british gas arrears

karen.b_5

I have been landed with a British Gas bill for over £4000, due to them billing me on estimated meter readings for such a long time and never demanding access to my home.
I heard the back end of an item by Martin on GMTV about people being in arrears and living in hardship. I searched the internet and come up with the British Gas Energy Trust. They took all my details online and in the past couple of days requested my recent bank statements to see how much and how often i get paid my benefits. Even if this trust takes anway some of the arrears for me i would be so happy as i am living in real worry and financial difficulty as Brtishe Gas are taking £52.00 of my money to pay it back.
Hopefully, fingers crossed, something will come of this.

KimYeovil

If it was 'for such a long time' why did you not telephone or write to them demanding they send you a revised bill based on a customer reading? Or were you quite happy not paying for what you were using?

myothercarisaferrari

we had the same problem recently, but not quite to the scale of yours. They landed us with a bill of over £700 from when we first moved in, despite us phoning and asking etc.

We were going to refuse it etc, but are paying it bit by bit. If you phone them and tell them your circumstances, i am sure they will let you pay back what you can!

Magentasue

I think there is a limit to how much you have to pay if you have been submitting regular meter readings but being billed on estimates.

spiro

You dont say how long you have been being billed on estimates only, if it is one fuel or two and when the last time your meter was read. All of those pieces of information may help people provide informed advice.

BusinessEnergyBroker

Suppliers are legally obliged to take meter readings at least once every two years.

If you have an accurate 4k bill you must either live in a palace or you havent paid a penny for at least 5 years.

You can probably get the majority of this wiped out with a little effort.

20somethingsaver

BusinessEnergyBroker wrote: »

Suppliers are legally obliged to take meter readings at least once every two years.

That is only for gas though. As far as I'm aware, they're not legally obliged to read the elctricity meter.

Premier_2

20somethingsaver wrote: »

That is only for gas though. As far as I'm aware, they're not legally obliged to read the elctricity meter.

That's right I believe. The supply licence for both supplies suggests the supplier makes a reasonable attempt to read the meter.

If that means knocking on the door and getting no answer, then for electricity that is a reasonable attempt.

For gas supplies they are expected to go further and obtain an entry warrant if necessary in order to satisy the test of reasonableness.

Pink_fluff

Have you never received a note through the door saying the meter reader had called, but you were not home? Or a letter from your supplier asking you to call them with an up to date read?

All of your bills will have stated on them, that they are based on estimated reads.

Pssst

PNPSUKNET

If consecutive estimates have been used for over x3 bills or readings ignored you are only expected to be billed x12 months. Ask bg about this and if no joy make a complaint in writting