PAYG electric meter faulty advice needed asap

donny909

We was going to hit the panic button at the weekend but the ill trained overseas call centre somehow convinced my partner thats there is not a fault. Start from the begginning I think.

We have been on a PAYG electric meter ever since we moved into the property some 2 1/2 years ago and never a problem and always understood the basics of the meters there downside and always topup on a weekly basis etc.

Only last friday (11th dec) prior to putting the usual weekly £10 topup on noticed it had somehow ran up a debt of £13.XX!!!!!. Could'nt see how this was possable, even allowing for fluctuation of prices and other charges for these meters as we topup EVERY week thus not possable to build up such a debt right?. Sure, we know there is the £5 emergency credit to pay back but it took us £15 of topup just to get £2 odd of credit back on the meter. Calling the call center was a waste of time as they seemed certain that it was to do with meter charges and the use of the emergency credit.

Hello, how can the debt be MORE than the borrowed £5 emergency credit as thats the limit of what can be borrowed, any meter charges are then taken off the topup and not added on the screen as an occuring debt?.

Check the electric meter this morning only to notice a debt on the meter again, of £7.69 today!!!. Boil the kettle check again and that debt went upto £7.80, an impossable use of electric in boiling 2 mugs worth of water in less than 3 minutes!!!!!.

Could call again but certain they will do the same standard charges for that sort of meter line!. Even if they were right about charges and they had not been added then no chance of another £7.80 of charges for a payg meter in a week alone upto 9.05am this morning!!!

Displaying on the meter like this has NEVER happened before and does'nt display as a debt even when emergency credit is in use. Sence says a faulty meter. Problem is call centre says normal charges and they wont listen to us. If we report as a faulty meter, they come out and claim it's not we will be charged right?.

Anyone know what to do as this is getting pretty urgent for us now, more so with having a 2 1/2 year old with a possable faulty meter we cant afford to topup untill we can work out what the problem is?.

KimYeovil

If you know better that it is faulty then why are you concerned about the call-out charge?

donny909

We are not as such, but surely it has to be better to get a semi confirmation of a fault by British Gas to justify calling them out than to have a call to say nothing wrong with the meter logged at British Gas, normal charges etc and then us calling them out for them to try and claim there in no problem.

If in experience or knowledge of members here it's suggested it's almost certainly a fault I'd not hesitate in calling them. But also wandering what info I might record from the meter with a camera to confirm a probable fault?.

There is NO debt on the address or anything like that. So could we assume that taking pics of all the screens, mainly the 1 confirming there is no debt on the account but there is a debt on the credit screen do to proove there is probably a fault?.

spiro

Have you been through the complete display on the meter to check all the settings like pence per unit, standing charge, debt recovery rate? If might be possible that someone keyed in the wrong meter number and the wrong information has been put on your meter.

donny909

Been through the display and there in nothing retating to any debt recovery. But cant see how there would anyways seeing as we have always been on payg as for expensive as that is it it the best option for us being on benefits.

The display is as follows for relevent parts:

Disp A: £7.90 debt (no just go upto £8.00 in a 10p jump) emergency credit used.
Dis B: All characters lit.
Dis C: 11.34 Rate 2
Dis 12.09 Rate 2
Dis F: Charge\week 0
Dis H: 00103 rate 1 kwh
Dis I: 23.40 pence pkwh Rate 1
Dis J: 00793 rate 2 kwh
Dis k: 10.92 pence pkwh Rate 2

Prehaps something there might indicate a problem to some on here as overseas call centre claims everything is fine and the debt charges are right and correct!!!.

donny909

Just checked the rate 1 & rate 2 charges against the BG website and that confirms those charges to be EXACALLY what the charges are inclusive of any standing charge for our area.

stephga23

Hi,

From what you have said if you have a 2 rate meter you emergency credit should be between £10 and £12.

Plus any protected supply so it is quite possible that if your electricity runs out during the night after your emergency has been used your meter will keep your supply on until 9/10 am the following day depending on the time of year.

After K, if you put your key in the meter it gives you
R - Value of emergency credit
S - Any debt
T - Debt recovery rate.

P.s display C and D...

Display C is the time (timeswitch) so if you read your meter at 12:34pm the rate in use should be rate 1 as this is the day rate not rate 2 - i wonder if you have a faulty timeswitch? which would account for the higher consumption



Display D is the date so it should read 18-12-2009

I would advise you check these settings.

donny909

Phoned British Gas earlyer and the guy I spoke to suggests the emergency credit has been either extended or the limit removed. Neither myself or the partner have or would ever have done this.

I've also calculated that for the meter to have been even feasably correct in having a debt reading of £13.30 odd last friday the consumption would have had to have been about £18.30 odd in the week upto friday of last week. This is near DOUBLE what we normally use.

Allowing for having had the meter in credit by £1.70 odd last friday to being £8.12 that it is now showing as debt is in-line with the £9.82 that we would have used based on what the meter says we have consumed in the last week.

They are sending someone out between 8-1 tomorrow to check it so that may hopefully get to the bottom of things. But certainly not to how we would have been charged double the previous week or how the meter is showing as an occuring debt like it currently is when the meter confirms there is no debt on the meter as such?.

stephga23

I reall think you need to check the timeswitch

best way to do it :

Display H is your day unit reading so this should be advancing now
Display I is your day unit price

Display J is your night unit reading so this should NOT be advancing now
Display K is your night unit price

Take your meter readings.....then take them an hour apart and see which reading has advanced and this will tell you what setting your meter is in now, if your night unit advances then i would call them and ask for timeswitch to be faulty.

If this is the case you are buliding up a debt because your night unit price is being charged at a day unit price so if ur meter doesnt have enough money on it through the night to take it will go into protected supply and you will need to charge it the next morning

I hope this helps you

donny909

Thanks for that, should help if the case. Prob a bit late to check now but going to check those displays again in an hour and try them as suggested first thing tomorrow.

Not saying I'd not trust there engeneers but always nice to be able to check and record any evidence of fault myself to ensure as a customer I know and understand.

donny909

Just checked the display for R,S & T as suggested above, guess what, that states them as:

Dis R -005£
Dis S -0
Dis T -0

-£5 for emergency credit!!!!!?????