British Gas wrong meter 3000unit overpayment and no refund?!

creditpunch

Cardew wrote: »

What is the issue about estimated bills. If a bill is estimated, you should read the meter and give them the correct reading. In any case gas meters should be inspected every 2 years.

This never happened I've had estimated bills for as long as I can remember and I have asked and asked for a actual to be taken. As they refused to take my readings.

CP

lvf

How long was the PPM in for? When the meter was removed, there would have been more gas units used than the meter recorded, simply because it wasn't attached! If it was there for some time, it's possible they have deducted some credit for use while on the PPM. Not sure about this, just speculating.

Also, just want to say I do feel sorry for you, it sounds like one right Royal *#@£ up, and it's not something you would want anyone to go through.

creditpunch

lvf wrote: »

How long was the PPM in for? When the meter was removed, there would have been more gas units used than the meter recorded, simply because it wasn't attached! If it was there for some time, it's possible they have deducted some credit for use while on the PPM. Not sure about this, just speculating.

Also, just want to say I do feel sorry for you, it sounds like one right Royal *#@£ up, and it's not something you would want anyone to go through.

Thank you, it was in for about a week I think. I flipped because I was so fatigued with my meter saga this was just more than I could handle at that point and I think she got that and cut her losses and got it fixed.

[Deleted User]

I see this problem of mixed up serial numbers all the time, Connaught Mews in Doncaster had the electric serials mixed up and over 20 years later some still are. The Ombudsman will be well used to seeing this and will have plenty of experience with it. BG cannot be held responsible or any other of the suppliers, neither can the occupiers altho some will have stuck their head in the sand viewing their low bills. Its not very often that new builds flats or estates escape with a 100% perfect record with meter serials allocated to the correct address. Its the way that the builder allocates plot numbers until the properties are actually sold. Plot numbers dont always match the actual resulting house/flat numbers. Sending out a meter reader/engineer or anyone else can t work either, the only person who can find out the problem is the occupier doing a usage check by the very easy method of switching stuff on and off. Connaught Mews in Doncaster never gets sorted because its full of short term tenants who come and go. The builder is the guilty one and they re long gone.
I think this should be a straightforward repayment of overpay for the seven years..five minutes with a calculator should do it, it just needs the Ombudsman to give BG the go ahead. Even escalating it to that level will scare BG into paying up

lvf

I agree with the above. BG will automatically know they are in the wrong, whether their fault they got there or not, and going to the Ombudsman will cost them an extra £500-550 on top of what they have to repay you.

I would open a complaint with them, they will have it resolved before it can be taken any further!

Cardew

At least the pre-paid meter on your gas pipe saga, explains why BG only went back to 2013 in their recalculation.


My one concern is that when they replaced 'your' meter(thinking it was your neighbours) with the pre-pay meter, they would have taken that original meter away. I would have thought it unlikely that meter would have been found and re-connected. - sacsquacco will know better than I!


So unless that removed original meter was found and reconnected to your line, your current meter reading of 7,106 is invalid as a measure of the gas you have used since 2007.


Bear in mind that BG might not have been involved with the meter swop unless your neighbour was using BG - and she won't tell you her supplier*


*I suspect your neighbour won't tell you her gas company because she fears that BG will reclaim the amount from her she has underpaid.


BG will need to know the serial number of the meter on the bills your neighbour was receiving.


What a mess!


Did you write to BG back in 2007? or was it all on the telephone?


You must now formally write(email) to BG and ask for them to investigate and pay compensation; and take it to the ombudsman if BG refuse. Make sure your letter explains that the switched meter was reported to BG in 2007

creditpunch

Thanks all,

No I stupidly did all my communication with BG in 2007 via telephone. but if they keep recordings they definitely would have LOTS of recordings of my calls over the years.

On my online account now my meter readings go back as far as Nov 2012, note the read entries.

Since my latest complaint BG has removed the estimated entries between 26/07/13-04/02/2014 and 04/02/14-25/02/2015 they've also deleted my bills since August 2013 and as I do paperless billing I don't have copies except Jan 2015 were the estimated meter reading was 10516. (thank goodness I printed that one).



