British Gas bill estimates

magyar

Done a bit more digging: this is the actual consultation document
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2015/07/reforming_suppliers_meter_inspection_obligations_final.pdf

It's dated Jul 2015 and states (p5) that

1.12. Specifically, there are now licence requirements for suppliers to obtain meter readings with a minimum frequency (Gas and Electricity Supply SLC 21B.4) and to implement our package of new theft detection and investigation initiatives (Gas and Electricity Supply SLC 12A).

So it's clear to me that no later than Jul 15 (and presumably earlier than that) that suppliers had an obligation to ensure they had a meter reading at least once every year.

What I have no idea about is what this means in respect of back billing.

System

As you clearly know the answer to your question, then your friend's ire should be directed at BG. I wish you well. My guess is that you will have a struggle on your hands to get any write off of the amount due.

magyar

Hengus wrote: »

As you clearly know the answer to your question, then your friend's ire should be directed at BG. I wish you well. My guess is that you will have a struggle on your hands to get any write off of the amount due.

I agree! But I like a challenge! I'll post back here will what they say.

System

I have not read through all the posts but as a meter reader for British Gas i think the two year ruling is not set in stone. I think the T/Cs say "attempt " to take a reading.British Gas are the best at doing what are known as " must reads ".I also work for Scot Power and EDF, two suppliers who send me for must reads once in a blue moon because A. they ignore the 2 year "attempt " to see the meters and B. they do not want to pay the extra money these readings cost to the supplier.Probably five times the cost than a standard cyclic.Also they do not want to get involved in finding too many fiddlers because actually finding a fiddler,especially a gas fiddler, can cost them huge amounts repaying back to the Grid and possible Court warrants costs of £150, when they don t get it off the energy thief. Most cases of energy theft the money is never repaid. Much cheaper for these two suppliers is to let them get away with it. That is how a privatised energy industry works.
Magyar, that document you quoted is a "consultation " document. Its not OFGEMs rules to go back to a year. OFGEM can see that many suppliers don t give a monkeys about energy theft (UW !!! ) etc Only British Gas run a properly funded Revenue Protection Unit . The others run a skeleton crew using contractors (like us at G4S ) who are useless !

magyar

Well the SLC doesn't say anything about it at all any more. There is no obligation on suppliers to physically read meters any more.

What they do have is an obligation to *obtain* a reading once per year. If the customer supplies it, or they have a smart meter, then they don't need to fulfil the obligation.

In practice, not reading a few meters is not going to be a material breach of the licence, so to that extent BG, EDF etc. don't really need to worry that Ofgem is going to do anything.

But from the perspective of getting bills wrong, it's hard for BG to back bill > 12 months if they haven't attempted a meter read in 12 months and haven't obtained one from the customer either.

System

This is the Derogation Letter sent by Ofgem to BG in 2012 where the derogation from the SLC is given with nothing more than a welcome BG's commitment to 2 yearly meter readings (bottom of Page 1). I am not sure that lawyers would see that as a statutory commitment.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2012/12/open-letter---british-gas-two-year-metering-inspection-derrogation-application.pdf

magyar

Hengus wrote: »

This is the Derogation Letter sent by Ofgem to BG in 2012 where the derogation from the SLC is given with nothing more than a welcome BG's commitment to 2 yearly meter readings (bottom of Page 1). I am not sure that lawyers would see that as a statutory commitment.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2012/12/open-letter---british-gas-two-year-metering-inspection-derrogation-application.pdf

I still think that's irrelevant. As of (at the latest) Jul 15 there were two obligations in the licence:

1) An obligation to read the meter every two years (which as you say BG had a derogation in respect of) and
2) An obligation to ensure they receive a meter reading every year.

As of 1 Apr 2016, the first of these has been dropped. But the second was always in place.

System

magyar wrote: »

I still think that's irrelevant. As of (at the latest) Jul 15 there were two obligations in the licence:

1) An obligation to read the meter every two years (which as you say BG had a derogation in respect of) and
2) An obligation to ensure they receive a meter reading every year.

As of 1 Apr 2016, the first of these has been dropped. But the second was always in place.

As I said earlier, your fight is with BG and Ofgem. My views and those of other posters are totally irrelevant. There are many examples of posters on this forum who have suddenly been hit with very large bills because they didn't read their meters on a periodic basis.

magyar

Hengus wrote: »

As I said earlier, your fight is with BG and Ofgem. My views and those of other posters are totally irrelevant. There are many examples of posters on this forum who have suddenly been hit with very large bills because they didn't read their meters on a periodic basis.

Yep, I agree, but it's always helpful if someone else can find flaws in the argument :-)

Frankly, I normally have little sympathy with people who get large bills because they didn't read their own meter. But this is a friend of mine who I know will struggle to pay the bill, and if I can find a loophole to help her, I will...

System

The second obligation is impossible to keep and very expensive to actually perform. Not a chance in hell can that obligation be followed up about getting a reading once a year. Warrants and locksmiths would be needed constantly.This sort of thing would only happen in a Police state. Most suppliers do not even need a physical reading once a year. If they have a few years usage they can estimate it quite closely. The need to look at the meter is also used to check for energy theft. Bypassing and abstracting gas can blow the place up or set fire to the electric meter wiring.