Never paid a gas bill - what do I do?!

stevebrickman

Evening all.

After a bit of advice if thats ok...

I have owned my house for 2 years. Its approx 20 years old, and from what I can gather the gas meter is not, and never has been registered on the national database.

As a result - I have never paid a gas bill (and have never been chased for a payment either!).

I have actually tried to register it - I spent 6 months going back and forth with my utility provider, lots of phone calls, even emailed pics of the meter. I didnt get anywhere. The people I spoke with had never encountered this situation before.

I contacted the previous supplier of electricity, who confirmed they had no record of the house having a gas subscription.

I gave up trying to sort after a while - I figured that some one would chase me eventually.

But no one has.

I really want to get this sorted before winter. Does anyone have any suggestions of how I can get the meter registered?

Will I be liable for the full 2 years of gas ? What about the previous 18 years - who would be liable for that??

Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated!!

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

As you describe your situation, you may only be liable for consumption for 12 months prior to the matter being resolved.

It is covered by the back-billing code which is laid down in this publication:

http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/publication.html?task=file.download&id=5220

The crucial section concerns your attempts to get correctly billed.

Your responsibilities

You should pay for energy used and the back-billing principle is not intended as a means for avoiding payments. You will have to pay for all the energy you have used if you:
• have been using the supply but have made no attempt to contact the supplier to make or arrange payment, including moving into a property and making no attempt to let a supplier know you are the new tenant;
• have deliberately avoided payment;
• have not co-operated with attempts to get meter readings or deal with queries from the supplier, including allowing access to the premises or failing to respond to requests for meter details or meter readings.
If there are billing problems, you should pay a reasonable estimate of your usage with the understanding that once an accurate bill is produced, suppliers will use your payments or credits to go towards any extra charges or allowances.
If you are paying one supplier for your energy and it later becomes clear that your supply should have been with another supplier, you may have to pay any payments refunded to you as part of the process of correcting the mistake to the other supplier for the energy used. Suppliers will contact you to agree payment arrangements.

I hope you have kept copies of the emails and pictures you sent. I am surprised that your electricity supplier didn't advise you how to get the gas meter registered.

If indeed this situation has existed for 20 years, then British Gas were the sole supplier of gas I believe.

J_B

Take meter readings
Put the money you think it should be in a 'high interest' (yea, right!) account
If they ever come for payment, you are not shocked!

GwylimT

Not on the estate at Trefechan by any chance? We had this issue, according to British Gas we didn't have a gas supply, our joined on neighbours were in the same position.

Phoned all suppliers and the meter wasn't registered with any of them, despite the house being around six years old when I moved in.

Transco weren't any help either.

If I remember correctly its called a shipperless site.

We posted images of our gas metres, images of our gas hobs in use etc. When I moved out three years later it still wasn't resolved, I put money aside to pay, it is now around 14 years later and I was never contacted concerning an unpaid amount of gas so I donated the saved gas money.

I hope it gets sorted OP as it is very frustrating.

stevebrickman

Ive got no problems paying what I owe - I'm not trying to avoid it. If they (who ever they are!) want two years, then so be it.

I just want to know if there is a process I need to follow to get the meter registered.

As mentioned before - I tried via my current utility provider and just didnt get anywhere.

GwylimT

stevebrickman wrote: »

Ive got no problems paying what I owe - I'm not trying to avoid it. If they (who ever they are!) want two years, then so be it.

I just want to know if there is a process I need to follow to get the meter registered.

As mentioned before - I tried via my current utility provider and just didnt get anywhere.

The link below, although they told me I didn't have a gas supply!

http://www2.nationalgrid.com/UK/Our-company/Gas/About-your-gas-meter/

Cardew

stevebrickman wrote: »

Ive got no problems paying what I owe - I'm not trying to avoid it. If they (who ever they are!) want two years, then so be it.

I just want to know if there is a process I need to follow to get the meter registered.

As mentioned before - I tried via my current utility provider and just didnt get anywhere.

Then I suggest you write to British Gas with details and ask for a reply in writing.

Then sit back!

stevebrickman

GwylimT wrote: »

The link below, although they told me I didn't have a gas supply!

I'm in your neck of the woods, in the City directly south

Tried ringing that number - also told me I have no supplier . Suggested contacting a utility provider to register meter....

Back to square one again...