British Gas final bill received 9 months after account closed

19briot

I've received the shock of my life! 9 months after switching from BG to Octopus (thank you Martin) I have received a final bill from BG saying I owe more than £6K!! 

I've been in contact with British Gas, and they've said  that I gave an incorrect reading back in 2018 .I've argued that I've had meter readers in my house between now and then, yet they've claimed they couldn't access my property (who were the readers that did turn up then???) I would not record when my property was visited who would, but I know they've been . I switched over to Octopus in May 2020. In March 2020, British Gas refunded me a sum of over £500. After closing the account in May, I received another refund of £30. As far as I was concerned my contract with them was finished.  So you can imagine my shock, when I received this email saying 'you need to get in touch with us urgently about your final bill. I also received an email from them saying, we've cancelled your direct debit (21January).

At first, I thought this was a scam, but I've since been in touch with their complaints department, who have given me an address for the energy trust to help me. Apart from the stress of covid, and the fact I'm a furloughed single mum with a disabled child, I am besides myself with worry. Please can someone give me some advice thank you

macman

What is the exact period that this billing covers? It's difficult to tell from your post whether back-billing rules would apply here.

Meters only need to be read every two years by the supplier, so were you submitting regular reads yourself, or relying on estimated bills? if so, a big catch-up bill can be the result.

The delay is unfortunate, but perfectly legitimate: they can bill you up to 6 years after the event (if back billing rules permit).

19briot

Thank you for the reply. I supplied 2 readings in 2018 and 1 in 2019. I don't really understand what back billing means

Hasbeen

So you relied on estimated bills? rather than supplying a reading every month.

Did you give an  ACTUAL final reading when you switched in 2020. Or did you just tell Octopus the last estimated reading you had.

Are you checking your meter now and providing readings to Octopus?

I would check now as you may find you are now in debt to them as well?

Click on link re back billing. If you haven’t received an energy bill in a while - Citizens Advice

[Deleted User]

macman said:

Meters only need to be read every two years by the supplier, so were you submitting regular reads yourself, or relying on estimated bills? if so, a big catch-up bill can be the result.

Quote: 21B.4 The licensee must take all reasonable steps to obtain a meter reading (including any meter reading transmitted electronically from a meter to the licensee or provided by the Customer and accepted by the licensee) for each of its Customers at least once every year.

This paragraph does not apply in relation to any Customer with a Prepayment Meter. Unquote

There is no longer any Licence requirement for suppliers to physically read meters.

19briot

Hasbeen said:

So you relied on estimated bills? rather than supplying a reading every month.

Did you give an  ACTUAL final reading when you switched in 2020. Or did you just tell Octopus the last estimated reading you had.

Are you checking your meter now and providing readings to Octopus?

I would check now as you may find you are now in debt to them as well?

Click on link re back billing. If you haven’t received an energy bill in a while - Citizens Advice

Are you telling me or asking me?  I’m asking for advice about the bill not a lecture. I did provide a final reading to them back in April 2020. Like I said, they even gave me a refund. 

pallyman

All Hasbeen is asking did you take a meter read yourself on the final read.

19briot

I think I said I did provide a final meter reading above? 

niktheguru

You need to give a lot more information here. You say you only gave 3 meter readings in 2 years but you did give an accurate closing reading in May. What did the last bill from British Gas say? When you received the 500 and 30 quid refunds what did the bills say during those months, were they based on estimates or the reading you gave? Did you check those bills?
how is the final bill different from the previous bill?

my guess is the bills when u were given credits were based on estimated readings which were way off what your actual readings were. How do the readings on those bills compare with your documented final reading?
it sounds very bizarre that you’d be 6000 pounds out suggesting it could be an error.
for anyone on here to actually help you need to provide more figures, copies of the last few bills (with name,address etc redacted) and what your last documented meter readings were please.

Hasbeen

19briot said:

Hasbeen said:

So you relied on estimated bills? rather than supplying a reading every month.

Did you give an  ACTUAL final reading when you switched in 2020. Or did you just tell Octopus the last estimated reading you had.

Are you checking your meter now and providing readings to Octopus?

I would check now as you may find you are now in debt to them as well?

Click on link re back billing. If you haven’t received an energy bill in a while - Citizens Advice

Are you telling me or asking me?  I’m asking for advice about the bill not a lecture. I did provide a final reading to them back in April 2020. Like I said, they even gave me a refund. 

LOL it is a reply to your question trying to confirm what you have tried to state.

AS above: Did you give an  ACTUAL final reading when you switched in 2020. Or did you just tell Octopus the last estimated reading you had.

You now say you did? As per your post? "I supplied 2 readings in 2018 and 1 in 2019."   Was the final from an estimated bill or from the meter?
 
And the question again that you have not answered, is are you supplying now supplying readings to octopus?

This is to ensure you are perhaps not rebuilding a problem with them similar to BG

If you switched away last May why are BG informing you that they have cancelled your DD on the 21st Jan?

Please post a photo of your meter showing display, and copies of last bills with hopefully one from a year ago.

Is this a gas meter? does the reading end in m3 or kWh? 

£6000 is very wrong. It could be the estimates or the meter has been reading or read wrongly? 

People here spend considerable time and effort trying to advise, recommend and help. So you will get questions you do not think relevant or as you think lecturing, which it was not. You need to be aware you will get asked questions to establish facts to try and help you, it is beneficial to you, to reply. Not snippy comments back 
Hope you get your problem solved.

19briot

As I’m fairly new to this, and as it’s been pointed out to me, I appreciate everyone’s time and effort, please excuse my ‘ snippy’ comments , I’m not used to being ‘ told off’ for asking for advise.  There’s a way of saying things.  I will taje on board some of the comments and do my own investigations. Thanks for the help