Wrong/ Extra meter at my house!

Ovalbee

I’m looking for some help/ advice here. 4 years ago someone registered a new meter for a new property, but used my address instead of their own when they set up their first account with British Gas. Since then I’ve had 2 meters registered at my address and get bills for both, the most recent was a demand for over £3.5k to be paid by 18th March. British Gas know it’s not my meter but they refuse to remove my address from the wrong meter until they find the actual
address - apparently they have to have an address associated with a meter even if it’s the wrong one! They haven’t found where the meter is in 4 years, and despite numerous promises not to send me bill demands they keep
sending them to me!!!! I’ve raised this with the Ombudsman too but I’m desperate to get this sorted as I’ve sold my house now. Has anyone else had this problem and how can I get this sorted - I can’t force British Gas to correct the error!! 

JohnB47

So you've raised this with this with the ombudsman. What is the result?

Carrot007

It would be easier if you work out the issue yourself.

Yes you have no obligaation to but hey , easy life.

Trouble is new properties get registered under plot numbers. These never relate to house numbers, and m,many builders just do not care.

So with new build and external box, go looking and sort it out yourself, if someone get's upset it is probably them not wanting to pay.

As I said you have no reson to do this, but ask yourself one thing. Do you want an easy life.

Ovalbee

Carrot007 said:

It would be easier if you work out the issue yourself.

Yes you have no obligaation to but hey , easy life.

Trouble is new properties get registered under plot numbers. These never relate to house numbers, and m,many builders just do not care.

So with new build and external box, go looking and sort it out yourself, if someone get's upset it is probably them not wanting to pay.

As I said you have no reson to do this, but ask yourself one thing. Do you want an easy life.

British Gas have no idea where this new property is, so I’ve no idea how I could find it. They have been monitoring that account but who knows where it is? My house has had the same meter since gas was installed decades ago. 

Ovalbee

JohnB47 said:

So you've raised this with this with the ombudsman. What is the result?

No result with them so far. I just wondered if someone has had a similar problem - I can’t be the only one! 

HampshireH

Carrot007 said:

It would be easier if you work out the issue yourself.

Yes you have no obligaation to but hey , easy life.

Trouble is new properties get registered under plot numbers. These never relate to house numbers, and m,many builders just do not care.

So with new build and external box, go looking and sort it out yourself, if someone get's upset it is probably them not wanting to pay.

As I said you have no reson to do this, but ask yourself one thing. Do you want an easy life.

How would they do this? Surely it could be anywhere in the country?

brewerdave

Ovalbee said:

JohnB47 said:

So you've raised this with this with the ombudsman. What is the result?

No result with them so far. I just wondered if someone has had a similar problem - I can’t be the only one! 

Similar problems occur regularly on these forums - but normally with new build developments or flat conversions. Have you had any new houses constructed locally? ,because that seems to be the obvious place to look if your house has had its supply for many years.

Ovalbee

HampshireH said:

Carrot007 said:

It would be easier if you work out the issue yourself.

Yes you have no obligaation to but hey , easy life.

Trouble is new properties get registered under plot numbers. These never relate to house numbers, and m,many builders just do not care.

So with new build and external box, go looking and sort it out yourself, if someone get's upset it is probably them not wanting to pay.

As I said you have no reson to do this, but ask yourself one thing. Do you want an easy life.

How would they do this? Surely it could be anywhere in the country?

I suspect that’s true - it could be anywhere. I don’t know if it was intentional or not as I don’t know too much how the system works - I can only go on what British Gas have told me. But they insist they can not correct the problem until the meter is found - as the national gas meter database has to have an address on it EVEN if it’s the wrong one!! How is that right! British Gas keep promising to freeze the account so no bills are sent out, but as soon as a new gas estimate is made they re-activate the account and send me a bill!!! 

Farway

A long shot but trying going down the Data Registration [Information Commissioner] route

You'll have to DYO but basically all info held by an organisation about you must be accurate, it obviously is not

First step I suggest is write, pen & paper, to BG Data Protection Officer and see what they have, free

https://www.gov.uk/data-protection/find-out-what-data-an-organisation-has-about-you

Once it comes back if showing wrong meter then using same DPO route tell them, it is an offence to hold incorrect information knowingly

https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/your-right-to-get-your-data-corrected/

Ovalbee

Farway said:

A long shot but trying going down the Data Registration [Information Commissioner] route

You'll have to DYO but basically all info held by an organisation about you must be accurate, it obviously is not

First step I suggest is write, pen & paper, to BG Data Protection Officer and see what they have, free

https://www.gov.uk/data-protection/find-out-what-data-an-organisation-has-about-you

Once it comes back if showing wrong meter then using same DPO route tell them, it is an offence to hold incorrect information knowingly

https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/your-right-to-get-your-data-corrected/

Interesting idea - thank you. We’ll give that a try. 

bagand96

Sounds a nightmare.  

Not sure I can add in any useful way, other than complain complain complain.  This might be one of those situations where it would be worth writing to the CEO office, it may at least get it cascaded to someone who can do something.

Keep it simple, report the facts, invite them to your house to search it for the rogue meter to prove it's not yours.  It shouldn't be your job to search for it.  If it must have an address attached to it tell them to register it to their head office address! (I doubt they'll do that but it demonstrates what a ridiculous situation this is)