Gas estimated usage zero!

Suse71

A complex one but please can someone help?
I own a bungalow that is classed as my second home but my mum was living in it. 

She paid the gas/electric. 

A smart meter was fitted that appeared to read gas and electric. 

She was on direct debit. 

She passed away Mar 2020. About 3 months before she was refunded about £250 as she was over paying. 

I took over the bill in Mar 2020 and the account was in credit. 

I assumed the bills ran off the smart meter until they called me last week saying they “could not connect to the meter” so could I submit a new reading. 

The reading was 2400 vs their estimate of 402. 

Looking through bills it appears they have been estimating the gas at zero for months.  

So what I need help on is:
1. Am I liable for the previous money owed?
2. Why have they been estimating it at zero?  Isn’t this “their fault”
3. Why was mum given a refund for over paying when clearly they weren’t estimating her bill properly(she was disabled and had meter readings)

something doesn’t seem right. Ive raised a complaint but wanted to be armed with things to say. I don’t understand how they can say the smart meter cannot connect but then also say the smart meter isn’t set to take gas readings. 

Any advice / help gratefully received! I’m worried I owe a lot of money. 

[Deleted User]

Hi,

you say,

'A smart meter was fitted that appeared to read gas and electric.'

One meter doesn't do both, you need a smart electric and a smart gas meter.

MWT

Possibly confusing the 'In-Home Device' (IHD) which will show both electricity and gas, with the meter which will of course only show its own energy type...

For the OP... were the energy accounts in her name or yours?

Robin9

Just checking - when you read the actual gas meter (not the IHD) what were the letters that followed 2400   - kWh or m3 ?
What about the electric meter  ?  Are bills there estimated (E) actual (A) or consumer (C) ?

Hasbeen

Op you need to take a reading from the actual gas meter perhaps outside,  should be reading like this 12345m3 and also you could take a reading from the electric meter should be inside.

Forget the little device IHD that sits on worktop etc inside. 

Photos would help?

When you quote "I took over the bill in Mar 2020" I assume that you changed the account to your name?

Have you ever given any readings since then?

Cardew

If there is a valid bill, your mother's estate is liable for the bill.

On the meter readings and refund, It really doesn't matter if it is 'their fault'. If companies make a mistake, they can correct that mistake.

Suse71

By valid do you mean not an estimate?  I’m sorry. This may sound really stupid but it’s really worrying. As I own the property and always have I don’t know if it’s me who is liable. 

For those asking about me reading the real meter I have.  I assumed it was all off a smart meter and I read the meter and gave the reading 12 months ago when I took over the account. Then it was empty and in credit. There’s only been 4 bills. I thought it was linked to the smart meter but clearly not. 

All energy accounts were in mums name. Now in mine but the estimates go back ages so they didn’t seem to read the meter. Ever. And don’t seem to have taken my reading into account. 

Units are m3. And electric is not estimated. That does run off the smart meter. 

Robin9

You rarely see a meter reader these days - the system relies on you. Have you had any emails prompting you to read them. 

 

Suse71

No emails no. Just this out of the blue call. What threw me is them saying “we are having trouble connecting to your gas smart meter”. But clearly there never was one!   I still don’t see how it’s gone from 400 E. to 2400. And why they were estimating the gas consumption at zero. 

Robin9

The 400 E is a guess -  the accurate number is the 2400 you gave them.
When was the Smart meter actually installed ? There will be a sticker on the meter itself (or a card next to it)

Suse71

Yeah I know E is estimated. I just don’t understand why they are estimating gas usage of zero.  That makes no sense. So basically I owe over a grand for 6months in a tiny 1 bed flat where there’s in GCH. That doesn’t not add up.