British Gas changed my meter reading

t0rt0ise

Only assume the most likely occurrence. Is it more likely that they fiddled the numbers or that they are just stupid? Need I say more?

mattcanary

Sorry Enlightementm just read your earlier post about the previous readings. Something is definitely wrong here - meters do not just jump from 47710 to 63100!

Has there been a meter change here last year? Do either of the bills/statements from August last year show a meter change on them? Something is wrong with those bills, that's for certain. It is very strange another bill was sent 11 days after the previous one and the second one was based upon a much higher estimated reading. This does not make sense and is probably the root cause of this problem.

Are you able to show us these two bills/statements (with personal details blacked out)?

Enlightenment

No meter change, they couldn't get in the shop anyway to change it and doesn't say this on the page.

I'm guessing 'Meter Reader' is British Gas themselves reading the meter, but why would they again issue another bill 11 days after their own reading?

(How do I attach images?)

Something is defientely wrong, it's my fault for not complaining to them before, but I didn't have proof until now.

eurmalian

Following on from what mattcanary says, do you have any record of what readings were being used before the 7th of August? If a few were estimates and higher than the actual read that was taken then they may have disreguarded that one and kept going with the chain of estimates...

Enlightenment

Yes, they are all estimated except for the Meter Reader one and the one I submitted last month, so it sounds like this is what they have done, but still doesn't give them the right to change my meter reading I sent them without actually coming out to read the meter themselves or even asking me to send them a photo which I will do this week.

I recently changed to online billing which is why I have now found this out.

See, the problem is not only has the DD doubled, but I also cannot change suppliers with a debit when it should be a credit, otherwise I would change ASAP.

Seems to me it's a crafty way of keeping their customers.

grumpycrab

I submitted meter readings a couple of days ago. How long does it take them to process them?

penrhyn

It depends on whether you are due for a bill.

grumpycrab

penrhyn wrote: »

It depends on whether you are due for a bill.

Thanks - its our first readings. Don't like the lack of feedback from BG. Anyway, just found a page "submit your first readings" at the BG website so we'll try that.

penrhyn

When I submit a reading, I always get an email back within an hour or so thanking me, it either says thanks but you are not due for a bill, or thanks we'll use this reading to produce your bill.
Are your accounts registered on the website, if they are youll eventually get a complete record of your bills meter reads etc.

grumpycrab

penrhyn wrote: »

When I submit a reading, I always get an email back within an hour or so thanking me, it either says thanks but you are not due for a bill, or thanks we'll use this reading to produce your bill.
Are your accounts registered on the website, if they are youll eventually get a complete record of your bills meter reads etc.

Thanks - the accounts are there - no recognition of meter reads yet. I've just submitted some so will look again tomorrow. Website says (for meter reads) "Your Energy account meter read details are unavailable".

EDIT: For any new BG customers, here's the page where you should enter your FIRST meter readings:-
https://www.britishgas.co.uk/OpeningMeterRead/Anonymous-read/Entry/