Bill jumped UP after I gave a reading LOWER than estimate?

shell_girl

British gas and I have never been the best of friends, but I'm trying to get on track and have been for a few years now!

I stopped having a DD with them a couple of years ago when the amount used to jump around, so I switched to paying them by standing order. They didn't like it, as I would split my quarterly bill over 3 months and pay it monthly, so by their rules I was late paying. I know it wasn't an ideal way of doing it, but it worked.

Fast forward to the end of October, and I get a call at the house from their internal debt collectors. My payment to them at the end of October would have covered the last bit of the June bill and the start of the October one, but obviously a new bill had been generated while the old one hadn't been cleared- hence the visit. I understand that part... don't like it but understand it! I didn't let him in, but said I'd contact BG. I logged into my online account and checked the estimated reading (I'd had estimated bills for over a year). I then checked the meter reading and it was at 100 units LESS than my last est bill. At this point there was £250 owing on the account, which included the bill that was sent in October, the July bill having around £50 left on it.

I called BG and gave them my new reading, they said that my bill would come down by £100, and they'd send me an amended bill. Cool said I, shall I keep paying you the same amount (£100 per month to clear arreas). They said this was fine, and I was thrilled because I thought that by the time I'd get my January bill (always huge) I'd have built up a little bit of credit to take the sting away.

Anyway... I've just logged in to see how I was doing. Their online stuff now says that the figure I gave them was 250 units HIGHER than my estimated bills, and my bill has jumped to over £350. To clarify, they have got the number I gave them right, but they're now saying that the previous estimate was much lower than it was.

I KNOW that the read I gave them was lower than the estimate they'd done, because if I'm completely honest I wouldn't have called them if it had been higher

I remember the exact figure I gave them, and this is now the figure showing on my bills. The previous 'estimated' figure is now on there at about 300 units lower than it was last time I checked.

I only have online billing and so no copies of gas usage for the last few bills.

Can anyone advise me what's happened here? Really sorry it's so long winded but the only answer I can come up with is that BG have fiddled my figures - and just when I was about to be in credit as well!

DVardysShadow

So the short of it is that they have taken your actual reading which was lower than their estimated reading - but then reduced their estimate of the closing reading for the previous bill, which means that you are now expected to pay more than their first bill for this quarter.

If this is the case, then they are double charging you for the difference between the closing reading of the previous bill and the opening reading of the current bill. You must get hold of your previous bill and see what the closing reading was.

shell_girl

Sorry I've just realised how many words I've capitalised in that post... I've got a bit of a bee in my bonnet about this though!

shell_girl

DVardysShadow wrote: »

So the short of it is that they have taken your actual reading which was lower than their estimated reading - but then reduced their estimate of the closing reading for the previous bill, which means that you are now expected to pay more than their first bill for this quarter.

If this is the case, then they are double charging you for the difference between the closing reading of the previous bill and the opening reading of the current bill. You must get hold of your previous bill and see what the closing reading was.

Yes thanks this is exactly it- you're much more succinct than I am :rotfl:
I've gone back to my earlier bill (online only) and that now says an amount that would tally up with what they're saying. I know I'm not imagining this :mad: I just wish I'd printed off copies of my bills :mad:

I may try calling tham to discuss it... I'm not hopeful that they'll help to be honest

DVardysShadow

You need to tie up your previous bill as it appears on line with the payments you actually made towards it. If they have been fiddling the numbers, then this should show a discrepancy.

Do you ever keep a note of your own readings in a diary? Every time our meter is read, I note the readings in the diary. And if I get an estimated bill, I take the readings and the date and note them on the bill. But then I have paper bills and wouldn't change - especially if they seem to be fiddling the data.

shell_girl

Thanks. I'll definitely start taking my own readings now! I'll also try and get back to paper billing.

I'll post back when I've spoken to them in case this has happened to anyone else.