Charged for standing charge for gas I have never used.

bbpet

hello, 
I moved into my property and the gas meter was capped and I have never used gas, when signing up to British Gas I told them I did not need a gas meter as I don't need gas, everything is electric. They still opened the gas account and I was charged the standing charge, is their any way to get this refunded and no longer be liable to pay for the standing charge? My landlord has refused me getting it removed. The only reason I payed it was because it was effecting my credit score, so I had no choice. 
Thank you

[Deleted User]

You have a meter, so you have an MPRN for the address - as far as the system cares, your meter is connected to mains gas so you pay the standing charge.

Get the meter removed and the supply pipe capped, then you might have half a chance of being without standing charges in the future.  I wouldn't expect them to refund a legitimately charged amount for the time you have the meter though.

This would then mean if a gas supply was ever wanted at the property, there would be the same connection charges as applied to new properties.

If you're renting (you mentioned a landlord), then you're out of luck - its not your property so you can't disconnect it.

pochase

If you don't want to pay standing charge you need to get the meter removed. If your landlord does not agree to it you need to take it up with your landlord.

You should just be aware that removing the meter can be quit expensive, I have seen over £700, and if you are unlucky the DNO might want to remove the pipe, another potential £1500.

You landlord might not agree to you removing the meter because reconnection is the same cost again. So he could rightfully ask you to give him a deposit to cover this cost as you will be responsible for it.

Mobtr

Asked to go onto a deemed tariff for your gas, as I believe if it’s deemed & no gas is being used then the standing charge is not charged, it gets refunded on the bill. At least that’s what happens at EDF so I’d like to think other companies are the same 

macman

Why was the supply capped without the meter being removed? Was it capped for safety reasons, or maybe an unofficial disconnection?
A pic would assist.
There is presumably a case to be made here that the OP has never used any gas,so is not in a deemed contract and therefore not liable to be charged.

pochase

Mobtr said:

Asked to go onto a deemed tariff for your gas, as I believe if it’s deemed & no gas is being used then the standing charge is not charged, it gets refunded on the bill. At least that’s what happens at EDF so I’d like to think other companies are the same 

You are on a deemed tariff when you move into a new property, I doubt you can cancel your existing supply contract.

Also to my knowledge there are a few suppliers that will allow you not to pay standing charges when you never used gas, but not all of them.

Mobtr

pochase said:

Mobtr said:

Asked to go onto a deemed tariff for your gas, as I believe if it’s deemed & no gas is being used then the standing charge is not charged, it gets refunded on the bill. At least that’s what happens at EDF so I’d like to think other companies are the same 

You are on a deemed tariff when you move into a new property, I doubt you can cancel your existing supply contract.

Also to my knowledge there are a few suppliers that will allow you not to pay standing charges when you never used gas, but not all of them.

Worth asking though 

[Deleted User]

Never be afraid to ask, just don't be shocked if they say no.

It's amazing what people can do with the little discretion they are given if a request is polite and genuine.

pochase

Seems it is getting worse, EON was one of the suppliers who would allow you to get out of standing charges when you never used gas.

This ha snow changed, and if you just agreed to be on a contract they will no longer remove the standing charge. The below in bold seems to be new, I don't remember seeing it before

Your standing charge will be removed if you’re on our standard tariff, E.ON EnergyPlan or E.ON EnergyPlan with Prepayment and all of below apply to you:

• You haven't formally accepted a contract either verbally, through a telephone conversation or online.
• The E.ON EnergyPlan or E.ON EnergyPlan with Prepayment tariff was automatically applied to your account on your supply start date as you've not formally accepted a contract either verbally, through a telephone conversation or online.
• You haven't used any gas and/or electricity since you took over responsibility for the property e.g. from the date you started the account.
• You can provide readings to help us identify that you've not used any gas and/or electricity since the start date of the account.
• You can provide evidence of how long the property was empty for and what period gas and/or electricity wasn’t used for, to help us to calculate the period for which the standing charge should be removed.
• If you can provide evidence to show that you only use one type of fuel at your property you'll not have to pay a standing charge for the fuel type that you're not using. You'll still have to pay a standing charge for energy used at the property.

Ectophile

There are a number of very wrong responses to this post.  If you have never used any gas since moving in, then you cannot be on a deemed contract with the gas supplier.

Gas Act, Schedule 2, section 8. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/45/schedule/2

"Where a gas supplier supplies gas to a consumer otherwise than in pursuance of a contract, the supplier shall be deemed to have contracted with the consumer for the supply of gas as from the time (“the relevant time”) when he began so to supply gas to the consumer."

If a customer has never been supplied any gas, then they are not a deemed customer.  If you aren't a deemed customer, then they have no legal basis on which to charge you a standing charge.

Raise a formal complaint with British Gas.  If they don't refund you the money, take it to the energy ombudsman.

MWT

Ectophile said:

If a customer has never been supplied any gas, then they are not a deemed customer.  If you aren't a deemed customer, then they have no legal basis on which to charge you a standing charge.

Raise a formal complaint with British Gas.  If they don't refund you the money, take it to the energy ombudsman.

The catch is that you must not under any circumstances open a gas account with the supplier as that removes the exception allowing escape from the standing charge...

If you do that then it doesn't matter if there has been any supply or not, the standing charge is valid.

bbpet said:

... when signing up to British Gas I told them I did not need a gas meter as I don't need gas, everything is electric. They still opened the gas account and I was charged the standing charge...

The correct thing to do would have been to say that you did not need a gas account as the supply was capped, rather than saying you did not need a gas meter, but hopefully it is still a valid basis for a complaint, so focus on that point when you make the complaint.