Billed To Wrong Meter HELP ME!!

bayo5743

My problem is a little complicated but I desperately need advice please?


I've been with British Gas since March 09 and found I've been billed to the wrong meter (another flat in same address). They acknowledge this error and have updated the national database and started billing me to the correct meter (newly installed) since October 09.
I've asked them to retrospectively bill me correctly because I fear I've been overpaying them. They've agreed but say they have to estimate my bills since March 09 based on my current usage as they don't have the meter readings for my old meter. I'm currently £300 in credit. My dilemma is this:

1, Is it their responsibility to calculate my previous usage based on real readings not an estimate?
2, I've used heating during November but not before, and so any estimated usage will be inflated.
3, I've been away on holiday for 4 weeks in June, will that be reflected in their estimate?

My question is: Am I legally obliged to pay them if, through no fault of mine, they've had me registered to the wrong meter and subsequently have failed to obtain the readings for the proper meter?

Premier_2

They are not miracle workers. If they haven't got a previous meter reading how can they bill you based on a previous meter reading?

Why didn't you give the correct meter reading when you moved in?

bayo5743

I gave the correct meter reading. However it has turned out the utility companies had allocated the wrong meter to my address. They accept responsibility for this and wish to recalculate my bills since this fiasco began (I've included a copy of their last email to me in this post). My issue is:

1, Am I legally obliged to pay them when it's their mistake not mine and I've no way of knowing if their estimate will be accurate?

2, What are my rights and who should I complain to in this situation?

British Gas: "Finally some good news, the national database has updated their records to show your supply with the correct meter serial number and I can now make adjustments to your account.

Because we don’t have the meter readings from the old meters that were registering your consumption I need to manually calculate your consumption based on the reading on your current meter since it has been installed.

My calculations will take into account the seasonal variances since the current meter was only installed in October and the consumption I’ll be calculating is from March when we took over your supply. Any manual calculations will be worked out in your favour as this is the only information to base your consumption on.

Before I start to work out your consumption could please provide me with an up to date reading from your meter?

I will also make contact with your previous supplier now to advise them of the situation.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

I appreciate your assistance and your continued patience.

Regards"

molerat

Was another flat giving readings from your meter to their supplier as they will be in a similar situation. Can you get readings from them ? Were the meters marked with the incorrect flat numbers ? How did you find out about the error ?

bayo5743

Thanks for your reply, this is the whole story...it's complicated!

1, I was originally with Scottish Power and got an unusually high bill in July 2008. I phoned immediately and questioned it. They said it was due to increases in oil prices. I paid.

2, I cut back on my usage but in September 2008 I got an even higher bill (£800 -I live alone in a one bed flat!). I complained again and suggested there must be some technical fault or perhaps I was mistakenly being charged for someone else's address. They insisted I was wrong, that my meter was correct (on National Database) for my address, but I should take another reading and call back in 2 days. I did this, called again 2 days later, They added £60 to my bill and said rising oil prices was causing sharp increases!! I wasn't happy but I paid!

3, In January 2009 I was on holiday in USA and Bahamas. I took a reading before I left and when I returned. In February 2009 I got another massive bill. I complained and asked them to send an engineer to check the meters in the building. They refused. I decided to change suppliers.

4, In March 2009, I joined British Gas and explained my reason for changing suppliers and asked them to send an engineer. They refused and said they couldn't send out an engineer until I'd received my first bill from them.

5, In May 2009 I got my first British Gas bill and it was much lower than I'd been getting from Scottish Power. I was relieved but called them and asked for an engineer to check. They said they would charge me £100+ for an engineer to check...that my meter was correct for my address, everything was hunky dory.. etc..etc... Since the bill was lower than I feared I was reassured and paid.

6, In July 2009 I got back from holiday to find I had another reasonable bill. I paid up with extra (putting myself £300 in credit) to help budget in case there was any sudden increase in my next bill.

