Back-billing for the past 5 years!

MWT

What I'm hoping to see is that they thought you had a metric meter and so were dramatically under estimating your gas usage, this would be an error on their part and potentially opens the door to the back-billing rules covering you as they are not entitled to correct their mistake 5 years later to your detriment...

zafyha

MWT said:

zafyha said:

In 2015, reading was 8141.
in 2020 reading was 2175. 

I’ll try and attach a pic of the gas meter here...

Perfect, thanks, so we now know it is an older imperial meter with 4 digits measuring in cubic ft.

You've used approx. 127,124kWh to date, which is quite a lot, but not impossible.

From your previous bills or annual statements can you say what they were estimating your annual gas use to be?

Well in Dec 2019 they estimated gas usage at 8811 KWH 
in April 2019 it was 8443 KWH
In July 2020 (so after the submission of the actual meter reading) they are estimating gas usage as 8720 KWH 
I do have more annual usage details if that helps...

MWT

zafyha said:

Well in Dec 2019 they estimated gas usage at 8811 KWH 
in April 2019 it was 8443 KWH
In July 2020 (so after the submission of the actual meter reading) they are estimating gas usage as 8720 KWH 
I do have more annual usage details if that helps...

That would suggest that they think you have a metric meter, look for any references to m3 on the bills...

Talldave

I suspect they're treating your meter as metric. In which case, your financial problems are about to get 3 times as bad.

tehone

From Ofgem

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/who-contact-if-its-difficult-paying-energy-bills/energy-back-billing-guide-your-rights#:~:text=A back bill is a,correctly billed by a supplier.

[quote]

What is back billing?

A back bill is a catch-up bill sent by a gas or electricity supplier when you have not been correctly charged for your energy use.

We've put in place 'back billing' rules that mean:

• You cannot be charged for gas or electricity used more than 12 months ago if you have not been correctly billed by a supplier.
• Suppliers must make these terms clear in their terms and conditions.

The rules apply to household and microbusiness energy customers.

They may not apply if you have behaved obstructively or unreasonably, preventing accurate billing. This could include:

• blocking meter readings at your property on more than one occasion
• stealing gas or electricity. 

[/quote]

zafyha

MWT said:

zafyha said:

Well in Dec 2019 they estimated gas usage at 8811 KWH 
in April 2019 it was 8443 KWH
In July 2020 (so after the submission of the actual meter reading) they are estimating gas usage as 8720 KWH 
I do have more annual usage details if that helps...

That would suggest that they think you have a metric meter, look for any references to m3 on the bills...

Yes there is a reference to m3 but also to imperial 
Im posting some pics to help clarify...

MWT

Talldave said:

I suspect they're treating your meter as metric. In which case, your financial problems are about to get 3 times as bad.

I'm not sure though, I think they may have just realised their mistake which is why they have re-billed from the opening reading as if they still thought is was metric then to go around the clock from an 8,000 opening reading would have generated an even more stupid bill on a 5 digit meter...

stewie_griffin

zafyha said:

MWT said:

zafyha said:

Well in Dec 2019 they estimated gas usage at 8811 KWH 
in April 2019 it was 8443 KWH
In July 2020 (so after the submission of the actual meter reading) they are estimating gas usage as 8720 KWH 
I do have more annual usage details if that helps...

That would suggest that they think you have a metric meter, look for any references to m3 on the bills...

Yes there is a reference to m3 but also to imperial 
Im posting some pics to help clarify...

Look at your old bills and not your current one.

zafyha

I’m trying to upload another pic-

rp1974

If as per your opening post,they sent someone to read your meter,which they either didnt do or they failed to write or enter those readings correctly,it looks to me anyway that you should not be paying for anything previous to the past 12 months.Could be wrong though,find out as soon as possible if your being billed for metric instead of imperial.