British Gas Billing

justmarch

Sorry if I have got this in the wrong area of the forum, I am new at this.

Here is my question, I have just found out from British Gas after signing up to their online system, that they have not been billing me or taking the right payments for around 4.5 years. This now after giving them a meter reading has come up as a bill of over £2000. They are trying to pass this on to me to pay saying that its my fault that this has built but because they have been sending bills since I changed over from a pre pay meter to a debit system. Where do I stand or do I need to give more details?? I don't have a problem with paying what I owe if it is my fault but I don't see why I should pay if they are not able to communicate between the installation engineer and the billing department to make the switch from the pre pay to the normal meter. And they have been taking meter readings vie Siemens on a regular basis.

Help Please.

t0rt0ise

Were all the bills you have received in that time based on estimated readings? You can tell if they are estimated as they have an E after the meter reading on the bill. If they have now read the meter and are using an actual reading, this will be a catch up bill. They don't actually make it very clear but they expect us to check the bills and supply a meter reading if estimated ones are used. I too have the problem that they regularly read the meter but never use the readings taken so if I'm not careful I will asume that the bill will be fine when it isn't.

What you need to do now is to check that the most recent reading is correct and that they are charging you the right amount and then ask for time to pay and agree a payment timetable with them. If you can't agree or you simply can't keep to a repayment schedule, they will insist on replacing the prepayment meter and collecting the money that way.

I might add that they are supposed to read the meter every two years so if they haven't used a proper reading in longer time than that, raise a complaint and suggest a goodwill reduction to the bill.

mattcanary

Is the bill based upon the correct meter being at the property? And was the right reading used on the first bill you got after your prepayment meter was taken out. There should be a card placed behind the meter (or a sticker placed near the meter) telling you the final readings on the old prepayment meter and the start readings on the new meter. You can check by looking at this and seeing if it matches up with the first bill you received.

spiro

t0rt0ise wrote: »

They don't actually make it very clear but they expect us to check the bills and supply a meter reading if estimated ones are used.

I think BG make it very clear, their T&Cs state:

5.2 To help make sure your bills are accurate, you must give us meter readings at least twice a year.

t0rt0ise

mattcanary wrote: »

There should be a card placed behind the meter (or a sticker placed near the meter) telling you the final readings on the old prepayment meter and the start readings on the new meter. You can check by looking at this and seeing if it matches up with the first bill you received.

Interesting because that didn't happen when my meters were changed. The gas guy gave me a card on which he had written some details which included the amount of money I had left on the meter but not the meter reading, while the electricity guy left nothing at all.

mattcanary

They should do (well, with gas meter changes the sticker with these details is placed on the new meter)

justmarch

Thanks to all your replys, the main issue I have is that they are saying it is my fault that they up to only a few weeks ago still after 5 years had me down as a pre pay meter and not on the actual one I was on. Therefore all the readings that had been taken where not put on any records as they never updated them when the meters where changed and now they are saying because I didn't pick up on this sooner and have since given them an acurate reading I am over £2000 in debt with them for 5 years worth of electric. How can I be held resposible when I have the cards you mentioned with the readings on them and the dates the meters where swapped out but they processed the Gas change with no problems but did not move the electric one over, I have a regular direct debit with them and assumed they where taking for both. This is their clerical error which has now landed me in debt for something I thought I was already paying for, Siemans have been taking regular readings so why have they not picked this up?? I am so frustrated on how on earth this could have and from what I hear still does happen. I just really need to know where I stand as they are saying I have to pay the lot (granted over a period of time if needed) as I didn't let them know from my bills earlier, sounds like very slippery shoulders.

spiro

If they thought you had a ppm you would not have been receiving a bill for that fuel. Check your bills and see what they say.

justmarch

They say 0 for energy used, and there are no other electricity bills. I know I had set up a direct debit otherwise they wouldn't have changed the meter. They have admitted there is an error on their behalf but they are now saying they can back charge me the full 5 years as it is down to me to check this and that I was getting a bill. As far as I was concerned they where sending me a bill for a product I didn't have anymore therefore it would be £0. If they are not sending me a bill for the correct meter and product how is that my fault?

spiro

justmarch wrote: »

If they are not sending me a bill for the correct meter and product how is that my fault?

Because you knew you were using elec, didn't have a ppm and the bill was for £0. You have an obligation to check the bill. If you had contacted them 2/3/4 years ago and said 'Why are you not billing me?' and they did nothing about it then the 1 year back billing rule would apply but in your instance I dont think it does.

NeverInDebt

Surely if said 0 energy used and yet you know full well you used it, then why didnt you contact them and tell them instead of doing nothing?

justmarch wrote: »

They say 0 for energy used, and there are no other electricity bills. I know I had set up a direct debit otherwise they wouldn't have changed the meter. They have admitted there is an error on their behalf but they are now saying they can back charge me the full 5 years as it is down to me to check this and that I was getting a bill. As far as I was concerned they where sending me a bill for a product I didn't have anymore therefore it would be £0. If they are not sending me a bill for the correct meter and product how is that my fault?