High British Gas bills

nabberuk_2

Over the last 3 months our British Gas bills have skyrocketed. Electricity is normal, but the Gas has increased loads.

We live in a 3 bed detached with just myself and my wife, the only items in the house using the gas are; the fire in the lounge, the hob in the kitchen and the heating (hot water is electric).

Our bills for the previous 3 years have been around £60-£70 a month for both electricity and gas.

This then jumped to £160 a month and the last one is £180. We did not owe a backlog.

I spoke to them a couple of months ago and they mentioned the gas was extremely high and that I should turn off all items using the gas and check the meter also stopped - it did. Meaning there wasn't a gas leak, is it possible it's miscounting?

I'm a little stuck at the moment, we've also cancelled and moved to another provider but i'm wondering if there's a way we can get the excess back.

Robin9

Was the bill before last based on and ESTIMATED reading and the last bill on an ACTUAL reading and BG have merely been playing catch up ?

nabberuk_2

No, I've submitted meter readings which is why I believe there's an issue somewhere. There isn't a chance we have used that much gas, especially with it being the summer and we are not using the heating or gas fire. Which would leave just the gas hob.

Robin9

Just exploring possibilities - are you reading the meter correctly ?

Mine reads 02199.537 and the reading I would be submitting is 02199

The leading zero is most important - some people might enter the reading as 2199 and leave the last entry empty - the computer would read this as 21990

nabberuk_2

Robin9 wrote: »

Just exploring possibilities - are you reading the meter correctly ?

Mine reads 02199.537 and the reading I would be submitting is 02199

The leading zero is most important - some people might enter the reading as 2199 and leave the last entry empty - the computer would read this as 21990

It's an imperial meter, not a digital one so there is no leading 0. It's displayed like 9503.3 with the last digit being in red that I do not include.

NineDeuce

You may have submitted readings but check on the bill to see whether they have used your read....

It also isnt clear is whether your historical bills were estimates, with your more recent bills being catch up bills given your recent read submissions.

Another explanation could be that your contract with British Gas has expired and that you have fallen on to out of contract rates. Compare your tariff rates with last year.

Failing that, it is almost certainly going to be your usage.

Robin9

How does 9503 appear on your bill.

Can you post a copy of your latest deleting your personal info.

nabberuk_2

I've asked for a history of my meter reading history from them and I can no longer obtain them as the account has been cancelled - rubbish!

Robin9

Can you not access your account online and download pdf copies of your bills ?

Other Forum Users - Does the FOI apply for a fee of £10 in such cases ?

System

Robin9 wrote: »

Can you not access your account online and download pdf copies of your bills ?

Other Forum Users - Does the FOI apply for a fee of £10 in such cases ?

I doubt it as BG is a private entity. If you mean Data Proterction, then the answer is 'yes'. BG would have to respond to a Subject Access Request but without wading through all the legislation, I am not sure that bills come under the category of personal data.

https://ico.org.uk

macman

nabberuk wrote: »

No, I've submitted meter readings which is why I believe there's an issue somewhere. There isn't a chance we have used that much gas, especially with it being the summer and we are not using the heating or gas fire. Which would leave just the gas hob.

Plus all your water heating, which is the second biggest gas user after the CH.
Post some actual usage figures in kWh, because ££'s doesn't really tell us anything.