£1500 of gas in 5 weeks!

sideshow_matt

Hello

My parents have had a bill in from British Gas for 5 weeks of gas at £1500. They have been having the heating on a lot, but they have new Worcster Bosch Greenstar combi boiler and an electric oven and fire. I can not see how it is possible to even use £300 of gas a week but British Gas insist this is correct and they must pay.

Being of the older generation they just accept what they are told and are raiding their savings to cover this, and are now freezing in their home, as they are scared to use the heating. They have given readings again and again and they are told that they have gone through that amount so must pay.

Does anyone know if it is possible the meter has a fault? and how can this be tested.

Also who can we appeal to, as I am sure it is impossible to use that much gas.

Thanks

Joyful

Is this a catch up bill due to previous estimated readings? Also check they have not had a meter exchange and are being charged Imperial rather than metric.

sideshow_matt

No they have moved suppliers, as they were on a fixed tarrif with their last supplier. They have gone back to their last supplier and checked their end readings they sent to BG. They have spoken to BG and they have confirmed the start and end readings.

Is it actually possible to use that much gas?

HappyMJ

sideshow_matt wrote: »

No they have moved suppliers, as they were on a fixed tarrif with their last supplier. They have gone back to their last supplier and checked their end readings they sent to BG. They have spoken to BG and they have confirmed the start and end readings.

Is it actually possible to use that much gas?

No it isn't. I estimate 50kw per hour 24 hours 7 days for the 5 weeks which would then be 42,000kwh multiply by 3.5p would be £1,470. It's not possible unless you have a mansion. My 3 bedroom house has a boiler which can use up to 14.65kw/hour if set to max it could only use 12,000kw in 5 weeks but my house would be boiling hot and I'd be silly using the windows to cool the house down so would not be anywhere near that.

I'd check the readings and post them here for checking.

sideshow_matt

Thanks for that, I will try and get them off my father asap. They have a 3 storey 3 bedroom house, but don't use the top floor since me and my brother left home years ago so it seemed an impossible amount of gas.

They have not had a new meter either

penrhyn

Check whether your parents have a Metric or an Imperial gas meter and the bill has been calculated accordingly.

eg.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/consumer_advice/latest_meters_pic.shtml

1 imperial gas unit = 100 cuft = 31.3 Kwh
1 metric gas unit = 1cubic metre = 11.6 Kwh.

So using the incorrect conversion factor can result in a bill being a factor of 3 out.

MillicentBystander

Is their gas meter imperial or metric? (believe me, it IS important!).


Edit: Snap, penrhyn!! Great minds and all that.....

sideshow_matt

Thanks everyone for all your help so far. He does not know if it is imperial or metric, but he had a new meter in 2009 so it must be metric.

The start reading was 6880 and the end was 7760

Thanks again for all your help

penrhyn

Metric readings are usually 5 digit readings, the leading zero should be included to save confusion.

A metric meter will have a large M3 marked on it.

From your readings thats 880 gas units, assuming a metric meter then that equates to 10208Kwh, cost around £600 ish.

rabbitmumu

If it's metric, there will be a m3 shown on the meter (otherwise for imperial it will be ft3).

The meter shows 7760-6880 = 880 units = 880 x 11.6 = 10,208 kwh

On average about 5p per kwh then, 5p x 10,208 = £510

If it's imperial = 5 p x 880 x 31.55 = £1,388

If your meter is metric, then it looks like they have charged you based on imperial. I.e. 3 times more.

sideshow_matt

Thanks again guys

Am over my parents now and it has an M3 on the front. It is 6 digits the actual readings were 006880 and 007760

It looks like they must be billing in imperial. My father has been having sleepness nights about this, as they have taken the cash via DD

I can't thankyou all enough