Unexplainable bill from E.on

Faye_Emma

Hi all, I hope someone can help. We have a rental house that has currently been empty and up for sale for the past 8 months. I’ve turned the gas lever to off, everything is off and no energy is going into the small 2 bedroom house. I’ve given readings and several meter readers have been out to take readings, yet E.on have sent a bill for usage for 5 months for £1040!!! We have called them over and over and they are saying that the gas is being used as the readings are increasing. Who uses £1040 worth of gas in 5 months for a small 2 bed house??? We don’t use that in a year at our 5 bedroom house?! A guy came out from E.on and said that the meter was faulty but when we call them they don’t listen. We asked for the gas to be shut off when the house was first empty but they wouldn’t do it! We also asked for a new meter, again they won’t do it! It’s causing my partner so much distress that her mental health has gone to pot and anxiety is getting worse. We are at a loss as to what to do. We aren’t getting a bill from the electricity so why can’t they see that if no electric is being used in 8 months why is the gas so high?! :mad: can anyone advise us on what to do next? Thanks, Faye

molerat

Is the meter increasing ?

Simply shut the main valve and tape it closed. Photograph the meter daily. Send a formal written complaint.

Faye_Emma

Hi, thanks for your reply. We have turned it off and yes the numbers are increasing. We sent the case to the ombudsman and they were ordered to pay £30 compensation. But they refuse to come and test the meter or take it away to be tested and put a new one in!

House_Martin

Is it a metric digital gas meter. A small white one, usually made by Siemens or Landis Gyr.?
These meters are on record on here seen to go haywire and randomly advancing the digits, witnessed in front of a meter fitter from one poster on here many years ago.
A video of the closed off horizontal control valve and a moving digital display would be absolutely brilliant !

Faye_Emma

Hi, yes it’s made by Landis Gyr and measures in m3 :-)

Faye_Emma

I!!!8217;m going to the house in a bit and I!!!8217;ll see what I can get. It doesn!!!8217;t move in front of my eyes but it moves enough to create a monster bill! Lol

Faye_Emma

August 17 reading: 18442.476 m3
October 17 reading: 18442.476 m3
November 17 reading: 20897.630 m3
March 18 (today) reading: 21435.031 m3

The house was and still is empty but somehow £1000 worth of energy was used in a month!!

dogshome

Don't use the phone !
Instead write a letter headed Complaint - Just like that BIG & BOLD.
Set out the details of this saga, particularly the visit from a meter man who declared the meter faulty.

Also take a close look at the bill and check that the meter No it lists, is actually yours

House_Martin

The big move in apparent usage is between October to November when over £800 was indicated as used ...Impossible !
I once found an exterior gas meter which had a nipple on the meter which ahd completely blown out allowing gas to escape at high pressure, thankfully into the open, which did nt get through that amount of gas.
From Nov to March only £180 was indicated as metered usage, which is pretty normal usage.
I m a meter man and the only way I can tell a gas meter is faulty is if the digital screen is blank or the reading has stopped advancing on analogue gas meters due to a sticking index.
Did this meter reader explain why he thought the meter was faulty ? He would have noted that on his PDA .
Other than that I don`t think anyone could state a meter is faulty without internal examination or a noticeable gas leak which I can clearly smell.

stewie_griffin

dogshome wrote: »

Don't use the phone !
Instead write a letter headed Complaint - Just like that BIG & BOLD.
Set out the details of this saga, particularly the visit from a meter man who declared the meter faulty.

Also take a close look at the bill and check that the meter No it lists, is actually yours

It would appear a complaint has already been through the Ombudsman so writing again would seem futile.

OP check the serial number on the meter and see if it starts with E6. These type of meters are prone to incrementing i.e. they advance when no gas is used.

If I was you I would ask for an ofmat test and if necessary even pay the fee of about £120 as you'll get this back if the meter is found to be faulty. Plus you'll get a new meter at the same time.

brianposter

Can you not simply report a gas leak ?