Please help - British Gas / npower / Powergen - all involved!

dk67

Hello, I have a really big problem with my electricity billing and I am now really confused!

I have seen my monthly DD charges increase in last few months from £25 to £135 . We are very careful with electricity useage and use most things overnight on Economy 7 etc.

After a very unhelpful service from British Gas, we decidied to move to NPower for duel fuel while continuing our dispute with British Gas.

BG eventually sent out a meter engineer to test the meter after our 7 day readings showed strangely high useage which then dropped to virtually zero at other peak times. The engineer said the readings were all over the place - both fast and slow and that he deemed the meter faulty.

We got back to BG who initially said they would change the meter. Then they said this is now NPowers responsibilty.We then contacted NPower (by then it was the day before our supply would pass over to them!) to say our meter is faulty. So our first readings will be inaccurate. Please change the meter.

No, they said. We have to get it tested. Wait for our engineers to get in touch!:mad:

So now we have a faulty meter clocking up ££ for our new provider, £500 owing to British Gas (even though the meter was faulty) and also ..... our previous providers before BG (Powergen), who installed the faulty meter and who we still owe £330 to.:eek:

We pay our bills on time by DD - these over payments have all come about through the faulty meter.

We are happy to pay a token amount - but how do the 2 old companies decide on a fair amount? And what do we do now about the faulty meter?

Energywatch have written to say they have a very long waiting list. That was 6 weeks ago.

Sorry about the long, long post - but has anybody any advice - we cant afford to pay 3 companies!!!

Thanks, dk

Cardew

Have BG confirmed in writing that the meter was faulty?

If not, get that confirmation first - in writing.

That will give you a negotiating position with BG

dk67

thanks thats really good advice - I will get on to BG straight away.

Is there a special department that is best to speak to?

tripled

Unfortunately your changing provider repeatedly will have made it harder to sort out. The only thing you can really do is to take weekly meter readings once the new meter is fitted and then contact your old suppliers with this information to ask them to re-estimate the accounts.

dk67

thanks tripled. we were with Powergen for 4 years, then BG for nearly 2 befor recently changing to NPower.

Hopefull we will be happy with their service and stay!!