Paying wrong gas bill for 10 years

user342354325

Okay, this sounds a bit crazy. I've been living in this flat for 10 years. The meter boxes aren't numbered by flat. When I moved in I was given the meter numbers from the previous resident, and I've been paying the gas bill happily ever since.

A few weeks ago, a gas inspector came round and asked me to put the gas on so he could tell which meter was mine. He penciled the number on it for future reference (which no inspectors had done in the past). I've just gone out to take a reading and noticed it's the wrong meter! I went back to put the gas on to double check and it's correct. To make it worse, the meter we've been paying for 10 years is almost half as much as our actual meter, meaning I probably have paid a shortfall of ~£1500.

I honestly never thought in all my time here to go out and cross-check with the meter itself; just assumed they were right (the meter box is some distance away). That's clearly a huge error on my part.

I've seen elsewhere in the forums that companies can request repayments variously for up to 24 and 12 months, but no concrete information.

I'll go and ask Citizen's Advice too and see what they have to say, but in the meantime, does anyone here have any experience/idea of what I should expect to happen now (and how I should approach it with the gas company)?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Dave

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

They can only legally recover a debt for the last 6 years (5 in Scotland).

However, you may have a case to only pay the last 12 months usage: see back billing sub clause 5:
http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/publication/finish/43-code-of-practice-for-accurate-bills/412-the-code-of-practice-for-accurate-bills-back-billing-for-domestic-customers.html

However, bear in mind that the attached back billing guidance has no basis in law, and is a voluntary scheme that 5 major suppliers sign up to, is self regulated, and taken on an individual case by case basis.

You could either keep quiet and try to avoid the situation for the time being, or be completely honest and contact the energy supplier and disclose what you know. Chances are if a gas inspector was checking for crossed meters that one of your neighbours has wind of it anyway.

user342354325

Thanks very much for the reference Bluebirdman, I guess that is a very big 'may' in clause 5 when relating to my situation. I can but hope.

It's good to at least know that the cap is 6 years at the very most though. It sounds silly when facing a big bill, but I think I'll disclose, rather than live in fear of discovery (now that I know).

And the gas inspector was just a gas safety inspector for the flat, nothing to do with the neighbours or gas company. Which does obviously beg the question of which of the neighbours has been paying my bills. They're obviously as clueless as me. Still, that's one for the gas company I guess...!

jbuchanangb

If I were you I would take the bull by the horns, and engage on the long and complex process of sorting it out. Get down to the meter boxes, and write down the meter number and the meter reading for both the right meter (which you are connected to) and the wrong meter (for which you have been paying). The readings are unrelated to each other so you can't interpret anything about the difference in the readings.

Then WRITE (don't phone) your gas supplier and tell them what has been discovered as a result of the visit by the gas inspector, and that from now on you will pay for gas consumption based on the right meter, and you will not pay for any more gas going through the wrong meter.
Make clear the meter readings and the meter numbers of both meters and the date on which you read them.

My daughter had a similar problem in a block of flats with swapped electricity meters, though not for 10 years, and it did take quite a while to sort out, because the gas supplier of the person who has been paying for your gas will also have to be identified and their account will have to be sorted out too.

Just keep accurate records of the readings on the right meter, and be prepared for quite a long process to sort it out. I would think it would be best just to accept what has happened for last 10 years, and make sure it's OK from now on.

user342354325

Thanks for the advice and encouragement, jbuchanangb. I have already taken down the readings and numbers for both meters.

That's a good suggestion to write rather than phone (which is what I would have done). Would you say if it's still best to do so via post, or is email fine for these purposes?

matelodave

It's best to do it by post using recorded delivery (signed for) then you've got proof that you'd sent it and proof that they received it (even if they lose it later - had that happen with some insurance documents).
You could always use E-mail as well to back it up but recorded delivery will give you a receipt.

stampede

user342354325 wrote: »

Okay, this sounds a bit crazy. I've been living in this flat for 10 years. The meter boxes aren't numbered by flat. When I moved in I was given the meter numbers from the previous resident, and I've been paying the gas bill happily ever since.

A few weeks ago, a gas inspector came round and asked me to put the gas on so he could tell which meter was mine. He penciled the number on it for future reference (which no inspectors had done in the past). I've just gone out to take a reading and noticed it's the wrong meter! I went back to put the gas on to double check and it's correct. To make it worse, the meter we've been paying for 10 years is almost half as much as our actual meter, meaning I probably have paid a shortfall of ~£1500.

I honestly never thought in all my time here to go out and cross-check with the meter itself; just assumed they were right (the meter box is some distance away). That's clearly a huge error on my part.

I've seen elsewhere in the forums that companies can request repayments variously for up to 24 and 12 months, but no concrete information.

I'll go and ask Citizen's Advice too and see what they have to say, but in the meantime, does anyone here have any experience/idea of what I should expect to happen now (and how I should approach it with the gas company)?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Dave

Surely it's the responsibility of the gas company to bill the right residence for the right meter. I'd keep quiet.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

stampede wrote: »

Surely it's the responsibility of the gas company to bill the right residence for the right meter. I'd keep quiet.

so, if you were the person who had been paying the higher amount for years you would keep quiet.

Very commendable of you, there's not many like you.

stampede

[Deleted User] wrote:

Hi,



so, if you were the person who had been paying the higher amount for years you would keep quiet.

Very commendable of you, there's not many like you.

I was under the impression he was paying a lower amount?

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

stampede wrote: »

I was under the impression he was paying a lower amount?

So in your world, the chap that's paid too much gets a refund, and the chap who paid too little gets away with it because it's the gas companies responsibility.

Doesn't work like that I'm afraid, gotta take the £h!t with the shovel.

stampede

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

So in your world, the chap that's paid too much gets a refund, and the chap who paid too little gets away with it because it's the gas companies responsibility.

Exactly, it's the gas companies responsibility to bill the correct amount, not the customers.

Personally I think the OP is mistaken, but I would expect a refund for the other person & writing off of any debt for the OP/

I have personally had a similar experience, although it didn't involve anyone else. my 9 year electrical came to just £1300
Why pay out when you don't need to?