Phantom reading on account

Annabee

Has this happened to anyone else?   We switched to a new supplier at the end of December and sent in our opening readings, which were accepted and passed on to the old supplier.  So far so good.  We are paying monthly by DD.
But we just got a statement from the new supplier at the weekend showing that we had apparently used over £350 worth of gas just in January!  The bill showed our opening reading, then an apparent reading (not estimate) from 12 January, giving a very high reading.   I read the meter again, and it is not showing anything like that reading, it has just increased at a normal amount from the opening reading.  Their bill is incorrect.   We didn't send in a reading on 12 January, why would we have done, and just for the gas, not the electricity?   No meter readers have been to the house either.   Has this happened to anyone else and can anyone think of an explanation?  (BTW, I have checked the meter serial number and it corresponds with the one on the bill, so can't be a mix up with the neighbour's reading or something like that.)

Hasbeen

Perhaps contacting your supplier with current reading would help? You are giving them monthly readings I hope? 

Annabee

Ok, so I phoned them and gave them the up to date readings, which they accepted.  They couldn't really offer an explanation, but just took my word for it, and will be sending out a revised bill.   Still baffled though, how has someone gone into our account and entered a random reading?!

[Deleted User]

What’s an apparent reading if it is not an estimate, or are you saying that the reading has an ‘A’ annotation against it? If it is the latter, then the supplier is treating it as an actual reading. This should be easily resolved: offer them a photo of your meter reading.

Hasbeen

Glitch somewhere? Just keep an eye on your account and give monthly readings. If you have a smart meter? still check it against your bills.

Annabee

[Deleted User] said:

What’s an apparent reading if it is not an estimate, or are you saying that the reading has an ‘A’ annotation against it? If it is the latter, then the supplier is treating it as an actual reading. This should be easily resolved: offer them a photo of your meter reading.

No it just said 'reading' on the bill for the non-existent reading on 12 January,  then at a later date they'd put in their own 'estimated' reading.    'Apparent' was just my word. As they didn't use the word 'estimate' for the 12 January reading, it appeared they thought it was an actual reading, from us or a meter reader.   They are not disputing my readings so no need for meter photos I think.  I just find it strange and wonder what happened!

[Deleted User]

Ok. The most likely reason is that your meter was due to be read by a meter reader (possibly arranged by an old supplier), and the meter reader read the wrong meter. I have SMETS2 meters and a couple of months ago an errant meter reading also appeared on my statement with an ‘A’ annotation. When I queried this, I was told that readings taken by a meter reader are never challenged by the supplier’s system even when they are getting smart meter readings!