Double charging by new provider due to historic read being provided by old provider

BRUMBIRD29

I have a long standing issue with my current supplier British Gas who has used a historic meter reading from my previous supplier Scottish power. This has resulted in being significantly overcharged on units I had already paid for. This has now gone on for over 7 months, I have contacted Scottish power and been advised they amended my last bill with a cancelled charge of £210 with VAT of which I have been reimbursed 86!! They have also stated the accurate reading was provided to british gas in february!! Any suggestions please. 
My current deal is about to end and this is obviously causing issues relating to projected usage of £1500 per year, I live alone in a two bedroom terrace and frequently work away.

Chrysalis

Did you take your own reading on the switch? if yes make it clear thats your reading to the new supplier, and then settle matters separately with the old supplier (on the old rates) if they think you havent paid up until the migration reading.

[Deleted User]

The gaining supplier is responsible for a transfer of supply. On a switch, the reading that you provided to the new supplier is industry-validated (ie; the validated reading may be different from the one that you provided), and it is then passed by a data flow to both suppliers to close and open your accounts. Ask BG to confirm the industry-validated reading and the date of the data flow. Contact your old supplier with the information from BG, and ask them to amend your closing account (final bill). Both suppliers are mandated to use the same reading to open and close accounts.

If the industry-validated reading differs markedly from what your meter is showing then ask BG to raise an Agreed Readings Dispute.

Quote:

For a ‘Read Dispute’ to be possible, there needs to be a big enough gap between the reading used and the reading you gave. This is called a ‘tolerance’. If the gap is too small, it’s known as being ‘within tolerance’.

The tolerance for an electricity reading is 250 kWh or more. 

For example if you submitted a reading of 01000 and the estimate used was 01300, there's a difference of 300 kWh and a reading dispute is possible. 

For gas meters measured in cubic meters (m3), the tolerance is 108 units.

For example if you submitted a reading of 00010 m3 and the estimate used was 00100 m3, the difference is 90 units and therefore within tolerance. 

For gas meters measured in cubic feet (ft3), the tolerance is 38 units. 

For example if you submitted a reading of 00360 ft3 and the estimate used was 00400 ft3, the difference is 40 units and a reading dispute is possible. 

A ‘Read Dispute’ is usually started by the new supplier, 

Unquote (source Ovo Energy)

If the suppliers have used the same reading, it may be better to overpay Paul and save on Peter.

wild666

250 kWh can be a lot to a low user. They could be paying the old supplier for months before the readings catch up with the reading that is around 250 kWh out.
That's the only advantage I can see to a smart meter that the readings can be more accurate because maybe the outgoing supplier gave daily readings on the account so the final reading would be accurate to three decimal points for electric and to the M3 unit on gas.