British Gas have recalculated my bill and now I owe them £2000

johnnybouy

We recently moved house and gave British Gas gave us a final bill, which we paid.

A month later we received a recalculated bill from British Gas saying that we now owe them £2000.

They say that our final meter reading was too high, didn't match the pattern of the other readings and so have recalculated our bill from Sept 2008.

But if we've been paying bills and paid the difference between our last estimated bill and our correct final reading how can they recalculate it?

Is this legal? Can they do it? Any help trying to quash this?

dogshome

Hi johnnybouy - Yes, I'm confused too, even if lots of past bills had been based on estimated readings, the final reading you gave when you moved out should have brought it all back into line.

Did you keep the file of Utility bills from your old house? - Probably not. So write to BG, (Don't Email or phone), and ask for copies of all the Bills you had from them at the old address - They have to supply them, for up to 6 years worth
Apart from you then being able to check the past bills for Estimated Readings and comparisions of Yearly & Seasonal use patterns, asking for the bills puts the the matter into dispute, which should then stop BG going into Wolverine collection mode, adding fines to the debt and threatening court action
Good Luck

johnnybouy

Thanks for your reply. You seem to be the only person who understands and you summed it when you said: "the final reading you gave when you moved out should have brought it all back into line."

Yes! That's it! Brought them into line.

My argument is, if they estimate my bills and i pay them, then give them the final reading, the final bill then settles any erronious readings and all is right in the world.

When I call Brit Gas, I just get told "That is the energy you have used". How? I've paid my bills. The only bill I should have (and have had) is the last one which runs from the estimated bill in Dec to the accurate one in May.

As soon as this is sorted, we're leaving Brit Gas.

Any further help appreciated.

specialsparky

Johnnybouy,
if you have paid all your bills and have a bill that says Final Bill from BG and you have paid that then they cannot now attempt to charge you with another bill.
In terms of Ofgem regulation a Final Bill IS a Final Bill.
If this is the case inform BG that unless they back down then you will refer the case to Ofgem.
Good luck, hope this helps

Cardew

johnnybouy wrote: »

We recently moved house and gave British Gas gave us a final bill, which we paid.

A month later we received a recalculated bill from British Gas saying that we now owe them £2000.

They say that our final meter reading was too high, didn't match the pattern of the other readings and so have recalculated our bill from Sept 2008.

But if we've been paying bills and paid the difference between our last estimated bill and our correct final reading how can they recalculate it?

Is this legal? Can they do it? Any help trying to quash this?

As written, your post is difficult to understand.

It is a very common occurance to have a penultimate bill based on on estimated meter readings and the final bill based on an actual reading; and if the previous estimate was a drastic under-estimate, you can have a large final bill.

If your 'final meter reading was too high'(as you state) any corrected bill would result in a rebate, not an extra payment.

dogshome

Hi johnnybouy - Have at look at the "First" Final bill you had from BG - Does it say Final Bill on it and does the End meter Reading match the one you gave when moving out? It is possible that this first bill was issued on an Estimated reading - In which case it will have E alondside the End reading

As noted in my previous post, if you no longer have your previous bills WRITE to BG for copies, they have to supply them

£2000 is roughly equal to two years gas supply to a large family household, so just how long is it that BG have not been reading the meter, or reading the meter but then ignoring it's figures and issueing an estimated bill ?
It's possible that BG are seriously at fault, so post your billing history for advice.

Premier_2

Anwered in the other thread you asked this same question.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2532421

johnnybouy

Thanks all for your replies.

We're going to ask BG for a copy of our bills. We know we were in credit recently, so will try to make that work for us.

Can't find our last bill, but we know it was based on the CORRECT final reading we gave them.

This subject seems to divide posters. They're either "That's unfare" or "well it's your fault". I think this is because it's such a grey area. Had we know before that this was possible, we would have thought twice before taking BG to our new house.

Oh, yes, I did post in another thread, but that was more because I was sharinga similar experience. Both threads are goving me some good advice.

If anyone has fought BG on the same issue and won - let me know.:T

Premier_2

If you gave them the actual reading when you left, and that is what they used, then the argument they must be using is that the reading you have them appears to have been incorrect.

This is probably because the next user would have registered an account and provided a totally different reading and/or they have since read the meter for themselves.

If the meter reading you gave and were originally billed on was too high, you would be due a refund. It sounds as though the reading you gave them was too low.
(Errors in customer readings are not uncommon, especially if the meter is of the old type with numerous dials going in different directions)

Edit: ... or perhaps they have never had an actual reading before, your start reading being based on inaccurate estimates?

Look at the revised bill and see what they have changed from the original.

johnnybouy

The correct final reading I gave them, is the same as the new user.

They have then gone back to an accurate reading in 08 and recalcualted from that.

This seems wrong. If bills are being generated (even on estimated readings), wouldn't my final reading then right any wrongs using my last reading?

Premier_2

You'll have to give us the actual facts.

How exactly does the revised bill differ from the earlier one that generates a £2k difference?

If the bill has been recalculated from an agreed actual reading in 2008 to an agreed actual reading for the final bill, the only slight change that would usually accur is a difference due to price changes over that time and when they were applied, but that won't be anywhere near a £2k difference.