British Gas Grrr!

Dusty033M

I don know if anyone can help and its a bit long winded but here goes

Earlier this month I was checking my small business accounts when I noticed that British Gas had take £12,000+ from my bank account for my quarters gas bill!!. No notification, just suddenly took the money out (which also left me with not enough money to pay my rent). I immediately contacted British Gas who said that they were back charging me for nearly 2 1/2 years because they had been charging me incorrectly for my gas (although my gas payments had not varied by much from the previous tenants bills). Something to do with Metric -v- Imperial Units. Unfortunately they had just come in and changed my meter a couple of weeks earlier for a smart meter so I was unable to see the reading on the meter or see what type it was. I asked why they were charging me more when I had already paid what they had billed me for and they stated that they could do it by law.....(I did ask how they could morally do this....if I had sold someone a bicycle and then realised that I had charged them the wrong amount would I be able to go to them 2 1/2 years later for the extra money!...I think not!) I checked on their website and it does say that they can go back a year so I put this to the BG customer service rep. I then get a phone call back saying that as a gesture of goodwill they will charge me for one years back usage ( nearly £5000)..I pointed out that this was hardly a gesture of goodwill as they were only complying with their own code of conduct. Anyway they have now said that they are not willing to move on their position and I still owe them £4500ish for one years back billing.
I think that £6000+ per year for gas (central heating (winter only) and hot water only) for a business premises that is only the size of a large house is ridiculous, but as they have taken the old meter away there is now way I can get it tested to see if it was registering correctly.
Whilst I understand their back billing rule (although I think it is morally wrong) I read in the papers (Front page of The Guardian) that customers should not have to repay the money if this was down to a metric/imperial error by the utility company.
My main points are this
1. How can I check the meter when they have taken it away
2. How can they prove it was the wrong meter when its not there now
3a. How can they take 2 1/2 years worth of back billing when their own code of conducts says they can only do it for a year
3b. Their own website also says they will not take money for "large or unexpected bills" Why did they do just that in my case
4. Why do I have to do the legwork to get the money back from my bank when they took it out - surely it is their responsibility to replace it

And finally and most importantly
5. Is it worth me taking this case to the ombudsman (and if the ombudsman finds in their favour do they have to give me time to pay or will they expect the whole lot in one go

Sorry its such a long post, but I really do hope someone out there can help

Thanks

Cardew

I believe you will find that the Code of Conduct only applies to domestic properties and not business accounts; and it is a voluntary code.

http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/customers/energy-industry-codes/code-of-practice-for-accurate-bills.html

Code of Practice for Accurate Bills

Energy UK has worked with British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, RWE npower and ScottishPower to develop the ‘Code of practice for Accurate Bills’ (also referred to as the ‘billing code’). The billing code is a voluntary code which has been developed to go over and above the supplier licence conditions and applies to domestic customers only.

Whilst the protection afforded to domestic customers does not apply to business customers, there was guidance from Ofgem some while ago that 'micro' businesses would have some protection in line with domestic customers.

The 'something to do with metric v Imperial units' means that you were being charged for Metric gas units(where 1 gas unit is 1 cubic metre and approx. 11.2kWh) where your meter was in Imperial units(where 1 gas unit is 100 cubic feet and approx. 33kWh)

Surely as a business you have the bills you were sent?

Dusty033M

Unfortunately all the bills were sent off to the accountant so I cannot check. The meter they replaced looked as though it was out of the ark so I cannot believe it was a metric meter. How can I tell what the meter was when they have taken it away!!

Cardew

Does your accountant destroy all your bills?

or

Ask BG for a copy of your old bills. They will have the Meter Serial Number.