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Should I increase my meter readin now, to use up credit balance of nearly £200?

I am a low user in a small flat, British Gas reassessed me last year to £23 per month, I was already in credit then and now at £200. I have an email prepared for them to ask if I can basically convert my credit balance into used units to go against future bills. Do I need their permission to increase my reading :money:now?

Comments

  • Wywth
    Wywth Posts: 5,079 Forumite
    snowman9 wrote: »
    I am a low user in a small flat, British Gas reassessed me last year to £23 per month, I was already in credit then and now at £200. I have an email prepared for them to ask if I can basically convert my credit balance into used units to go against future bills. Do I need their permission to increase my reading :money:now?

    You can give the supplier your current meter reading any time you wish. This will help them bill you more accuately, especially if they do not obtain a meter reading at the time a bill is created.

    This site is not the place to obtain advice on fraudulent activity if you propose giving a false meter reading to the supplier.
  • JimmyTheWig
    JimmyTheWig Posts: 12,199 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    snowman9 wrote: »
    I am a low user in a small flat, British Gas reassessed me last year to £23 per month, I was already in credit then and now at £200. I have an email prepared for them to ask if I can basically convert my credit balance into used units to go against future bills. Do I need their permission to increase my reading :money:now?
    I don't understand the question.
    If you do nothing then a credit balance will be used against future bills.

    Ah, hold on. Are you saying you want to use your £200 credit to buy energy at today's prices and then use that energy after the price has gone up?
    I don't think they'll let you. But you could always ask them.
    To (deliberately) give a false meter reading would be fraudulent. Chances are they'd find out one way or another. I am sure that the reprocussions of this would far out-weigh any savings you made.

    Obviously you could switch suppliers if you can get your energy cheaper elsewhere. At which point you'd get your £200 credit from British gas back as cash.
  • Thank you for your replies, This is what I was getting at was it legal?? now I know. But I will put forward the proposal to British Gas, that they are holding my cash for several years (no I didnt ask for a refund, I wasn't too bothered, but with the increases in the pipleine...it came to me)then perhaps they would like to use the money to buy me future credit units!
  • spiro
    spiro Posts: 6,405 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    If you did what you suggest, which you cant, they would then think 'oh he is using £200 more in a quarter than before we had better put his DD up by £70pm' and you wont be able to get them to reduce it without admitting your fraud.
    IT Consultant in the utilities industry specialising in the retail electricity market.

    4 Credit Card and 1 Loan PPI claims settled for £26k, 1 rejected (Opus).
  • undaunted
    undaunted Posts: 1,870 Forumite
    Why don't you just ask for your credit back & a lower DD payment?
  • JimmyTheWig
    JimmyTheWig Posts: 12,199 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Because he's hoping for cheap electricity...
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