Unbelievable High Gas Bill

Premier_2

emma3582 wrote: »

...and also compensation as they have been to check the meter previously and not done anything about it....

Hi emma3582, and welcome to MSE :hello:

Nice to see that as a new member/user account, there are still some who are keen to keep the compensation culture alive and kicking in the UK. :cool:

The meter is in your property, not the suppliers, and you are able to view it whenever you want. What have you donme in the past aboout this error on your bills? :huh:

Premier_2

the_cool_dude wrote: »

my friend is a meter reader ...

Hi the cool dude, I wouldn't want to miss you out on extending a warm welcome to MSE :hello:

A brand new user who just stumbled across this thread (which was bumped from over a month ago by a brand new user 13 minutes earlier) and you thinking, OMG, that is so important I just have to sign up and join in the discussion. :cool:

I'm not a betting person generally, but with luck like that, I really do think you should consider a flutter on the lottery this weekend; it's a double roll-over too! :beer:

edwina_b

Joyful wrote: »

Hopefully these problems with reads will all be a thing of the past once smart meters are installed.

If they ever get round to putting them in! We have recieved two appointments so far, sorted out for someone to be in on the date stated, only to have the appointments cancelled due to high demand. What do the companies expect when we are told we have to have these meters fitted? Low demand!

pinkarsenalprincess

the_cool_dude wrote: »

my friend is a meter reader and tells me crazy stories about the gas & electric companies,meters so high you can't read them or at the back of cupboards turned the wrong way ,wrong addresses,wrong serial numbers or the last tennent's name who left the house years ago,there living in the dark ages and need to come into the 21st century by having all meters outside ,then the end of estimated bill's which in turn would save utilities millions which would be passed on to us (maybe).

Both our meters are outside the house, as we are a new build. They are very easily accessible but EDF still estimate our readings each time because they are too lazy to send anyone out to read them.

The one time they did send someone out to read the meter they read the gas completely wrong and we got a bill for £1900. When we sent the correct reading it was actually £87.

Terrylw1

Get on the phone to your Suppliers about the imperial/metric situation. It's common, but they should be scrutinising all high bills since they are always a good way to get you in the press! Compensation for inconvenience is something that can be asked for but there is no way to extract lost interest from them unless you go right to the top to get a director level to authorise it!

Putting them all outside only helps get readings, as long as customers don't fence them off. Then there is all those blocks of flats, tamperining cases, vandalism, etc. It brings lots of other cost with it. Also, these meters were all in there before de-reg...when reads were taken quarterley, so how did they fare then I wonder?

Smart meters will help but they are not going to resolve a poorly regulated industry like this. Tighter controls on internal processes are needed first. There have already been tons of problems with the smart metering trials that are being conducted. Not to mention the mess that import/export is causing in an poorly prepared industry! They will help but there is a lot of questions out there when you have metering that can be accessed remotely to change tariffs or even cut them off!

C_Mababejive

the_cool_dude wrote: »

my friend is a meter reader and tells me crazy stories about the gas & electric companies,meters so high you can't read them or at the back of cupboards turned the wrong way ,wrong addresses,wrong serial numbers or the last tennent's name who left the house years ago,there living in the dark ages and need to come into the 21st century by having all meters outside ,then the end of estimated bill's which in turn would save utilities millions which would be passed on to us (maybe).

Yes...this is what happens when you take a publicly owned first rate institution such as the British Gas Corporation and rip it to shreds for profit. There are now so many different companies who own/fit/exchange/read meters that it is no wonder there is chaos. Long may it reign i say..

dogshome

[QUOTE=Premier;37708554]Hi emma3582, and welcome to MSE :hello:

Nice to see that as a new member/user account, there are still some who are keen to keep the compensation culture alive and kicking in the UK. :cool:

The meter is in your property, not the suppliers, and you are able to view it whenever you want. What have you donme in the past aboout this error on your bills? :huh:[/QUOTE]


Premier - I find your sarcasm to emma3528's post distasteful.
1) Whilst the £1,500 that has been lifted from her purse over a period of 3 years will be returned, it's purchasing power has been reduced. A Claim for 'Compensation' based on RPI, is in fact not compensation at all, it merely puts her back into the position she was in before she was overcharged.
2) Yes, she could take readings from her meters, but even if she did this every hour, on the hour, she would not be able to detect the over chargeing caused by a Metric/Imperial meter mix-up

msgnomey

My OH (who used to work to British Gas) said you could have an undetected leak somewhere on your side of the meter and suggests you get it checked out ASAP

C_Mababejive

msgnomey wrote: »

My OH (who used to work to British Gas) said you could have an undetected leak somewhere on your side of the meter and suggests you get it checked out ASAP

Was he a gas engineer? If so then he would realise that a leak of that magnitude would be..ermm..catastrophic !