Help needed on extremely high electricity bill

Gerry1

Robin9 said:

Gerry1 said:

Robin9 said:

Are there any BG users out there ?  Surely somewhere within the menus there will be meter readings  inc the opening one ?

Just go to the BG website. https://www.britishgas.co.uk/identity/

Gerry - the Op must have done that to get what he has posted. What he needs is guidance on is how to find the meter readings used ?

Looks like he's used the app?

Using Firefox, the navigation is: Log In > Billing > Click on 'Download' for the relevant date > Pop Up appears, select 'Open with Firefox' and click 'OK'.

Gentlegiant

Phones4Chris said:

@Gentlegiant I've read right through this thread having been pointed this way by a fellow poster here who will remain nameless, but I'm quoting your post from p6 with the bill.
That bill covers 86+47+76 = 209 days where they claim you've used 13719 kWh, that's an average of 65.64kWh per day !!!
(Comments continue below the bill).

Gentlegiant said:

MWT said:

Gentlegiant said:

Here is the most recent bill. I am not sure if it shows both rate being used but you can see i have been judged to have u more than 13000kwh between May-Dec which seems ridiculous. 

Oddly I can't see the bill, so can't comment, but for those who can see a bill posted how does the most recent meter reading shown compare to the photos of the meters posted earlier?

Here is a repost of the bill. Sorry I have had to remove so as to block out personal info. 

Whilst I'm certainly not going to dispute all the advice you've been given so far, it's all perfectly correct, but there is one very important thing I don't see mentioned - That is, you need to contact BG straight away and tell them you are disputing the bill on the grounds that you do not have electrical appliances that are capable of consuming an average of 65.64kWh per day over the 209 days of that bill. That you believe the problem here is that all BG's previous estimates have been wrong and so you have been incorrectly billed since you moved in. Hence the total usage since you moved in needs to be averaged over that total period.
(This will have the effect of reducing the total usage from Dec.2019 to Dec.2020. What's the point behind this you'll now be asking? Back Billing - OFGEM - the regulator, does not allow companies to back bill for a period of more than 12 months when you have been receiving inaccurate bills. See 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
To my way of thinking, this is totally BG's fault. They are well aware of this rule, they are at fault for not badgering you for meter readings a long time ago. Even doing this, the average consumption is still going to come out at around 20 odd kWh/day - still high.
So you can continue your dispute as follows).
It is not my fault that the previous estimates have been wrong, I wasn't aware that they were under-estimates (as I am now), I didn't know how my meter readings worked as it's a 2-rate meter but I'm billed at one rate for both readings. Since your bill, I've since been advised.on how to read it correctly. You should have sent a meter reader a long time ago and/or written to me saying you must have some accurate meter readings. I'm now also aware of OFGEM rules in that you cannot back bill me for more than 12 months usage.
Quote - "You cannot be charged for gas or electricity used more than 12 months ago if you have not been correctly billed by a supplier"
I trust you will now send me your proposals for a reasonable amended bill.
(Or of course your own words to that effect, but try and make it clear you regard the problem as totally their fault!).
(If they happen to respond saying no, and try to insist you pay the bill they've already sent, your next move would be to say that you don't agree and for them to send you a "deadlock" letter and you will refer the matter to the ombudsman - That'll cost them - but not you - around £500 for starters IIRC!)

I have contacted BG. I explained everything to the lady over the phone. She even confirmed the latest bill is a “catch up” bill off of the estimated usage because they have been forced to because I haven’t submitted a reading. I made it clear I didnt know I was meant to submit readings regularly and perhaps they should have sent a meter reader earlier or at least send a letter to this effect. Also, i told her why am I being billed for more than 12months ago if the estimates have been wrong and I have been billed wrongly.

Seems like the next stage is to involve the Ombudsman. How do I do this? What are their charges ? 

Gerry1

Better to conduct the dialogue in writing so that you have an audit trail.

@Phones4Chris has already told you how to go to the Ombudsman at no charge to yourself.  If you don't get a deadlock letter then you can go to the Ombudsman after eight weeks.

However, it might be better to do all your homework first, notably the overnight 'sanity check' on the meter.

Gentlegiant

bagand96 said:

Robin9 said:

@Gentlegiant  Have you got an online account with BG ?

Give them the latest readings NOW and get into the habit of reading the meter every month.

You haven't mentioned issues with your gas and EDF -  have you given them readings ?  

A very good point.  In theory, if there's been 2 years of no readings on the gas, the OP could be in the same situation with that!

Even if that is based on pay as you go? 

Gentlegiant

Robin9 said:

Gerry1 said:

Robin9 said:

Are there any BG users out there ?  Surely somewhere within the menus there will be meter readings  inc the opening one ?

