Gas switch went wrong - now have unexpected bill

37monkey

Hi,
I switched to First a while back for gas and electricity, or so I thought, it turns out the gas didn't leave my old supplier SSE. As Ive been suppling First with meter readings and haven't used any gas my bills didn't seem excessively cheap. Now SSE want just over £100 pounds from me for standing charges -not gas used (charged at the higher rate because I wasn't paying DD - mostly because I didn't know they were still my supplier) is there anything I can do? it looks like First got the wrong meter number from somewhere - not me i gave the correct one - and they told me they were supplying both my gas and electric.

Andy_WSM

Did you not notice you weren't pay First a standing charge for gas?

I don't think there is a lot you can do. Someone will have to have been paid a standing charge, so you're not out of pocket.

If you don't have the money to pay it immediately, why not ask them for a few months to pay it over?

joncombe

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Did you not notice you weren't pay First a standing charge for gas?

I don't think there is a lot you can do. Someone will have to have been paid a standing charge, so you're not out of pocket.

If you don't have the money to pay it immediately, why not ask them for a few months to pay it over?

I assuming we are talking First Utility? If so they have a tariff for a gas with a low standing charge 2.34p per day (at least in my area). This would make sense if no gas is being used, as the OP says is the case here. If it was a dual fuel tarrif I doubt you'd notice the few pence per day. However SSE typically has far higher standing charges, so there is probably a good case for a refund here. I think your first course of action should be to complain to First Utility that they supplied the wrong meter number (their mistake) and told you they were supplying your gas when they wern't and as a result left you out of pocket.