Britsh Gas electricity bill

mima

Can someone explain these entries on their bill, please.

Electricity you've used this period
Meter number: xxxxxxxxx
3 Jun 10 - actual 26940 We read the meter
24 Aug 10 - actual 27211 We read the meter
= 271.00 kWh used over 83 days (actual)
First 114 kWh x 22.661p
Next 250 kWH x 9.799p
Jun 10 - actual 07986 We read the meter
24 Aug 10 - actual 08079 We read the meter
= 93.00 kWh used over 83 days (actual)


Since there is only one meter (not economy 7) with only one set of dials corresponding to the first set of meter readings, what are the second set of meter readings with additional 93.00 kWh (shown here in red)?

I would be very grateful for any clarification.


Mike

t0rt0ise

It must be an error. Maybe someone else's meter reading. Call them and query it.

maxmycardagain

have you any appliances that JUSTIFY having economy7 (or the like)?

mainly night storage heaters

and compare this bill with previous bills, especially check the meter seriel numbers on both

mima

It's actually my sister's account.

I just had another look at the meter and her latests bill received yesterday.
It now become obvious that on this new bill, the two amounts (25 Nov 10 - 27567) and the second (red) (25 Nov 10 - 08186) total exactly the current single meter reading of 35753 (allowing for the couple of weeks extra usage since the time of meter reading).

So going back to the previous bill (above) the question now is, why on earth would they take a single meter reading (35290), show them as two separate meter readings (27211 and (08079) then separately convert them into kWh units (271 and 93), only to be added together and be finally divided again into the two differently chargeable amounts (114 and 250 kWh) ???

They haven't got a wannabe Carol Vorderman working for them have they?

kjsmith7

Basically, your sister is being charged single rate prices instead of the economy 7 prices, without having a meter exchange to a single rate meter.

Their system realises that it's a two rate meter, so expects (and prints) two sets of meter readings and prices, but instead of differentiating between the rates, it just sticks it all at single rate prices but it is still printed twice.

I believe your sister can request a meter exchange to a single rate meter to avoid any and all confusion (and if she ever moves supplier, they may not be able to support her being charged as single rate on an e7 meter), although that can be chargeable so this could be why she is billed this way in the first place. Hope that helps!

mima

Many thanks kjsmith7.

Although, her meter is a single rate meter (I do have Economy 7 so I now the difference) I can not think of any other explanation to make any sense.
She moved to this property about 4 years ago and in that time there had been no change in her set-up as all her bills also indicate but perhaps someone before her?

Thanks again and kind regards
Mike

t0rt0ise

Phone them up and ask them and then let us know what they say.

mattcanary

Do you have to press a button on the meter to bring up each of the readings? On some meters, you have to do this.

spiro

Have you checked that the meter serial number on the bill matches whats actually on the meter?

Bugalugs

Hi Mima,

I work for BG, but in the Pay as You Go Team but believe that I can help a little (hopefully!). British Gas doesn't have a standing charge but for the first so many units each quarter you're charged a 'Tier 1' rate (the one that's about 22p) and for any other units that you use it will drop to the 'Tier 2' price which is normally just under half the higher rate - normally about 10p (or thereabouts). Whereas a PAYGE meter does this for you (the first few units are charged at the higher rate each day then it automatically drops to the 'Tier 2' rate), on a billed meter it's done over the quarter and shown as it is on your sister's bill.

The fact that your sister's got an E7 meter but is just using at single rate doesn't make any difference price-wise - the billing system just takes the readings, works out the total number of units used and then looks to see whether to bill the units as normal or as an E7 user.

Hope this helps - phone the billing team on 0800 048 0202 and hopefully they'll be able to explain in a slightly more succinct way than me!

mima

Hi t0rt0ise,
As my sig suggests, I'm getting to be a bit of an old-timer now, hearing is not what it used to be, particularly difficult on the phone and the memory .................................. where was I?

Even if you are lucky and get to talk to someone who speaks English, that is once you have got past the hurdles of the various options (the last time I had to go through them three times - by the time they got to "press no 8" I forgot what the first 7 options were) and than, what seems like an eternity of that awful music only inter-spaced with "... you are in a cue ...." as if you didn't know! By the time you eventually get to hear a 'human' voice, and you have not yet fallen asleep you will probable have lost the will to live. :mad:

And they charge you a premium rate for this 'service' :eek:

All in all, not - in any way - a profitable experience!


mattcanary
No no buttons to press, a normal old fashion meter with 6 little dials.


Spiro
Yes, the number meter matches the one on the bill.


Bugalugs (and everyone else)
When wrote my OP I was looking at an older bill where it appeared that they were charging for a second - non existent - meter.
Now, when the latest bill arrived, it was easier to see that the figures shown in the two separate meter readings on the bill, when added together, equal exactly the number of units showing on the (single) meter.

Confused?

Let me turn it around and if you read it very carefully it will hep you understand why we all pay so much):
When the meter reader comes around all he can see and enter on his hand held computer is (see my first post ) 35290. Now, for some reason that I can not comprehend, 'the system' takes over and instead of showing this 35290, it divides the into 27211 and 08079, the separately converts it to 271.00 and 93.00 kWh. Now here comes the clever bit, It now adds the last two together (271.00+93.00) to make 364 kWh (but again does not show it) only to finally divide it into the pricing rates 114 and 250 kWh!

OK? No?

Well, you and I would take the 35290 (ACTUAL) meter reading, convert it to 364 kWh then divide it into the two tariffs (very, very expensive) 114 and the (a little bit cheaper) 250kWh.

But of course, that wouldn't justify the tremendous cost of setting up and maintaining 'THE SYSTEM', the paperwork and the waste.
So you see, it isn't the power that is so expensive - its the bureaucracy!

OOH, I do -- feel so much better now I've been able to explain it all to myself!