Just go to the BG website. https://www.britishgas.co.uk/identity/

Gerry - the Op must have done that to get what he has posted. What he needs is guidance on is how to find the meter readings used ?  Hopefully what BG has used as an opening reading is what the OP gave to the former supplier when he moved in.

The mess he's in is typical of people who don't give readings - all is well until something goes wrong like it has here.

Seems I am learning my lessons the hard way. I have contacted BG and the starting readings are:

Rate 1: 20730
Rate 2: 61547

Seems accurate to what I have from the picture I took when I moved in. Now even though the readings are correct, is it a case of just paying the bill regardless of whether its estimated or not? Or involve the Ombudsman? 

Gentlegiant

matelodave said:

The bill you just put up is no help whatsoever as it was estimated, so was probably miles out anyway - without having readings it's nigh on impossible to get to the bottom of what has been going on. over the past two years. How many bills on your account are based on actual readings and how many are estimated and how many are actually based on real readings (and which rate register was being read when the readings were taken). 

One would have hoped that there was light at the end of the tunnel after fourteen pages of postings but unless you can get back to a real reading that you know BG used it's not going to be everso easy. Even if you gave them the first reading there doesn't seem to be any evidence that it was the one they actually used to open your account. Hopefully they've still got that info on record so perhaps you need to contact them directly if you can't find it on your account.

You should neve,r ever make assumptions that they have been using your readings, likewise you should not accept estimated bills, get them corrected. Hopefully, in the future (when you get this sorted out),  you'll bee reading the meter at least once a month, sending in the readings at least once a month, checking that you bills are correct at least once a month and then downloading and saving them so you don't have to try and work back over several years to find out what went wrong.

  Seems I am learning my lessons the hard way. I have contacted BG and the starting readings are:

Rate 1: 20730
Rate 2: 61547

Seems accurate to what I have from the picture I took when I moved in. Now even though the readings are correct, is it a case of just paying the bill regardless of whether its estimated or not? Or involve the Ombudsman? 

MWT

Phones4Chris said:

Whilst I'm certainly not going to dispute all the advice you've been given so far, it's all perfectly correct, but there is one very important thing I don't see mentioned - That is, you need to contact BG straight away and tell them you are disputing the bill on the grounds that you do not have electrical appliances that are capable of consuming an average of 65.64kWh per day over the 209 days of that bill.

The reason I have not suggested that yet is that based on the OPs own recent readings they are currently using around 52kWh per day which is not even close to the total usage averaged over the period of time they have been there.

That would suggest there is no reason to claim that the usage should be averaged over the entire period and would suggest that they have perhaps had a more recent change as the total consumption over the period from the initial reading in Dec '18 would suggest a much lower usage pattern...

Robin9

As others have said you have two issues


1) Meter reading and associated billing - in that you have not helped yourself by not submitting readings . Look at BG T&C's and I expect you will find a requirement that you should submit readings.   Meter readers are very rare these days - I had my first electric last month in 7 years and been through several suppliers in the meantime. Since you moved in did you not have any emails from BG asking for a reading ?


2) A high usage - the cause of which you have yet to find.   (I don't think its been asked but do you have an electric shower)   It's most unusual to have an E7 tariff when you have gas -   did it once have storage rads and then gas installed.

Robin9

Looking at your consumption

Rate 1: 20730   in Oct 18 ; 25896 now = 2250 pa  @say 18p = £400  (assume day time)
Rate 2: 61547   in Oct 18; 76736 now =  6750 pa   @ say 12p =  £800   (assume night time)

add standing charges and VAT = £1400/1500 pa 

So about £3500 since you moved in *   (NB see below about the fix running out - perhaps £4000 !)

This is very indicative of a substantial night time use - far more than just immersion - perhaps some underfloor.
Keep digging as to the cause

Also - in turning your back on this - your first years fix (assuming you took out one) ran out and you will have been on their standard Ie expensive rate since Oct 2019.

You really to so seem to be learning some mistakes the expensive way
y 

Still some outstanding questions - was this a purpose built flat or a conversion. Both have potential metering issues. The meter dates from 2001 - was this when the flat was built/converted ?








  So 

Gerry1

The Rate 2 opening reading is 397kWh below your moving in photograph.  Perhaps the previous occupier didn't give a closing reading, perhaps they gave a reading that was too low, or perhaps the The Mysterious Third Party changed it.  It's cost you an extra £94 but there's probably not much you can do about it now.  As to the Rate 2 reading, nobody will ever know how accurate that was.

The claimed readings show you have used a total of 20,365kWh.  Depending on exactly when you moved in, that's a total bill of of about £3772, so you owe them that amount less whatever you've paid them so far.

=========================

You really are your own worst enemy:-

• Have you done the overnight 'sanity check' on the meter?
• Have you done the flashing light test with the kettle?
• Have you switched to the cheapest BG tariff you can find on the CA and 'Which?' sites?

Place your bets !