Octopus not helping

Pericles1st

In the past month I’ve had 2 huge gas bills from Octopus. I am now over £900 in debt. Live alone , rarely cook, no heating, no bath, shower 3 times a week, rest washing, 2 bed flat. Asked them to check meter, is it broken,. Heat wave and no radiators on but I usually put a jumper on or use a hot water bottle. Pension age. Extremely distressing. This time last year was paying direct debit if £60 a month for gas and electricity. Now it looks like £500 ?? Please advise . Am now going to use camping gas and will turn off the boiler. 

wrf12345

are they estimates or meter readings, you may have ended cheap tariff and come on to new tariff recently which could have doubled or tripled the rates if on a cheap tariff, so it may be catching up via real meter readings v estimates or they may have just estimated a three or four times your normal usage and guessed what you owe - look at the meter readings!

Pericles1st

I have a smart meter. Just wondered if something broken, wrong. Just past 40 days a bill of £900+. July £484 and 13-25th august £580. . Something must be wrong. 

BooJewels

That does sound a lot - I've used about £17 of gas for each of July and August - gas used for cooker and hot water - heating hasn't been on for some weeks.

If you give some meter readings taken over that time, we can maybe figure out where any error might have occurred.  Or show us the bills with your personal details redacted.

Pericles1st

Thank you. Am sure it’s the meter. Smart meter as gave a energy calculator in my home which shows about )1 a day for gas and less for electricity. The smart meter is whizzing round. Can someone have access to the meter and steal my gas. Am getting paranoid and stressed about it as gave written so many times. Not sure seeing my bill would help unless you are an octopus person or gas expert

Jacklob

I would read the meter then use no gas for a few hours, or a day (however long you can do without using gas)  if it has moved there is a problem.  

Jacklob

I would also take a photo of the meter readings each time

Pericles1st

So are you saying turn my boiler off . That might be good. Try it off for 12 hours or something?maybe a good idea to warn then when I do it so they have an email somewhere as proof. Thank you 

Pericles1st

Already going to get camping stove gas to cook on

Jacklob

email "issueresolution@octupus.energy   "  and head the email as a "formal complaint",  they have a legal obligation to follow there own complaints process and get back to you with that timescale You can also call but I would prefer everything documented for your records. Make sure you emphasize the emotional distress that this is causing you.

Alnat1

Can you look at the actual meter (not your in home display) and get a reading and see if it matches what's on your gas bill. If you can't do that yourself, is there someone who can? Family, friend, neighbour?

Sometimes the energy companies can't pick up the readings from smart meters and have to estimate bills. This might have happened and they have estimated a figure way too high.