gas meter readings

blaydon1

I have received a letter from my energy provider explaining that mistakes have been made when calculating my gas bill and that over a period of 4.5 years we have underpaid by £2000. Apparrently they have been calculating it based on 4 units instead of 5 all this time. They have written off £1340 of this because they accept part of the responsibility but that I must pay back the rest.

Over the years I have sent regular meter readings and have definitely had a meter reading done by the provider in the last couple of years so I'm wondering whether I can prove that the negligence is all on their part. I have been paying £54 per month for gas and electric (for a 2 bed terrace house with 2 adults living here) and send readings when ever they ask to make sure that this sort of thing doesn't happen, I never had any reason to think that I was under paying until now and am wondering whether it is worth trying to fight back.

Do I have a leg to stand on?

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

This has been covered many times.

Your bills have apparently been calculated on the assumption you have a Metric gas meter, but you have an Imperial meter. 1 gas unit on a metric meter(measures in cubic metres) is approx 11.2 kWh and 1 gas unit on an Imperial meter(measures in 100 cubic feet) is approx 31kWh.

The fact that they are at fault, isn't really the issue. Firms can still rectify mistakes if they are wrong; and in the same way had the error been the other way around, you would be entitled to a rebate.

To write off £1,340 of a £2,000 debt seems remarkably generous IMO and makes me think it isn't straightforward.

Have you had your meter changed in the period of 4.5 years?

juliescot

Get onto Consumer Direct for some help. They are very good with this sort of thing

blaydon1

Hi

The letter says that this is due to incorrect meter readings (as opposed to the confusion between feet and metres) - I think they are suggesting that I have been giving them incorrect readings and that they have just failed to notice until augut this year but I can't believe that I have been giving incorrect meter readings- I don't know if I can prove that I have been reading 5 digits and they've just been recording it incorrectly as 4? It seems so unlikely to me that I would suddenly start reading it correctly after all this time but I haven't kept a record of them.

The meter was put in about 4.5 years ago- almost as soon as I moved in. I know it's unlikely that they would write this whole lot off but it seems ridiculous that it has been building up over al this time when i've been so careful. Until they explained it to me over the phone I had no idea what the numbers meant on the bills etc, otherwise I would have said something ages ago!

dogshome

Hi bladon 1 - The reply posts are centred around a possible mix up between a Metric & Imperial meter, which isn't surprising as it is not uncommon. However most Distributors don't offer big discounts off the debt at the very outset of the problem arising, they ask for the full amount and make reductions depending on how heavily the customer complains, so this billing error may not be a Meter mix-up, but something else entirely.
The question is - They have admitted Part Responsibilty, so what error have you made that makes you responsible for the rest?
I would write, heading the letter Complaint, asking for full details as to exactly what error occured, and a detailed calculation as to how the 'Debt' figure has been arrived at

blaydon1

There are 5 units on meter, the 1st being zero, and there is m3 on the meter which I presume means square meters! Like you say I think this is a different kind of error. I've been giving a meter reading for example 05534 and they've recorded it as 534 which would be very low for 4.5 years worth of gas! Perhaps a letter would be a good idea, I don't know if there is any way of proving that my readings have been correct, but I know the one this august was as it's written on the bill in pen and can see no reason why I would suddently have changed the way I interpret the reading.

Premier_2

blaydon1 wrote: »

...Over the years I have sent regular meter readings and have definitely had a meter reading done by the provider in the last couple of years so I'm wondering whether I can prove that the negligence is all on their part. ...

Surely if you have giving customer readings, you would have checked when the bill was sent that the supplier had used those customer readings?

You may not remember exactly what the reading you gave was by the time the bill arrives, but every bill I've seen clearly specifies whether it was an Actual (A), Estimated (E) or sometimes Customer (C) reading.

Therefore, no, I don't think it is entirely the supplier's fault that this has gone on for so long.

Cardew

Companies quite understandably say that it is a customer's responsibility to check their bills and that includes meter readings etc.

For you not to notice that your bills were approx £450 a year lower than they should be, for four and a half years, is surprising.

As said earlier, even if it were the company's mistake, they are still allowed to reclaim the money owed.

That is why I find it so strange that they would make such a generous offer to write off £1,340 of a £2,000 debt.

I would bite their hand off before they change their mind!