Smart meter without in home display - Gas in kWh

Nic_1

Hello all,

This is my first post - and I'm hoping that others may be able to help me, or that this post may help others too.

I have recently rented a one bedroom flat, and it appears that a previous tenant has moved from OVO to EDF.  The in home meter reader gadget does not function, but mentions OVO.  I'm on a dual fuel supply.

This leaves me with smart meters which are not smart (i.e. I have to go and read them).  No big issue for me, I can do that.

Electric - no problem - all working just fine to the best of my knowledge.

Gas - it appears that EDF have previously been using readings from the meter in kWh.  When I called to set up my account, I had taken readings from the meter, and noticed that there were two - one in m3 and one in kWh - I took photos of both.  I asked if they wanted the m3 or kWh, and they told me kWh.  Now I've received a bill where they have used the readings I've provided (in kWh) and then proceeded to assume these readings are in m3, and then "converting" them to kWh.  The result is a bill for gas usage that is approx 11.5 times as high as it should be.

They claim on the bill that in just 55 days, I have used 7,804 kWh!  In fact, using the m3 readings, I've actually used 62 m3, which is approx. 689kWh.

I spent almost 2 hours on the phone with them a week ago, and spoke to 4 different people before I could convince anyone of their error.  I was assured this was going to be sorted out, and that they would cancel the £965 bill that they'd produced which covered gas and electricity for just under 6 weeks.

Today, they've produced a new bill which is £745 for 55 days.  And the weather has been mostly warm.  I live in a 1 bedroom flat with double glazing.  I also have a smart thermostat and have been away for at least 5 days/nights during this period (and therefore heating was off and no hot water used).

Their calculations suggest I have used 143% of my annual estimated gas usage in just 55 days according to their own figures!  It's not even winter!

I've spent another hour on the phone with them this morning, and kept insisting I wanted to talk to a manager... but with no luck.  They've "promised" a manager will call back in 2-4 hours...  That time expires in just over an hour's time.

So - my question:

Has anyone else had this challenge?

My point for anyone who has massive bills and/or is using a smart meter which is now not smart - check you're reading the m3 numbers, and not the kWh - check that your provider is not taking kWh and multiplying it by the various factors required to convert from m3 to kWh.  This is approx an 11.5 times increase!

Thanks for reading.

[Deleted User]

Gas meter readings are ALWAYS in cubic metres or cubic feet NOT KWhs. For billing purposes, suppliers are required to use the average calorific value for the gas supplied (truncated to one decimal point) to convert gas volume to kWh. Whoever you spoke to in customer services needs a spot of retraining.

Nic_1

I'm very well aware - and was surprised to find a kWh reading on my meter - but I assure you it's there.  Not only that, but I believe the previous tenant had almost certainly been providing readings from the kWh of the meter, and therefore was probably also being massively over-charged.  I've told the landlord this in the hope they'll pass the information back to the previous tenant to get a refund.

I didn't receive the promised call back from a manager, so I've called their complaints line instead.  This appears to have got me through to a UK representative instead of the cheap labour in Manilla.  The result is now that the lady I spoke to has recognised and understood the issue.  I've sent her the photos of the m3 readings, and she's promised to call me back later today.

The main issue with all of this is that because the readings had previously been in kWh, the new reading I wanted to provide didn't match their system... so I was facing the old "computer says no" situation.

They were not able to accept a reading of 04762 given their records showed the previous reading at 53434.  the former is the m3 and the latter kWh, as labelled clearly on the meter.

Before posting my original message, I looked to see if anyone else had had a similar issue, and found one thread from back in 2017 which appears to be similar.  But that was closed, and I'm not even certain from the information there if it was the same or not.

Nic_1

UPDATE:

The lovely agent who I last spoke to has now called me back, as promised.  She's corrected everything, and I can already see the correct balance on my account on the mobile phone app.  The bill should be available tomorrow, I'm told.

The correct bill is £184.  Nowhere near the original £965!

The agent also told me that she had now been able to see that the previous tenant also has an open complaint with them, which she will also be able to resolve now.  I'm very happy to know that not only have I finally managed to get my account sorted out, but also that the previous tenant will be receiving her refund/reconciliation as she should.

Just to put the icing on the cake... they've also (without prompting) given me a "gesture of goodwill" refund of £44, meaning that my bill now is exactly £140.

All in all, with time spent checking my calculations, taking meter readings, spending time on the phone... it's cost me around 4 or 5 hours of my time. 

Never give up with these companies - insist on getting them to provide what you need (i.e. to do their jobs properly), and make sure they compensate you when they mess up.

QrizB

Congratulations on your successful outcome.