Help! ex-landlord, early termination, gas leak/bill

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Scholy wrote: »

Thanks Malc, National Grid did not converse with me, you are right they spoke to the landlady. She has subsequently had a whole new central heating system put in, new boiler, pipes, the works....I'm assuming, maybe wrongly that there was major damage or this would not have been needed.

AdrianC wrote: »

I'd agree that a leak large enough to lose four times the amount of gas you typically used would have been very obvious. I suspect that large a leak would have shown itself by rendering your flat a smouldering ruin, tbh, even if you hadn't noticed the smell.

I strongly suspect that the 3389/3889 confusion is the most likely cause.

Thanks for letting me know Scholy. I agree, sounds like something was seriously wrong with the central heating for that sort of outlay to be made.

AdrianC makes a good point too. I know from previous posts that you're fairly convinced the reading of 3889 is right but it would explain the surge if the reading was wrong. It's a pity you're not able to have a look at the meter now just to check. Would at least put this bit to bed once and for all.

Hope you've settled in to your new place okay Scholy.

Malc

franklee

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

AdrianC makes a good point too. I know from previous posts that you're fairly convinced the reading of 3889 is right but it would explain the surge if the reading was wrong. It's a pity you're not able to have a look at the meter now just to check. Would at least put this bit to bed once and for all.

Is it possible for Scholy to check that out even if he doesn't have access to the property? I'm thinking that if E.ON read the meter themselves then Scholy could ring up and ask if the new reading shows a lower number than would be expected if his earlier reading had been right. The readings should go up at a "normal" rate, not leap up and then fall back which would happen if the meter had been misread.

Presumably E.ON do read the meter themselves at least sometimes. The gas supplier I use does turn up to read the meter occasionally.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi franklee

That's a bit difficult. Now Scholy's account is closed and someone else is responsible, we wouldn't be able to talk to them about anything past their move out date. We could only talk about their old account otherwise we would break Data Protection rules.

From what's been said, I think the meter is inside in a cupboard so we need access to the flat. Generally, we try to read meters twice a year but only need to see it every couple of years. This makes us dependant on the new customer/landlady giving us access or a reading.

Scholy seems fairly adamant the reading is right, though, so it's more than likely the surge is down to faults in the central heating. My comments about the reading were just a belt and braces exercise that would put the matter to bed.

Malc