Southern electric gas

emmal79

Hi all. I am hoping one of you will be able to give me some advice about what to do with my gas company.
When I first went with my company I decided to have a credit metre rather than a gas prepayment metre. My gas metre stopped working so I called the company to ask them to come fix it and also to inform them that I had a prepayment metre still installed to which I was told it had been converted. When the engineer came out to fix the metre he told me that he shouldn't be fixing it as I have the wrong metre installed but as I have small children and a disabled partner he fixed it for us.
I had a large bill for usage sent through and I called them again to challenge them, and to give them the 'correct' reading. They more than halved the bill and I set up a a monthly payment plan to which I complied with.
To cut a long story short I have now be billed for £700 worth of 'free gas' as they have now agreed that I have the wrong metre installed. I have tried to tell them many times but it fell on deaf ears. I am up to date with the bills they have sent us.
My questions are, what do I do? It is clearly their fault over the metre. How can they tell how much gas has been used out of a pre payment metre? I just don't trust a single word they say. We mainly use gas in winter as I have an electric cooker and electric shower that is not heated up by gas and we use a dish washer. Help!

emmaur1

I take it when you originally asked to have the meter exchanged for a credit meter, it never actually happened?

So their records showed a meter that wasnt really at the property?

A prepayment meter works the same as a credit meter, as in they would just use the meter reading displayed on the meter.

emmal79

I don't really know what their records show tbh. Each time I called to inform them, I was told it had been converted. The serial number on our metre tallied up with what they had on record. Our metre has a slot for the card to go into.
The original bill they sent us in March was £850 and now they have reduced it to £700. Do you think this is an estimated amount of usage? I am so confused and the guy that is dealing with us is very aggressive and slips up constantly lying. For example he said that our metre had used more gas from September to November than December to February! I dread to think how badly an elderly or infirm person woud be taken advantage of. Thank you for your advice.
Can I just add that I have my electricity through EDF and they have always been really good and helpful if I ever have a query.

emmaur1

Yeah it sounds as if its an estimate of what you have used during that period. This isnt much help to you though without any accurate readings or bills.

If you feel you really arent getting anywhere with your supplier you can get advice from Consumer Direct, might be worth giving them a call.

Im glad your happy with the service EDF Energy have provided.