Help - Massive Gas Arrears

HouseofCutler

Hi All,

Google has failed me in finding any answers and I have looked through a few old posts here but

I have recently bought a house and subsequently closed my gas/Electric account with EDF on the previous property. 2 Bed Semi, 2 Occupants, Gas Cooker C/H

I was somewhat surprised (putting it mildly) when I received an £840 Bill just for Gas! :eek:
We already Pay £60 a month for Gas and, after the winter we had had I was expecting to probably owe a couple of hundred. I have double checked my final meter reading at the house and (sadly) it is correct.

I contacted EDF and they advised me that this was a /catch up' bill as they hadn't had a real meter reading since January 2010 (which was when I switched contracts with them I believe)

While I accept that the responsibility no doubt falls on me to provide regular readings, which I know I didn't but should have. I am wondering if anyone knows if the supplier also has any responsibility to prevent people getting this far behind?
We have had at least 1 or 2 visits by 'meter readers' but this has not been fed back into the EDF system. I also fail to see how we are supposed to have been using about £120 of Gas a month!

They have offered me a £70 a month payment plan for 12 months - to clear the balance. Better than £850 lump but not really what I need after just spending all my money on a house.

Is there anything else I can/should do..?

All Advise/info welcome

Thanks

Ben

NeverInDebt

Utility companies I believe only have to read you meter at least once a year most dont. That said its your responsibility to get accurate billing to provide meter readings so as not to get into debt and or final meter readings. As you haven't then they are correct in that you will have to pay what you owe

BargainGalore

The reason why you bill was high was because you wasnt paying enough most probably and thus when you left the bill was to pay for previous usage. If you wanted more accurate billing then you should have told them whilst you were still a customer. The huge bill was because you were under paying in first place and thus only found this out when you left assuming you didn't even bother to read previous bills and note the word "estimate" on the bills

spiro

They only have to read every TWO years. Under the BG T&Cs you are required to provide them with a reading twice a year.

sk240

It always amazes me how many people get caught out by this!
It just takes 5 mins to check the meter occasionally and submit it to the company (can usually be done online)
I ususlly do mine every couple of months for water, gas and electricity.

CH27

It is your responsibility to check your bills & meter readings.

I woud accept the payment plan & vow never to let the same happen again.

spiro

CH27 wrote: »

It is your responsibility to check your bills & meter readings.

I woud accept the payment plan & vow never to let the same happen again.

Agree, poster will have received about 4 bills each stating the reading was an estimate and they have not bothered to check the actual reading.

I'm sorry but my sympathy for people posting about this is getting thin because it seems to come up so often and they all complain about their supplier and appear to take none of the responsibility themselves.

Cardew

HouseofCutler wrote: »

Hi All,

Google has failed me in finding any answers and I have looked through a few old posts here but

I have recently bought a house and subsequently closed my gas/Electric account with EDF on the previous property. 2 Bed Semi, 2 Occupants, Gas Cooker C/H

I was somewhat surprised (putting it mildly) when I received an £840 Bill just for Gas! :eek:
We already Pay £60 a month for Gas and, after the winter we had had I was expecting to probably owe a couple of hundred. I have double checked my final meter reading at the house and (sadly) it is correct.

I contacted EDF and they advised me that this was a /catch up' bill as they hadn't had a real meter reading since January 2010 (which was when I switched contracts with them I believe)

While I accept that the responsibility no doubt falls on me to provide regular readings, which I know I didn't but should have. I am wondering if anyone knows if the supplier also has any responsibility to prevent people getting this far behind?
We have had at least 1 or 2 visits by 'meter readers' but this has not been fed back into the EDF system. I also fail to see how we are supposed to have been using about £120 of Gas a month!

They have offered me a £70 a month payment plan for 12 months - to clear the balance. Better than £850 lump but not really what I need after just spending all my money on a house.

Is there anything else I can/should do..?

All Advise/info welcome

Thanks

Ben

Welcome to the forum.

If I understand you correctly you have been paying £60 a month and in 15 months(since Jan 2010) you have additionally run up an £840 bill? This in a 2 bed semi?

That to be seems to be extremely high - around £120 a month.

The one thing that comes to mind is the Metric gas meter v Imperial meter situation.

Many people are charged for an Imperial meter(measures cubic feet) where a gas unit is approx 32kWh, when they have a Metric meter(measures cubic metres) where a gas unit is approx 11.2kWh.

This results in them paying 2.83 times more for their gas.

You need to check your bills to see if you are being charged for an Imperial Meter, and then check your old house to see what type meter is fitted.

HouseofCutler

Thank you all for your comments.

I am very much aware that I was foolish not to regularly update my meter readings and check my bills. I will not be making this mistake in my new house.

Cardew wrote: »

Welcome to the forum.

If I understand you correctly you have been paying £60 a month and in 15 months(since Jan 2010) you have additionally run up an £840 bill? This in a 2 bed semi?

That to be seems to be extremely high - around £120 a month.

The one thing that comes to mind is the Metric gas meter v Imperial meter situation.

Many people are charged for an Imperial meter(measures cubic feet) where a gas unit is approx 32kWh, when they have a Metric meter(measures cubic metres) where a gas unit is approx 11.2kWh.

This results in them paying 2.83 times more for their gas.

You need to check your bills to see if you are being charged for an Imperial Meter, and then check your old house to see what type meter is fitted.

From the way you describe this Cardew if I were on a metric meter but charged for Imperial (as shown on my bill) that would mean that I am being over charged?

That's worth investigating I assumed (based on nothing) that as cubic feet were smaller than cubic meters and so cheaper - shows what I know. I will try and get back over to the house to check.

Either way - Many Thanks

victor2

HouseofCutler wrote: »

That's worth investigating I assumed (based on nothing) that as cubic feet were smaller than cubic meters and so cheaper - shows what I know. I will try and get back over to the house to check.

Imperial meters use units of hundreds of cubic feet where metric ones use cubic metres, so one imperial unit equates to more kWh than one metric unit.

Cardew

HouseofCutler wrote: »

From the way you describe this Cardew if I were on a metric meter but charged for Imperial (as shown on my bill) that would mean that I am being over charged?

That's worth investigating I assumed (based on nothing) that as cubic feet were smaller than cubic meters and so cheaper - shows what I know. I will try and get back over to the house to check.

Either way - Many Thanks

An Imperial gas unit is 100 cubic feet which is 2.83 times larger than a cubic metre.

If the scenario is as I outlined, then you will indeed have been overcharged by a factor of 2.83.

e.g. if you used 1000 metric gas units you should be charged for approx 11,200kWh. (around £330)

To illustrate, if you are being billed for an Imperial meter those 1000 gas units will equate to approx 32,000kWh( about £930)