7, In September 2009 my electricity supply was cut!The meters are in the basement and are accessed via the basement flat. I rushed downstairs to find an engineer and a court officer had disconnected my supply and were replacing my meter with a prepayment meter. They had a Court Order for my neighbours flat. This is when I realised the wrong meters were assigned to wrong addresses. The engineer realised this too, but they went ahead anyway!! At this point I was stuck with a prepayment meter and NO Payment key!!

8, Furious, I called British Gas and explained my worst fears had occurred. Fortunately they had a record of my prior calls and complaints, recognised the error and took steps to get everything sorted and an emergency engineer came a week later to install a proper digital meter (and also confirmed to British Gas I'd been wrongly paying my neighbours bill). they told me it would take up until the end of November to update the National Database, contact all the energy suppliers and start working out my correct bills since March, and also alert Scottish Power to the situation so I could pursue my overpayments to them.

9, This is where I am right now. British Gas haven't asked me or even expect me to have any of the readings from the meter that was replaced. The tenants in the other flat have changed several times and I have no contact with the current ones. All the energy readings for the previous meter will be held by Npower. British Gas had to contact Npower to get this sorted. It should be straightforward for them to obtain any readings rather than give me an estimate based on fiction.

10, My dilemma. If the energy bureaucracy has lost the readings, am I legally obliged to pay any estimate British Gas invent?


I warned you it was complicated....

Thanks for any advice

spiro

It may be possible for BG to get the readings from the meter reader of the other flat if they contact that supplier. The problem will be if he has not let them in and bills have been estimated. Suggest you contact them and detail all the period when the property was empty so they can take this into account when estimating the bill.

As mentioned in other threads, sub-divided buildings can be a issue when it comes to accessing you meter and ensuring they are not 'crossed'. I would suggest to anyone moving into a flat were the meter is not in the flat to gain access to the meter and main fuse and switch the power off and make sure its (a) your power that goes off and (b) the meter you think is yours stops. Thats the only way to prove what is connected toi what.

dogshome

Hi bayo5743 - From your posts I gather that you gave a meter reading from the correct meter when you moved in, in March 09, and this meter was changed to a prepay in Sept 09

When a meter is changed, the required practice is to leave the consumer a card showing the readings of the old meter, and that same information is passed on to the supplier - So if BG and their agents had adhered to the rules, BG should have ready access to the Start & End readings of the original meter, which they seem to have lost
I don't think it resonable that your billing is adjusted on BG's Guess-Estimate of your consumption for the period March 09 - Sept 09, and the only figure that can come close will be your consumption for the same period in 2010, which is re-adjusted for long periods when you know you were away from home.

Write to BG heading the letter Complaint, pointing out that they had ignored your repeated requests to investigate an obvious problem, and that you will only accept billing adjustments based on your actual consumption in the period Mar 2010 - Sept 2010

The problem also existed under Scot. Powers regime, but I don't think there is chance of thier billing being re-assessed
All the best

stef73

When i had a problem with my gas (Transco replaced meter before we moved in and didnt tell gas supplier its was a metric metre so were charged in cubic feet yet readings were in cubic metres so we payed alot to much ) i contacted OFGEM they sorted every thing out i got back the money and a good will gesture .

Premier_2

bayo5743 wrote: »

I gave the correct meter reading. ...

If you gave the correct meter reading, then they should be able to bill you from that meter reading.

However, I suspect you gave an incorrect meter reading, i.e. a reading from a meter not supplying your property.

bayo5743

Yes, obviously with hindsight, the reading I gave them in March 09 was from a meter not supplying my flat and therefore incorrect. However at the time it was the meter registered on the National Database for my flat. And it was on their insistence and after me repeatedly voicing my concerns and being ignored.

bayo5743

stef73 wrote: »

When i had a problem with my gas (Transco replaced meter before we moved in and didnt tell gas supplier its was a metric metre so were charged in cubic feet yet readings were in cubic metres so we payed alot to much ) i contacted OFGEM they sorted every thing out i got back the money and a good will gesture .

thanks for your help guys. Who is 'OFGEM' and how do I contact them? thanks