Gas Meter Problem.

bobtheha

Hi guys, could really use some help.

In June our current gas supplier got in contact to say there was a problem with the current meter readings.

I rang them to sort it out and it was at that point they tried to tell me the problems was that we had had a new gas meter installed, when we had not.

After explaining to them no new meter had been installed, they promised to amend there records and not to worry.

This same scenario went on all of last year whenever meter readings were due.

So it comes to January and bill time check my account like always only to find a bill of £1400 waiting for me. Same thing again i phone up and explain, give them the current meter readings and await my new bill, only this time it actually goes up to £1600.

By now I've had enough and ring them back asking them for a full investigation as i am sick of explaining myself all the time.

A couple of days ago they ring me back to say they have sorted out the problem, apparently in all the time i have lived in the house (8+ years), my meter has been read incorrectly
IE: i have a 4 figure dial and it has been read for the previous 8 years and by the actual meter men as a five figure dial.

To say i was amazed is an understatement, 8 years and no one has noticed this before is unbelievable.

After much talking the supplier has agreed to wipe any outstanding charges from before June and have adjust my bill again to £800 this time.

So from been £250 in credit, i now owe then £500+ and i still think this is unacceptable.

Through no fault of my own i have been hit with a massive bill and i would like to know if i really should be liable for this. 8 years and 3 different energy suppliers and they have only just noticed a discrepancy like this, is quite frankly a disgrace.

Can anyone help me out on this, do i really have to pay what i feel is a massively inflated bill.

Thanks for any advice in advance.
cheers everyone.

rogerblack

bobtheha wrote: »

Can anyone help me out on this, do i really have to pay what i feel is a massively inflated bill.

As I understand it, you may have to pay for at the very least the last years consumption.
800 pounds is not a very shocking amount of energy to use.
Do you dispute that you've actually used this amount of gas?

dogshome

I just don't understand this - Maybe one of the Meter reader responders has an answer

If you have a 4 dial meter, which has been read as a 5 dial, the 5th figure must the fractions of unit number which should be ignored when giving meter reads
If this number has been used by the supplier as the last number on the meter and recorded as the single unit counter, the next number in line which is actually the single unit recorder, would have been counted as the 10's of units
recorder and then so on up the line - All of which means that the OP has been seriously overbilled

Has the OP stated the 4/5 figures the wrong way round ?

Consumerist

bobtheha wrote: »

A couple of days ago they ring me back to say they have sorted out the problem, apparently in all the time i have lived in the house (8+ years), my meter has been read incorrectly IE: i have a 4 figure dial and it has been read for the previous 8 years and by the actual meter men as a five figure dial.

I would consider taking this up with the Ombudsman: Energy.

If I recall correctly, there are severe restrictions on what suppliers can charge you for in cases where 4-figure and 5-figure readings are incorrectly confused.

Nada666

dogshome wrote: »

Has the OP stated the 4/5 figures the wrong way round ?

(That's what I wondered last night - but chickened out from posting in case I had made some dumb mistake!)

C_Mababejive

Look at your meter. The only "dials" which are read are those within the black banded area. Any in red are not counted. Next is it a metric or imperial meter? Note down the meter serial number. Does it agree with that which is held by your supplier? Do you live in a single house or do you live in flats?

bobtheha

rogerblack wrote: »

As I understand it, you may have to pay for at the very least the last years consumption.
800 pounds is not a very shocking amount of energy to use.
Do you dispute that you've actually used this amount of gas?

The £800 is not a bill for the year but just from june, so considering that A- during the summer months we use very little gas and electric, B- that we live in a small 2 bedroom dormer bungalow, i think that that amount is quite high.

bobtheha

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Look at your meter. The only "dials" which are read are those within the black banded area. Any in red are not counted. Next is it a metric or imperial meter? Note down the meter serial number. Does it agree with that which is held by your supplier? Do you live in a single house or do you live in flats?

my meter is imperial with 4 black numbers followed by 2 red.
the serial number is what the company have as i have had to tell them on numerous occasions. And i live in a small 2 bedroom dormer bungalow.

bobtheha

dogshome wrote: »

I just don't understand this - Maybe one of the Meter reader responders has an answer

If you have a 4 dial meter, which has been read as a 5 dial, the 5th figure must the fractions of unit number which should be ignored when giving meter reads
If this number has been used by the supplier as the last number on the meter and recorded as the single unit counter, the next number in line which is actually the single unit recorder, would have been counted as the 10's of units
recorder and then so on up the line - All of which means that the OP has been seriously overbilled

Has the OP stated the 4/5 figures the wrong way round ?

From what i could understand i think they were claiming that a 0 had been put in front of the actual figure.

bobtheha

Consumerist wrote: »

I would consider taking this up with the Ombudsman: Energy.

If I recall correctly, there are severe restrictions on what suppliers can charge you for in cases where 4-figure and 5-figure readings are incorrectly confused.

Cheers for that mate, will look into that.

bobtheha

Cheers for all the help guys, I know it sounds like i'm moaning but am just so amazed and upset that this could have gone on for so long, leaving me with a massive bill through no fault of mine.