Disputing British Gas bill - don't want credit file mark

Windofchange

Hi all,

We have been incorrectly billed by British Gas who have used estimated readings for the past two years, and have now sent me a colossal catch up bill. I have called them to advise them that there is no way I'm paying this under the 12 months back billing rules, and that due to our landlord not giving us access to the utilities cupboard for 5 months when we moved in, we have no way of knowing what the starting reading was anyway. The lady on the phone said she was re-issuing the bill, which she has now done with the amount owed being reduced by £800 ish, but my online account won't let me access it - just says bill not available. I have a feeling that they are still going to try and bill us for the 2 years as she wasn't accepting of my reasoning behind not being billed, but I can't check at present to see what is in there.

The problem I have is that we are exchanging on a new house purchase tomorrow / the next day with completion in the next few weeks. The original bill has a payment deadline of July 24th which is this Friday. My questions are:

1) Will the new bill likely have an adjusted payment date as it is a new bill? i.e. will it be due in August?
2) If I am disputing the bill and therefore don't pay by July 24th, will it go down as a late payment and mark my credit file? 
3) Do British Gas immediately record a default / late payment, or does it go through a process first of first reminder, second reminder, final demand and then mark your credit file? 

I would check all this with British Gas, but at present I can't access the bill to see what they have done. Anyone been through this? The stress of the house purchase is enough without this to worry about ontop. Needless to say I don't want to screw up my mortgage offer by getting a red mark on my file at the 12th hour, so I am contemplating just paying anyway and then chasing British Gas through OFGEM for a refund if they find in my favour. 

onesixfive

Hi, why don't you simply copy your email to customercomplaints@britishgas.co.uk & mark it urgent - I am sure somebody will answer it - or ask them to call you to discuss & mediate.

comeandgo

You won't be able to use the 12 month rule as they have been sending you bills.  The fact you have not updated the readings is not their fault.

MWT

Windofchange said:

I have a feeling that they are still going to try and bill us for the 2 years as she wasn't accepting of my reasoning behind not being billed, but I can't check at present to see what is in there.

They are certainly entitled to do that...

They have an obligation to read the meter at least once every two years and it sounds like that is exactly what they have done.

If you are not happy with estimated billing and the inevitable catch-up they you must provide your own meter readings and any problems you have accessing the meter are of no interest to BG, that is between you and your landlord.

If you've managed to get BG to reduce the bill as you suggest then I'd grab that opportunity to settle at the lower figure as quickly as you can but I wouldn't be surprised to find the reduction was an error that will get reversed.

You have not been 'incorrectly' billed and your situation is not covered by the back-billing rules.

Windofchange

MWT said:

Windofchange said:

I have a feeling that they are still going to try and bill us for the 2 years as she wasn't accepting of my reasoning behind not being billed, but I can't check at present to see what is in there.

They are certainly entitled to do that...

They have an obligation to read the meter at least once every two years and it sounds like that is exactly what they have done.

If you are not happy with estimated billing and the inevitable catch-up they you must provide your own meter readings and any problems you have accessing the meter are of no interest to BG, that is between you and your landlord.

If you've managed to get BG to reduce the bill as you suggest then I'd grab that opportunity to settle at the lower figure as quickly as you can but I wouldn't be surprised to find the reduction was an error that will get reversed.

You have not been 'incorrectly' billed and your situation is not covered by the back-billing rules.

Thanks for the info. To my understanding reading the back billing code on the British Gas site it does apply:

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/aem6/content/dam/britishgas/downloads/code-of-practice/back-billing-for-domestic-customers.pdf

Would page 12 not apply?

“Yes. Because the back-billing principle says that suppliers must try to get a valid meter reading at least once every 12 months. The correct reading when taken (in this example) shows that you have been undercharged.”

