Smart Meter Confirmed reading high - energy supplier bust, can I get my money back?

Heslarr

Hi, I had a first gen Smart meter installed in 2018, shortly after we moved into the house we are now in, I've always suspected it must be high, but kind of thought can it be, surely these things are tested and calibrated.  Any way during Covid, spending more time in bubbles and outside etc, at a friends house (similar size house and kids of similar age, although he has 3 I have 2) he had hot tub on, patio heater etc.  I was like your electric bill must be a fortune.  Turned out to be way less than mine, like less than half! 

I contacted my supplier for a meter check and they agreed our usage was very high (>20KWH/day) considering we have all LED lights and no electric heating.  But couldn't test due to covid.  Swtiched suppliers, new supplier agreed to test, but went bust, then same happened again.  Finally British gas have check and confirmed it is reading high 30% (the tester actually told me it was also giving sporius reading for peak flow so it was hard to be fully accurate (this was a 30minute test done by BG).

Just spoken to BG and they said they would refund the 30% additional I'd paid since been with them but they would be no way of getting compenstation for the last 4 years (Circa 2K overpiad based on the 30%),

BG said offgem would not be interested, and maybe I could try asking to become a creditor to the admin company but you can only claim back12 months anyway.

Anyone gone through similar, do I just have to accept I've been ripped off?

MattMattMattUK

Heslarr said:

Hi, I had a first gen Smart meter installed in 2018, shortly after we moved into the house we are now in, I've always suspected it must be high, but kind of thought can it be, surely these things are tested and calibrated.  Any way during Covid, spending more time in bubbles and outside etc, at a friends house (similar size house and kids of similar age, although he has 3 I have 2) he had hot tub on, patio heater etc.  I was like your electric bill must be a fortune.  Turned out to be way less than mine, like less than half! 

I contacted my supplier for a meter check and they agreed our usage was very high (>20KWH/day) considering we have all LED lights and no electric heating.  But couldn't test due to covid.  Swtiched suppliers, new supplier agreed to test, but went bust, then same happened again.  Finally British gas have check and confirmed it is reading high 30% (the tester actually told me it was also giving sporius reading for peak flow so it was hard to be fully accurate (this was a 30minute test done by BG).

Just spoken to BG and they said they would refund the 30% additional I'd paid since been with them but they would be no way of getting compenstation for the last 4 years (Circa 2K overpiad based on the 30%),

BG said offgem would not be interested, and maybe I could try asking to become a creditor to the admin company but you can only claim back12 months anyway.

Anyone gone through similar, do I just have to accept I've been ripped off?

BG are probably right, it almost certainly is not down to them and you would be an unsecured creditor of your previous supplier. You can query it with Ofgem and see what comes back, they might have a different view and you have nothing to lose other than a bit of time by trying, but I would not anticipate success. 

Heslarr

Thank MATTMATTMATTUK, I've emailed offgem and the autoresponse was to contact citizens advice, so done them as well.  I'll keep my fingers crossed, but won't get too hopeful.

Ultrasonic

Has the meter now been fixed or replaced?