Can i claim back from old supplier

Davy16487

Hi,

I've just found out that my current gas supplier has been working out my Kwh based on me having an imperial meter when I in fact I have a metric meter. I am now in the process of getting my current bill recalculated but they are not being very helpful (npower).

It got me to thinking have I been overpaying with all my previous suppliers as I switch often there's been quite a few. Is it possible to get a refund from these previous supplies and if so how far back can I go (been here 5 years) and how do i go about it as I don't previous account numbers etc.

Thanks for any help

dogshome

Your right to have past billing errors adjusted goes back 6 years, and just as suppliers you have left have that right, so do you.

Unless you have kept all your past bills, your problem with the old suppliers is the billing records that show exactly how much you were overcharged -The suppliers will have them, but getting them to produce them will be an uphill struggle so be prepared for a fight

Davy16487

Thanks Dogshome that's a great help now ive just got to find the time to ring them.

macman

Any claim of that magnitude, you need to make it in writing. 5 years unit error metric to imperial should result in a credit of several thousand pounds, since you will have been overbilled almost 300%.
So, if your actual gas usage was say £500pa, you would have been billed about £1500, and will be due a credit of £1000- for each year. Total: £5K.
So 'finding the time' will be well worthwhile. Unless of course the meter has been changed in the last five years.
But how did you not notice, given the enormous resulting gas bills?

Davy16487

Basically Macman I was stupidly under the impression that I was a high user of gas as I live in an old house which is unable to have cavity wall insulation so I thought the high amounts I was paying was due to me trying to keep the house warm and was only looking at the money going out and not delving into what the units actually meant, but thanks for your reply I will be getting it in writing asap.

Ive been paying around £98 a month over the 5 years and think the conversion is 2.83 times so i should have been paying approx £34.63 so hopefully im due a credit of £3802.20 for the 5 years overpaying.

Fingers crossed

nPower

Davy16487 wrote: »

Hi,

I've just found out that my current gas supplier has been working out my Kwh based on me having an imperial meter when I in fact I have a metric meter. I am now in the process of getting my current bill recalculated but they are not being very helpful (npower).

It got me to thinking have I been overpaying with all my previous suppliers as I switch often there's been quite a few. Is it possible to get a refund from these previous supplies and if so how far back can I go (been here 5 years) and how do i go about it as I don't previous account numbers etc.

Thanks for any help



Hi Davy16487

Thank you for posting, I'm sorry to hear you are experiencing problems with your gas account. I will be happy to take a look at this if you would like to send me an email (using the address from my profile) with your account details.

Thanks


Vicky

[Deleted User]

Usually these mess ups occur on a switch from one supplier to another, or occasionally when the meter is changed from imperial to metric. As you say, you would be paying getting on three times more. Check the date of change on the meter. If the meter fitter has done his job properly there is a yellow sticky label at the bottom giving dates and meter readings of both old and new meters ( new meters are not always starting at 00000 )

Cardew

Davy16487 wrote: »

Ive been paying around £98 a month over the 5 years and think the conversion is 2.83 times so i should have been paying approx £34.63 so hopefully im due a credit of £3802.20 for the 5 years overpaying.

Is that £98 for gas only, or gas and electricity?


£34.63 is low for an old house without cavity insulation.


As said above it could be that for some of the time you did have an Imperial meter. If that was the case the Npower bills should have different meter serial numbers.


It will be very easy for NPower to calculate any error from your meter readings. i.e. if the difference between two meter readings is, say, 500 and they have charged you for approx. 16,100kWh that would mean an Imperial meter. approx. 5600kWh a metric meter.

macman

Have you checked the meter to see if there is a sticker on it showing the change date?

Davy16487

nPower company representative- sorry not sure if you legit so wont be sending any details over

sacsquacco- same meter has been in for the entire 5 years ive lived here

Cardew- £98 was just gas, I agree £34.63 for type of property does sound cheap, I suppose its to do with me being extremely strict with it (as i thought i was using £98 worth) and only using gas between Novemeber and March for heating.

spiro

Davy16487 wrote: »

nPower company representative- sorry not sure if you legit so wont be sending any details over

sacsquacco- same meter has been in for the entire 5 years ive lived here

Cardew- £98 was just gas, I agree £34.63 for type of property does sound cheap, I suppose its to do with me being extremely strict with it (as i thought i was using £98 worth) and only using gas between Novemeber and March for heating.

If you look at the signature for the rep it says official company rep. These people are checked before they are allowed on the site and they have helped lots of posters on here.