I called them about a month after moving in and setup a direct debit for £50 a month which they have never taken, instead charging me a quarterly amount based entirely on estimated bills for a period of just under two years. I have no idea how they have estimated the initial meter reading, and it is therefore understandable I am questioning exactly what I am being charged. They have used a figure of 6500 or so kw/h as the initial reading on a new build house where we were the first to move in. It’s entirely possible that the builders used the supply for a few months whilst working there, but I have monthly photos going back 16 months to show the readings, and what British Gas are wanting is very wide of the mark compared to what I can prove we used. 

Anyway. I’m happy to pay what I owe. This isn’t about getting out of paying, but I am more concerned about getting a late payment on my file literally the week we are about to exchange on a house purchase. If I just pay the bill now and OFGEM / British Gas uphold my complaint under back billing, can I reclaim money back at a later date? I’m thinking that might be the best solution? I have been saving the £49 a month British Gas should have collected and therefore have most of what I need to clear the revised bill anyway. 

MWT

Keep in mind that 'try to get a valid meter reading' does include asking you to provide one either via your online account or via mail.

... but to answer your main question, if you can pay the bill now without incurring financial hardship then I'd do it to protect the mortgage offer from any risks. You can still write to BG as a complaint and tell them you are paying it under protest but do not accept the amount and wish to continue your existing complaint...

RelievedSheff

You will have to pay for the energy that you have used. It is not British Gas's fault that you have not been supplying meter readings. The time to query the opening meter reading was two years ago not now, that horse has bolted!

Take this lesson forward to your new home and ensure that you submit regular meter readings to avoid being in the same situation again. Submit readings at least once a month to make sure that you are not getting estimated meter reading. If the new property is fitted with smart meters then make sure that they are sending readings to your supplier, don't just assume that they are and also check that they are supplying the correct meter readings.

Also make sure that you switch to the new suppliers best tariff for your needs otherwise you will be on the standard rate tariff which will be expensive.

rp1974

I would pay it now and resolve later,its not worth risking any adverse credit.Lack of access is between you and your landlord only,why/how did that happen?.I had a nightmare when moving,British Gas were the biggest PITA imaginable,if my meter reads werent supplied,upon opening they attempted to bill me for 6 months of previously unoccupied usage.Did you supply opening reads as soon as you had access?,why when you knew the direct debit wasnt being taken did that continue for another 23 months?,especially as you know you were being billed quarterly using estimates.The pictures might help your case a bit,are a few months missing?.If you went to the extent of taking pictures of meters I cant grasp why you wouldnt give the meter readings as well in whatever way was agreed upon.Hindsights a wonderful thing though,try the backbilling regulation by all means as nothing ventured nothing gained,do prepare yourself for your case being rejected.

Windofchange

Thanks for the replies all. British Gas have never called, mailed, posted things etc etc to try and get a meter reading or to chase me for anything. I'm not going to spend another 40 mins on hold trying to get through to their call centre to chase them to bill me, so hence yes, it was just left and I ticked over with estimated bills, saving the money I would be paying to give them a lump sum when it came to it, which it now has. 

The situation was exacerbated by a real tool of a landlord who was obstructive at every turn - wouldn't allow us access to read the meter in his utility room for the development which is under lock and key despite multiple mails and texts. I only actually gained access through luck one day when a key was left by one of his builders and I let myself in. From that point on, it was hit and miss as to whether I could get in or not around when his men were on site. It is a smart meter that we have, but the bloke is a cowboy and I've no doubt it was wired up on the cheap like everything else in the property, and hence it never worked. I could go on with all the issues we have had, and can't wait to be rid of him. 

Anyway, I think that having had a think, I am going to just pay what British Gas are asking for and then raise a query with them once our mortgage is completed in a few weeks and we move out. I'm still not entirely sure if it is a case that if you are one day late with payment it gets marked on your file, but it's not worth the risk I guess given the amount of money at stake once we have exchanged contracts. I do genuinely believe that whatever I should or shouldn't have done, British Gas have not covered themselves in glory with this. It implicitly says in the back billing rules that the assumption is that the customer is not an expert, and it is 100% the onus of the company to get their billing right. That is the fundamental basis of any business is it not? Regardless of the rights and wrongs, if they can't be bothered to run their business in the proper manner, I'm not going to chase them to sort it out!