British Gas gave me wrong Meter serial number 2 years ago! Help.

MrsD14614

Hi all
This is my first post and I am hoping for some advice. Two years ago when we moved into our flat British Gas gave us the serial number to take an initial reading. We didn't have this from the old owner as he had moved to Australia 6 weeks prior. All was well, we have been giving readings and paying our bills like happy little customers. Until today when we attempted to switch off our gas due to some renovations being completed on our kitchen. It turns out the meter we had been reading is NOT ours and in fact belongs to one of our neighbours.
I called British Gas to let them know and thought I was being relatively reasonable. I requested that even though we had been paying for someone else's gas for two years, that we start our bill from today with the correct reading and serial number. However I also asked that they refund the current credit on my account (£120) they said no. That I should give them my new serial number and they'd backdate my bill. To what? How on earth can they come up with a magical meter reading from when I moved in? As far as I understand it the backdating billing policy may apply here which gives them recourse to bill no further than 12 months prior to them being notified of this mistake. Can anyone tell me whether I'm right? I have no idea whether we will come out on top or in debt but if I thought they had something to base our bill on I wouldn't be as frustrated - they don't!

From conversations with my neighbours I know at least one is also paying on the wrong meter and the meters outside don't seem to follow any logical order so I don't hold out any hope for the other!
Anyone got any advice?

[Deleted User]

These faults are quite common in flats where when they were first commissioned some idiot in a hard hat wrote the numbers/plots all wrong and submitted them. They take some getting correct needing the occupiers to do their bit and getting some common sense when taking their own meter readings. Those who get a nice low bill won t dispute it thats for sure. Obviously BG are not going to refund any "credit " you imagine is due to you until its been sorted out or at least getting a handle on your average usage.
I ve been to groups of flats where every serial number on my handheld computer is exactly the same for 6 flats. Dont blame BG, blame the chappie whos job it was to run round doing a simple job of writing a few serial numbers down and matching them to the actual plot numbers. The plot numbers are then allocated flat numbers, so theres scope for confusion.Nearly every large block of flats I ve seen has meter mess ups somewhere.
BG are now going to monitor your actual usage for a few weeks or months to see how it compares with the other meter reads you submitted for the same period. Suppliers usually err on the customers side, but you are being a bit cheeky demanding credit back which is nt yours. Your actual usage may be double what you have been paying.

MrsD14614

No I fully appreciate it isn't their fault. Just a bit of a mess. I suppose what I'm saying is that I was peturbed by their suggestion of backdating when I feel like that would be completely inaccurate.
Turns out after some investigation this evening that the serial number they gave me is our neighbours flat and he is supplied by EDF. So the money we have been paying BG needs to go to them? I have no idea where to go from here...

[Deleted User]

They can only get an average from you for the next few weeks, or however long they want to do it for then backdate that average. There is no other way because as you say there is no accurate start reading. Suppliers always seem to favour the customer with this sort of thing.
There is a new rep on the forum, Matt from BG who can verify the usual procedure.

spiro

Bear in mind someone else may have been reading your meter and supplying readings to their supplier who may also be BG. It is possible they can use these old readings to calculate your move in reading fairly accurately.

MrsD14614

I wish. No such luck it seems
There are 4 meters outside (ABCD) and flats 1-4 inside.
We are flat 3 and we were reading C turns out it should have been B. Flat 1 was reading A turns out that is flat 2s and he should have been reading C. Flat 4 has either read C\D he isn't sure (and isn't here to check which one he uses) but it seems nobody has been reading ours.
What a mess!

[Deleted User]

MrsD14614 wrote: »

I wish. No such luck it seems
There are 4 meters outside (ABCD) and flats 1-4 inside.
We are flat 3 and we were reading C turns out it should have been B. Flat 1 was reading A turns out that is flat 2s and he should have been reading C. Flat 4 has either read C\D he isn't sure (and isn't here to check which one he uses) but it seems nobody has been reading ours.
What a mess!

I work for BG . We read quarterly or 6 monthly even if you submit your own readings. Check your bills to see if any meter readers have also messed up. We will be using the same serial number to find your meter . It will strengthen your case for fair treatment if you can show that we have also picked the wrong meter.
A lot of the time flat dwellers will label their meter clearly themselves so future meter readers don t also mess it up continually.

MrsD14614

That's good advice thank you I will check them.
I do have an email from BG in March of this year confirming the serial number because My husband was reading the meter whilst I was away and wanted to double check. Definitely C on that email!

MrsD14614

Oh and it's now labelled

MrsD14614

Checked my bills. Meter was read in January and was the wrong one. So yes - everyone's messed up so far! Hopefully it will be easy enough to untangle...

macman

When usage has to be estimated it invariably works out in the customer's favour. To expect a years worth of usage to be credited without rebilling is absurd.
The back billing code is not relevant to this scenario.