Wrong MPRN - New build

lynxxy

Hi Guys,

Sorry in advance for this essay :]

Moved into our new build property on 15th August, and was informed by builders to phone up BGas (builders original suppliers) and tell them we'd moved in. I did this within the first couple of days, because I hate leaving things like that and just like to get things sorted.

Anyway, electricity was fine but the gas wasn't showing up. The girl assured me this was fine not to worry about it, as sometimes it takes 6-7 weeks to show up.

So I left it a couple of weeks as she advised and then phoned back, still not showing up. So I left it another week and by now I was worrying as I didn't want to end up with a big bill in a few months times & just wanted it sorted.

Finally got a decent CS advisor, who was really helpful. We did a burn test (i think that's what its called - where you run all your gas appliances and see if the meter moves) to make sure it was definitely attached to our house, and it was. So then BG had me call E S Pipelines to get my correct MPRN number as the girl suspected it was wrong... Fiasco.

In the end she had to pass me to the specialist team. We went through everything and he asked me for a current meter reading, which I couldn't give as I was at work at the time, and he said that was fine and he would phone me back in a weeks time once they have all the info from E S Pipelines to go ahead. So I asked him "how do we pay for what we have used so far then?" and his reply was "you can't, you're shipperless (?) so until we set the gas going from our end your contract doesn't start" (or something along those lines) so I asked "what? so we have basically got free gas up until this point? we can't pay for it?" and he said "yes" and i joked that i wouldn't complain about free gas and he said neither would he!

Anyway.. does this seem right to you?? I find it a bit weird, nothing is ever free... Are we going to get stung a few months down the line nearer to Christmas for a months worth of gas? I just want to know so I can put the money away and make sure I have it ready..

Thanks in advance and again sorry for essay!!

chanz4

very strange you have a meter prior to an mpr, your not in london / essex area are you

lynxxy

chanz4 wrote: »

very strange you have a meter prior to an mpr, your not in london / essex area are you

I live in the North East, and we had an MPR - it just wasn't the one that was stuck to our meter. Someone had obviously stuck the wrong barcode onto it!

chanz4

they dont have barcodes, just sounds like builder changed their mind with address allocations. However if its shipperless you shouldnt have a meter

lynxxy

chanz4 wrote: »

they dont have barcodes, just sounds like builder changed their mind with address allocations. However if its shipperless you shouldnt have a meter

weird - it does have a barcode sticker on the front - with the serial number etc on.

i don't mean a prepay meter, i mean the one in the brown box outside where you take your meter readings from, sorry if i described it wrong - FTB & never had to do anything with gas & elec before!

Terrylw1

The way elec and gas works is, your supplier registers using a date and from this point they pay the distributor and invoice you. When you switch, the liability passes to the new supplier based on your switch date.

That's how the settlements process works.

So, until the supplier registers you, they don't get billed by the distributor for the energy usage.

No supplier will ever care about the loss prior to this as they haven't purchased the energy for you.

The only person losing out is the distributor who hasn't been payed for the energy supplied. They can choose to bill you but I've never heard of it outside of tamper cases...its just such a grey area that was around from the minute deregulation went through.

The issue for me is the same as Chanz, how did that meter get on there if its shipperless? This suggests the developer illegally connected a meter. Why add the MPRN though? That part sounds more like the old distributor one shot process in elec that was stopped years ago. Don't know whether that's an issue in gas or ever has been though.

A sticker with the MPRN on can be misleading because if the builder submits plot plans then changes them, the MPRN would change in the distributors database. This used to happen in elec before they stopped adding MPAN's to the meter stickers.

Have you confirmed that MPRN matches your address in the distributors database? Do they hold a meter number by any chance? If so, it is different which could mean crossed metering with your neighbours?

The.Far.Tall.Knight

TIP: Ensure you do a burn test to be sure which meter is yours, note the meter serial number, its on the front of the meter, take a photo of the meter, if you can take a video of the burns test that can only help, (most smart phones these days have a cracking video camera built in), You will most like find that you are on an independent pipeline (not Nat/Grid Transco) and will be listed under your plot number, that's why Bgas cant find your supply. Also remember the billing code of conduct is a regulation laid down by OFGEM to all suppliers: "Failure to Bill" if they fail to bill for a year then it has to be written off, on a new build its unlikely you're shipperless its just a case of finding you on the network, hence you will be under your plot number, on new builds after 2002 (i think) When the service is installed a label (B965) containing the MPRN will be attached to the
service pipe as near to the Emergency Control Valve (ECV) as possible. I hope this is usefull

lynxxy

Thanks for all the advice & replies!

I did a burn test a few days ago at the request of BGas and it's definitely ours.

I'm going to phone them again on Monday & get some more information/clarification because I don't want to be accused of stealing gas or something. I want to pay for it, I just don't know how and apparently neither do BGas! Weird.

Terrylw1

Be very careful if you are planning to pay any energy before the very 1st suppliers registration. They can't bill you.

You could pay the distributor but you are talking about an area that is very very grey. They won't care about being competitive and you won't know if they are making a profit they never would have got from a supplier.

If you go the distributor way, I think you need some guidance from Ofgem because the distributor won't tell you their selling price.

You will be a rare customer chasing this up.