British Gas Account in a mess

junglist_matty

Opened British Gas (Gas) account on 12th September, previous supplier was EDF.

EDF sent someone to read the gas meter when we closed the account, that was read on the 12th September, it was read to be: 04768

I read the meter on 1st March, which was: 04702

I read the meter this morning, which was: 04742

Now British gas want to send someone to check the meter as they think it may be faulty. If this is the case, where do I stand? I've paid the bills based on estimated gas readings since the account was opened.

If it turns out the meter is faulty how can they prove our gas useage?

If it turns out the meter isn't faulty how can they prove our gas useage when the current reading is less than they said it was when we opened the account?


Thanks in advance....

Neil_Jones

Have you read this meter between September 12th and 1st March?

jalexa

junglist_matty wrote: »

EDF sent someone to read the gas meter when we closed the account, that was read on the 12th September, it was read to be: 04768

Do you know for a fact? Normally practice is for the gaining supplier to request you to take an opening read which is then passed by the gaining supplier to the losing supplier.

I'll hazard a guess what you have down as the "closing read" is a scheduled bill or possibly an "interim" closing bill, and the 04768 is "estimated".

macman

junglist_matty wrote: »

Opened British Gas (Gas) account on 12th September, previous supplier was EDF.

EDF sent someone to read the gas meter when we closed the account, that was read on the 12th September, it was read to be: 04768

I read the meter on 1st March, which was: 04702

I read the meter this morning, which was: 04742

Now British gas want to send someone to check the meter as they think it may be faulty. If this is the case, where do I stand? I've paid the bills based on estimated gas readings since the account was opened.

If it turns out the meter is faulty how can they prove our gas useage?

If it turns out the meter isn't faulty how can they prove our gas useage when the current reading is less than they said it was when we opened the account?


Thanks in advance....

Why? I don't understand why you didn't take and submit your own closing or opening reads? All this can be avoided if you take and submit reads at least every 3 months.
If the meter is faulty then the consumption will be rebilled on estimated usage. This will usually work in your favour.
But assuming that the meter is now working normally, it appears that the read of 12/9 was wrong, if it is shown as an 'actual'. What does the bill say against the reading (E, A, or C)?

Terrylw1

Its obviously an incorrect reading taken by the EDF guy. Bgas are concerned its going backwards but you've got 2 readings since showing forward movement, hence the advisor booking that just lacks experience...they are wasting money when they could monitor it.

To resolve it, once they accept the meter is advancing (don't let them charge you for that meter check if they refuse to accept that its advancing), they just need to get your change of supply readings changing to a lower reading to wipe out that incorrect EDF read.

Be careful with this and ensure you get a replacement bill off both suppliers that match otherwise you could pay for energy twice due to overlap where a supplier takes shortcuts...it happens.

junglist_matty

Thanks for the advice...

I have submitted meter readings to British Gas when requested, but never really looked any further because they send out a bill.

The alarm was raised when I looked at the account online and checked up "Meter Reading History" and there wasn't one actual reading, just a bunch of estimated readings... They obviously just saw the actual reading was lower than the estimated so went with estimated and rubbished the actual.

It's a rented house; British gas contacted EDF who were the previous suppliers who told British gas it was read by a "meter reader" when closed. I've taken daily readings and the meter appears to be working perfectly with no issues so it must be a mistake somewhere along the line.....

I just don't want to end up with a massive gas bill as we hardly have the gas on; heating was turned on late October and turned off end of Feb as it's brand new and has very good insulation, plus there's no-one in the house during the day so the heating was only ever on for 3 hours a day during the winter running on a set program.

jalexa

junglist_matty wrote: »

British gas contacted EDF who were the previous suppliers who told British gas it was read by a "meter reader" when closed.

They may or may not have done, but in the first instance it is not relevant. The procedure is that the gaining supplier asks you to provide a reading at the transfer date which the gaining supplier sends to the losing supplier. So far so good.

*If* the losing supplier does not accept the reading then they have to negotiate with the gaining supplier. The losing supplier's "opinion" is not unilaterally billed.

At the end of the day the suppliers must agree and then the same reading (whatever is agreed) appears on the opening and closing bills.

The gaining supplier "manages" the transfer process and you may have a complaint against British Gas. They do not appear to have handled the "meter reader" issue well. However if Edf has unilaterally issued a bill based on a reading not agreed with the gaining supplier then you have a clear complaint with Edf.

The sooner you raise that the better.

Terrylw1

Honestly, it doesn't matter.

If the new supplier saw your reading for 01/03, they would either believe you and initiate the disputed readings process with your previous supplied. At worst they would send someone out to read it and then initiate the disputed readings process.

Its so obvious the change of supply reading is far too high either from a poor meter reader or a high Deemed change of supplier reading.

If your meter is about to catch up with your change of supply reading, the new supplier could just bill up. This will cause your DD's to reduce in error and you will have paid the previous supplier so if you are on cheaper rates now, you would be word off. The new supplier, if they are any good should know this is wrong anyway as it causes them a lord in revenue.

jalexa

Terrylw1 wrote: »

Honestly, it doesn't matter.

Well I think it does matter and the OP's subject was "British Gas Account in a mess", which it appears to be for reasons not well explained.

The transfer reading does not appear to have been properly handled by British Gas (and/or by the OP). It is not clear from the post if the "disputed read process" was trigerred (by which party) and/or that it operated properly.

Before there can be meaningful comment the OP needs to clarify the reading the Edf "final bill" was closed to and the "reading type" stated on the bill.

*If* closed (and paid) to 4768 then the OP needs to do nothing. British Gas are entitled to instigate at their cost a meter exchange and test. *Probably* it will prove accurate and the OP will have nothing more to pay British Gas until the consumption catches up. Unless the industry recovery process is to "unwind" the 4768 as wrong?

Wrong reading, wrong process? No idea what is going on.

Terrylw1

My comment is related to how to fix this, really anyone looking at those reads knows they need to instigate the disputed readings process. That's step 1 to fix this.

For the complaint side, its very relevant but making it a complaint doesnt detract away from fact that the readings on the meter are higher than the CoS reading, hence the standard industry process to fix it should be invoked. This will trigger the previous dupplier to adjust, which will bring the issue of the meter reader up but once thy understand the current readings, they will agree.

Bgas won't waste money on a Standard Load Test when they can see it advancing fine and its a CoS reading, they will know its either a Deemed high reading or a poor meter reader. By changing the CoS reading, that meter readers reading is Failed as if it never existed and all consumption to he distributors is resubmitted.

The OP needs to consider that the suppliers will want an estimate instead which will be working out by their agents. If the new supplier is cheaper, be careful with any potential low estimation.

junglist_matty

I managed to get it sorted.... I paid the electricity bill and left the gas as there was no accurate proof of useage.

I have been endlessly on the phone to various members of the British Gas team, got told to take a meter reading once a day for a week so they could estimate useage and correct the account, but then rang again and the other person said that was not possible to do so had a long conversation with them resulting in nothing happening, then rang again a few days later, pretty much the same thing again.

I went away for easter and when I returned, I took the meter reading on the meter, it read 4862. Therefore, the meter must be working.... Anyway, this time because the reading was higher than the last reading by 32 units, the guy in india call centre accepted that as our gas useage for the term 31st Dec - April 12th and now the account has been sorted. I don't have a clue how this mess happened, just glad it's been sorted before they cut us off!

What a right mission