I suspect when my meter was reinstalled they actually sent a meter reader and it was 05889. note I actually paid for 7000units way back in 2012 sometime, so I'm still unclear what their justification can be to not refund my overpayments I would think I could even have a claim for interest and some type of compensation as to how they've handled this, because:

• The time it took British Gas to register my new property on its systems much longer than my other utilities
• The fact I had previously complained about this and continued through the years
• The fact British Gas was happy to estimate my bills for many years even though I asked for a meter reader to attend the property to attempt to read my meter and where they can observe the mix up
• British Gas did not investigate inconsistent actual meter readings versus continued estimated readings, which were substantially higher.

25/2/15 Estimated 07102
04/2/15 Customer read 07036
04/2/14 Customer read 06440
26/7/13 Meter Reader 05889
25/7/13 Estimated 08622
25/6/13 Estimated 08593
25/5/13 Estimated 08551
24/5/13 Estimated 08549
25/4/13 Estimated 08485
25/3/13 Estimated 08330
25/2/13 Estimated 08159
22/2/13 Estimated 08139
25/1/13 Estimated 07974
25/12/12 Estimated 07743
19/12/12 EnergySmart Reading Online Channel 03805
25/11/12 Estimated 07561
23/11/12 Estimated 07548

I remember at one point I wrote to BBC WatchDog but I never heard anything back I probably didn't explain it well enough and they couldn't get their heads around what the issue was.

creditpunch

Cardew wrote: »

You must now formally write(email) to BG and ask for them to investigate and pay compensation

I have this time been confirming all telephone conversations in email.

I'm awaiting a response from BG as they believe the case to be resolved as they have now corrected my meter and adjusted my meter reading and don't feel there is a pay back due.

I will exhaust their complaints process within the given 8 weeks timescales and then head to the ombudsman.

I'm just super confused as to what their justification could be not to pay. and what the two phantom charges made on my account last week of £800+ (see original post) could be for (thus wiping out a significant amount of overpayment/credit on my account).

CP

Cardew

Firstly the 'phantom charges' as you term it. It is standard practice, where there is a need for re-billing, to refund all monies you have paid from a certain date, and then re-bill you from that same date using new information. So there is no mystery in this case, as that 'certain date' was in 2013.

I'm still confused why if I've paid BG 10500units of gas and only used 7106units what justification would they have to not refund me, my overpayment?

In light of your recent posts that statement no longer hold true.

As your meter was removed and replaced by the pre-pay meter(by whoever was supplying your neighbour) we have no idea of your meter reading at the date it was removed and the pre-pay fitted. All the present 7106 reading shows is that is the amount it has increased from a reading of 5889 on 26/07/2013 which was on a new meter.

To get that reading on your removed meter BG would need to access your neighbours account.

All we know for certain is that since 26/07/2013 to 22/02/15 you have used 1,217 gas units(7106 - 5889) which is approx. 13,600kWh.

To be quite honest I haven't a clue how BG and the Ombudsman will view this situation.

Playing the 'Devil's Advocate' BG can argue.

1. The contractor and Transco were responsible for giving BG the details of the wrong meter.

2. Your neighbour's energy company removed your meter.

3. BG have no idea of the reading on that removed meter, and hence no idea of how much gas you used from when you moved in at a date in 2007 until 26/07/2013.

4. They have no correspondence from you in 2007 about the 'switched' meters. They only keep phone records for months.

5. Why did you let the matter go unreported until Jan 2015 - especially when you were fully aware of the reasons for your high bills - your neighbour has a 4 person household.

So as you or BG cannot accurately ascertain how much you have overpaid before 26/07/2013, I suspect the best you can hope for from either BG or the ombudsman is a goodwill payment.

Personally I wouldn't try the 'its all BG's fault' approach - cos it ain't.

[Deleted User]

OP, when new meters are connected the correct procedure by all the meter fitters is to record all the old meter details on a yellow sticky label and attach at bottom of the new meter showing date installed, old meter reading, old meter serial number and new start meter reading. Meter fitters in a hurry skip this sometimes.