BG Smart Meter ~ Daily Standing Charges

MichaelAP

Have a query if anyone can help please.

I have a British Gas Smart Meter up and running which until two days ago I have had no issues or queries with.

Each morning I would come downstairs and whilst at the sink I would look at the meter where it read for Gas anything from £0.15 to £0.17 (which was the charge for hot water between 7-8am). No other charges from midnight so £0.15 or £0.17 was the total sum for gas for that day.

However, yesterday I came down and instead of seeing £0.15 - £0.17 it read £0.32
With that I stayed up until 00:30AM this morning to read the meter again. All the previous days usage had disappeared as I expected. No gas had been used from midnight, so 30mins later at 00:30AM I read the meter and instead of seeing it show £0.00 it instead showed £0.15
That tells me BG have changed the way they display their billing, now including the daily standing charge ‘at the beginning of the day’

Okay.... it’s nothing big money wise but the query is has British Gas suddenly changed the way they present their billing on the Smart Meters?

I have tried contacting BG a few times through their Twitter feed @BritishGasHelp but no replies.

Any help please?

MeterMan

I have seen this in which you are describing for many years. I have not known it to be anything different. Its not even the whole standing charge, as thats normally 25+ pence per day.

sevenhills

My standing charges show first thing on a morning, my smart meter often shows 52p in total. That would include power to the fridge/freezer and all LED displays

MichaelAP

Thanks guys.....
I have had a word with my next door neighbour as we both had the same smart meters fitted the same day.
He agrees that we both only ever saw the actual usage for Gas. If the daily standing charge was ever applied it must have been at the end of the working day when neither of us noticed it.

I have had a look back at some of my old records and have noticed until August this year neither Gas or Electric showed a daily standing charge first thing in the morning.
However, when August came the electric commenced showing the charge first thing in the morning.
It would seem Gas has now followed suit.
Again it’s no big deal but when there is a change I do like to find out when they changed it and why?