Pre-pay gas meter- amounts seem high

SwanJon

As above, you need to find out what the meter is doing.
Horse's advice is not quite right about how to find this out.

Start with the card out, and the meter showing your credit for gas.
Pressing and releasing the red button will cycle through three screens:
For gas -> OWED -> Index
The last of these (if present) is the meter reading - this shows how much you use.
Once back on 'for gas', press and hold the red button until the screen changes. You will now see a number in the corner of the screen. Every time you push and release the red button the screen will change again.

You are looking for:
27 - GD remaining - how much is left to pay back (if this is zero the meter doesn't know about it)
25/26 - GD Week MIN/MAX - how much you are paying back each week towards the bill. This will only be taken if there is a value on 27
00 - Last Credit - how much you topped up last time
01 - Las for debt - how much of the last top up was taken for debt payment
02 - Last for EmCr - how much of the last payment was used to pay back the emergecny credit
03 - Last for gas - how much of the last credit went to be used for gas
10 - Tariff Cost 5 - the price per kWh
17 - Standing Charge

I'm not aware of most BG customers having their meters programmed with the wrong tariff or gettign a refund, but happy to be proven wrong.
There has been an issue with calorific value not updating on some omdels of meter, but this is tens of pounds a year, so not enought that you would notice it here (but any overpayment should be paid back)

Getting the meter exhanged
MSE Article - http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/switch-prepaid-gas-electricity

I wan't aware that BG (or anyone) charge for the meter - it remains their (agent's) property so why are you paying for it. Some suppliers will charge for the work to be done, and/or run a credit check (see article).

The price on a prepayment meter is no different to paying the bill when it arrives.

anfieldred

SwanJon wrote: »

As above, you need to find out what the meter is doing.
Horse's advice is not quite right about how to find this out.

Start with the card out, and the meter showing your credit for gas.
Pressing and releasing the red button will cycle through three screens:
For gas -> OWED -> Index
The last of these (if present) is the meter reading - this shows how much you use.
Once back on 'for gas', press and hold the red button until the screen changes. You will now see a number in the corner of the screen. Every time you push and release the red button the screen will change again.

You are looking for:
27 - GD remaining - how much is left to pay back (if this is zero the meter doesn't know about it)
25/26 - GD Week MIN/MAX - how much you are paying back each week towards the bill. This will only be taken if there is a value on 27
00 - Last Credit - how much you topped up last time
01 - Las for debt - how much of the last top up was taken for debt payment
02 - Last for EmCr - how much of the last payment was used to pay back the emergecny credit
03 - Last for gas - how much of the last credit went to be used for gas
10 - Tariff Cost 5 - the price per kWh
17 - Standing Charge

I'm not aware of most BG customers having their meters programmed with the wrong tariff or gettign a refund, but happy to be proven wrong.
There has been an issue with calorific value not updating on some omdels of meter, but this is tens of pounds a year, so not enought that you would notice it here (but any overpayment should be paid back)

Getting the meter exhanged
MSE Article - http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/switch-prepaid-gas-electricity

I wan't aware that BG (or anyone) charge for the meter - it remains their (agent's) property so why are you paying for it. Some suppliers will charge for the work to be done, and/or run a credit check (see article).

The price on a prepayment meter is no different to paying the bill when it arrives.

Thanks for the reply.

There's no debt on the meter. BG have offered to send an engineer out to check it but said they'll charge us if it they deem nothing to be wrong with the meter.

BG said on the phone its the same as DD or prepaid, but, we were quoted £95 for a DD for gas and electric combined, yet put £120 in in December on the gas alone. I'd rather spread the payments out over a DD but that now isn't an option.

As I said, its on for 3 hours a day, yet is still using £6-7 a day

We failed the credit check, but weren't given a reason why. I've been a BG customer before on a DD on a rented property when my credit score was a lot lower than it is now, and never missed a payment etc.

BG did say however (for the 3rd time in a week) yesterday had the previous owners been on a DD we'd have been accepted onto a DD; yet we now can't switch from a prepayment to a DD.

I'm switching to EDF just on principal now, BG have been awkward from day one, I was put on hold for 15 mins yesterday for the lady to come back and say..."it's just a culture shock to you having to queue up and pay for gas, that's the problem. It's not the consumption that's the issue here, it's the culture change that most people can't get their heads around".

My argument is, if we are putting £150+ on prepaids (gas and electric combined), and have never been in debt/emergency credit on the meter, why can't we be on a DD for £55 less than that? I've checked my credit score this morning and it's classed as "very good" - when I was last a BG customer it was in the lowest bracket, but I was accepted as the rented house was already on a DD.

molerat

Just saying that you have used £x pounds since yesterday is of no help. How many meter units of gas have you used in a day, what is your tariff rate, what is the standing charge. Posting all the advised readings from the meter will help people here to help you find if there is a problem. The link I posted for the YouTube video shows some readings not on the normal list which could be relevant i.e. the gas CV.