Set up with Incorrect Gas Metre

HMN5681

I moved into my new build Flat in 2008. The development company set up our gas metres with the Energy company, I used the metre serial number on my first bill to detect which metre belongs to me, so have been using that for the last 9 years.

I had a Gas service last week and they detected that it does not belong to my flat as it did not move in sync with the heating and gas rings being turned on. We detected the correct metre and I have contacted my energy company to advise. They have asked for the correct metre reading and I need to send another one in 2 weeks.

Problem I have now is that I have been with several companies in the last 9 years. The gas metre I have been using is more than double what the correct metre states, therefore been overpaying by alot! Would anyone know, if I can claim back the overpayments. This is baring in mind I have no real metre readings to give previous companies, whos responsibility is it to get all of this corrected?

System

The ‘short’ answer is you but there is a lot in your post that doesn’t stack up.

Check your meter and bills to make sure that you have identified the correct meter. Double check who your supplier is:

https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/guides/who-supplies-my-electricity-and-gas/

Are you saying that an incorrect meter has been registered against your address? If this is the case, your present supplier will have to resolve this for you as it involves a number of industry parties. Presumably, A N Other will have your meter registered against their address? Someone is going to have to break the bad news to them.

As far as getting over payments back, I doubt that any of your other suppliers will be interested. Your present supplier MAY be willing to agree a revised start of contract meter reading with you based on the reading showing on the correct meter - along with an assessment of past usage.

This may take some weeks to resolve.

HMN5681

Thanks for your reply. My supplier is OVO, I have been with them for 2 years. The serial number of the Gas Meter which is on my bill (which is the Gas Meter I have been reading and giving to energy company) is actually not the correct meter linked to the flat, so I'm guessing the development company mixed up the meters when they set the energy companies up when the building was first built.

I'm in the process of selling my flat so this should be fun to sort out before I move out

footyguy

HMN5681 wrote: »

I moved into my new build Flat in 2008. The development company set up our gas metres with the Energy company, I used the metre serial number on my first bill to detect which metre belongs to me, so have been using that for the last 9 years.

I had a Gas service last week and they detected that it does not belong to my flat as it did not move in sync with the heating and gas rings being turned on. We detected the correct metre and I have contacted my energy company to advise. They have asked for the correct metre reading and I need to send another one in 2 weeks.

Problem I have now is that I have been with several companies in the last 9 years. The gas metre I have been using is more than double what the correct metre states, therefore been overpaying by alot! Would anyone know, if I can claim back the overpayments. This is baring in mind I have no real metre readings to give previous companies, whos responsibility is it to get all of this corrected?

May be you have been UNDERPAYING, rather than overpaying.

How you (and indeed whover is reporting your meter) allowed this situation to continue for so many years is beyond me. :huh:
An annual gas safety check (if you, or the other party/ies involved, had had one) would have picked this up, as you have now found.

Oh well, the good/bad news is that they won't go back further than 6 years. The existing supplier will probably only go back as long as you have been with them, so you may have some work to do if you have been a frequent switcher (all of which may have been in vain if you have been assuming an incorrect annual consumption as you have been referring to the wrong meter for almost a decade. :cool:)

Good luck!

House_Martin

HMN5681 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. My supplier is OVO, I have been with them for 2 years. The serial number of the Gas Meter which is on my bill (which is the Gas Meter I have been reading and giving to energy company) is actually not the correct meter linked to the flat, so I'm guessing the development company mixed up the meters when they set the energy companies up when the building was first built.

I'm in the process of selling my flat so this should be fun to sort out before I move out

I am a meter reader and i can vouch for the truth of this.Virtually every set of new build estates or flats have these problems.Incredible how the buildings managers responsible for this still keep doing the same old mistakes in messing up who s meter gos to each property..You would think it was a simple affair to get right..Problems starts with the initial labeling of the the properties as plot numbers which at various times turn into house/flat numbers as the properties get sold off.
Its very rare for someone to overpay for this long, underpay yes, as we all want cheap energy..So the persons meter you were paying ended up with a nice cheap bill and he/she would not be in a hurry to complain..You could trace the meter you thought was yours to the rightful owner by a" kettle on/off " test for electric, or gas ring on/off and observe the meter stopping and starting, thats if the neighbour wants to play ball...then chase his/her supplier for recompense ..They too were part of the mess up..best of luck with that one.
You may be easily able to see a newer OVO meter in an outside box or meter cupboard as they use mostly awful meters by Secure Liberty as smart meters..These meters have a keypad..They remain in even if you switch from OVO..Personally I would nt want one of these meters if OVO end up offering you one.

HMN5681

The correct meter is alot lower than the one I've been paying, so I'm assuming I've been overpaying.
I had my first gas check last year (I've been very lucky in the fact I've never had anything wrong with my boiler or heating) That gas check did not even pick this up, which makes me think that company is very incompetent. No-one has picked it up till now.

HMN5681

Thank you for your help, Ill be contacting my neighbors and try get this resolved.

brewerdave

HMN5681 wrote: »

Thank you for your help, Ill be contacting my neighbors and try get this resolved.

If your neighbours get to realise that they have been underpaying (for maybe years!!) don't expect a lot of co-operation!! Also, there may well have been multiple occupants.

System

HMN5681 wrote: »

The correct meter is alot lower than the one I've been paying, so I'm assuming I've been overpaying.
I had my first gas check last year (I've been very lucky in the fact I've never had anything wrong with my boiler or heating) That gas check did not even pick this up, which makes me think that company is very incompetent. No-one has picked it up till now.

A gas safety check/boiler service doesn’t include checking that the correct meter is registered to any given property. The engineer will just check that there are no leaks etc. Most of the gas safety check involves the boiler and the flue.

House_Martin

Gas safe engineers always connect with nipple on the occupiers gas meter to check for any leaks throughout the property, so in this case if he did that, he did the check on the neighbours system .Not his fault, but could have been letting a potentially dangerous fault slip by.