Electricity Meter Mix-Up

livi92

Hi,
Trying to cut a v.long story short!!

Recently moved into a rented semi-detached house in September [as I'm currently a student - renting til June] and tried to set up an account to start paying British Gas for gas+electricity.

They told me that the serial number on my meter was registered as being for the house next door [after accusing me of reading the wrong box- hard to do when its right outside my front door!] and for the past 5years the occupant of my house and next door have been paying the wrong bills.

After weeks of lengthy phone calls and unanswered emails, BG told me they were going to get the meter agency [can't remember who] to swap the serial numbers on their system, so that BG could update their database and I could EVENTUALLY start paying our bills.

However, after being told this would take up to 2 weeks, I then got an email saying their had been further problems and this was going to take even longer. I was just wondering how long this process was going to take/anyone had had a similar experience? And if i should ring them up yet again

Also, are they going to bill me for the energy used over this period at an estimated rate?

I don't really feel like I'm getting anywhere with BG, and half of them don't take me seriously/even understand the situation...

Any help would be appreciated

jalexa

livi92 wrote: »

I don't really feel like I'm getting anywhere with BG, and half of them don't take me seriously/even understand the situation...

The only mistake *you* are making is your expectation of competence in the advisers you speak with.

OK, for starters take a dated photograph of your meter. Obtain or set aside a copy of a bill showing the wrong serial number. Then pick one of the first British Gas customer service failures and raise a formal complaint (about the failure) in writing (or by email). If you remain disatisfied on "deadlock" or after 8 weeks, whichever occurs first, you are entitled to ask the Energy Ombudsman to investigate the issue.

Regarding how you will (eventually) be billed, actually the meter consumption is available. Either BG will use it or they may estimate usage, however if they decide to "estimate" you are a party to the "estimate" and can disagree. In the meantime take regular meter readings. If a large backdated bill arrives, for a usage you accept is accurate, insist on easy-payment terms.

There is no need for energy customers to go through "weeks of lengthy phone calls". Take a "zero-tolerance" approach to customer service failure and raise a formal complaint in writing (or by email) at the first failure.