does anyone have similar figures to share, and any formulas they suspect are used by gas companies to estimate usage month by month (either long term annual averages, or tuned to this year's weather)?

I also went on holiday for a week at New Year, and the house wasn't heated, so at least one week's worth of usage should be shifted into the later, lower rate.

The difference is only £5, if I assume I've used gas equally throughout the time the house was occupied, but it's irritating that it's in the supplier's favour (as always).

KimYeovil

Sorry, you are not correct. This old saw appears every time prices change. It is not always in the supplier's favour. The only person who ever loses out is the supplier. The customer is always free to challenge an estimate and offer their reading. The supplier will then recalculate the bill.

The suppliers do not choose the estimate or the distribution that spans a price change - that weighting is determined centrally and depends on the weather (and other things) and is used by all suppliers.

npower-victim_3

KimYeovil wrote: »

The customer is always free to challenge an estimate and offer their reading. The supplier will then recalculate the bill.

How can I offer a reading for something that happened six weeks ago (the price change)?

KimYeovil wrote: »

The suppliers do not choose the estimate or the distribution that spans a price change - that weighting is determined centrally and depends on the weather (and other things) and is used by all suppliers.

One of my questions is whether or not there's an easy to get weighting table for the last three months. 130:97 seems quite high when the weather has been pretty consistently cold.

Vestra

Erm 130 is for 8 weeks and 97 for 5 weeks so it sounds like they have apportioned more per day for after price decrease?

littletommytucker

You could have maybe taken a reading on or around the date the prices changed, due to it being heavily publicised in the media. Or you could just lie, say you were on holiday until 20th of Feb, and no gas was used. They will re bill the account for all gas used at the lower prices for you. There is no clear cut table as to the formula used, its basicly a combination of results from the met office, and the last few years actual meter reading recieved. Estimates are all automaticly generated by billing systems, and the way companys calculate things like this are audited by ofgem, and they dont configure there systems to swing results to their advantage, as this would be easily picked up on.

Cardew

Rian1988 wrote: »

Erm 130 is for 8 weeks and 97 for 5 weeks so it sounds like they have apportioned more per day for after price decrease?

Erm it is an average of 130kWh per day prior to 19 Feb and an average of 97 a day after 19 Feb.

Or if you like 56 x 130 and 35 x 97.

As the post above states the computer algorith is pretty sophisticated with input from the Met Office and independently audited.

I have used BG for some while so a pattern of use is built up. I have been on a fixed price tariiff for the last 3+ years so my prices do not change when BG raise/lower prices. However the computer still estimates my reading on the date of a price change, even though the pre/post price is the same, and it is remarkable how accurate they get the estimate

Vestra

Cardew wrote: »

Erm it is an average of 130kWh per day prior to 19 Feb and an average of 97 a day after 19 Feb.

Or if you like 56 x 130 and 35 x 97.

As the post above states the computer algorith is pretty sophisticated with input from the Met Office and independently audited.

I have used BG for some while so a pattern of use is built up. I have been on a fixed price tariiff for the last 3+ years so my prices do not change when BG raise/lower prices. However the computer still estimates my reading on the date of a price change, even though the pre/post price is the same, and it is remarkable how accurate they get the estimate

Silly me, never saw that.

npower-victim_3

littletommytucker wrote: »

You could have maybe taken a reading on or around the date the prices changed, due to it being heavily publicised in the media.

I didn't see any publicity. It's a shame BG didn't write to me.

littletommytucker wrote: »

audited by ofgem, and they dont configure there systems to swing results to their advantage, as this would be easily picked up on.

And OFGEM have done such a good job on the npower gas sculpting case.

Cardew

npower-victim wrote: »

I didn't see any publicity. It's a shame BG didn't write to me.



And OFGEM have done such a good job on the npower gas sculpting case.

Actually the audit of the algorithm is done by a civil firm(whose name escapes me) not actually ofgem.

It really takes a lot of imagination to believe that all companies(they use the same algorithm) would get the company that writes the algorithm to 'skew' it in favour of the companies(a criminal offence - conspiracy to defraud) and the auditors be party to a cover-up?

npower-victim_3

Cardew wrote: »

Actually the audit of the algorithm is done by a civil firm(whose name escapes me) not actually ofgem.

It really takes a lot of imagination to believe that all companies(they use the same algorithm) would get the company that writes the algorithm to 'skew' it in favour of the companies(a criminal offence - conspiracy to defraud) and the auditors be party to a cover-up?

So where are the figures for the last few months available, so I can check the sums? (And talking of skewing, that's exactly what the npower gas sculpting was all about).