British Gas underbilling

YorkieDave

[Deleted User] said:

YorkieDave said:

Dolor said:

continued to submit correct readings

I assume that we are talking about gas? What was the the reading that you gave: kWh; cubic metres or cubic feet? What is the conversion formula that BG is using: it should be on your statements?

BG has a year to correct your bills before BackBilling applies. You should have no expectation of a write off.

It's electric only. They insisted that my meter only had 5 digits but it has 7. Does this year to correct apply even if the customer has given the correct readings and raised a complaint about it? I wish I'd kept quiet if that's the case. 

Yes, and "deciding to keep quiet about it" could exclude you from being covered by back billing anyway.

Am I understanding the situation correctly?  You are now being billed based on actual and correct readings - so being asked to pay the correct amount for the energy you have actually used - and your position is "they should write it off and I should only pay for what I will use in the future"?

Or to paraphrase - "I want the last ten months of electricity to be free".

That's one way of looking at it I suppose. It wouldn't be free though. As I've paid for what they told me I had used. I tried to tell them that I'd used more, multiple times, even raising a complaint about it. Then months later they try to claim the extra money. 

My analogy would be buying a car for £10k, but accidentally only being charged £5k and raising this issue with the car dealer multiple times and being told it's correct. Then after a year, the car dealer asks you for the extra £5k. Or maybe buying petrol or diesel at the garage and being massively undercharged and then the garage trying to claim it back after a year.

So yes, I don't want to pay any more for what they've incorrectly billed me in the past. 

[Deleted User]

YorkieDave said:

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

you should only provide the first 5 digits, anything after a decimal point or in red is ignored.

There are 7 digits and then 1 after the decimal point. It's a smart meter, but an older one so BG claim they can't connect to it. 

Hi,

can you stick up a photie of meter, please.

[Deleted User]

YorkieDave said:

Deleted_User said:

YorkieDave said:

Dolor said:

continued to submit correct readings

I assume that we are talking about gas? What was the the reading that you gave: kWh; cubic metres or cubic feet? What is the conversion formula that BG is using: it should be on your statements?

BG has a year to correct your bills before BackBilling applies. You should have no expectation of a write off.

It's electric only. They insisted that my meter only had 5 digits but it has 7. Does this year to correct apply even if the customer has given the correct readings and raised a complaint about it? I wish I'd kept quiet if that's the case. 

Yes, and "deciding to keep quiet about it" could exclude you from being covered by back billing anyway.

Am I understanding the situation correctly?  You are now being billed based on actual and correct readings - so being asked to pay the correct amount for the energy you have actually used - and your position is "they should write it off and I should only pay for what I will use in the future"?

Or to paraphrase - "I want the last ten months of electricity to be free".

That's one way of looking at it I suppose. It wouldn't be free though. As I've paid for what they told me I had used. I tried to tell them that I'd used more, multiple times, even raising a complaint about it. Then months later they try to claim the extra money. 

My analogy would be buying a car for £10k, but accidentally only being charged £5k and raising this issue with the car dealer multiple times and being told it's correct. Then after a year, the car dealer asks you for the extra £5k. Or maybe buying petrol or diesel at the garage and being massively undercharged and then the garage trying to claim it back after a year.

So yes, I don't want to pay any more for what they've incorrectly billed me in the past. 

Ah, so you only want 90% of the electricity to be free.  That's ok then?

If it had been the other way around, and there had been a mistake with the readings such that they overcharged you, would you be just as quick to say "well it's been a while so I suppose that I should just ignore it and start from zero now"?

YorkieDave

Meter readings are: 
Opening on 07/12/21 93630
Reading on 17/11/22 114516
20886kWh over that time

alicef

OP - I have sympathy for you in this matter. 
I hope BGas comes to an arrangement with you. Stick in another complaint.

I to have been providing meter readings to BGas which are higher than the ones they are taking from my smart meter.   I too have a complaint trundling thru their system, pointing out the discrepancy, 4 weeks down the line and not a peep from them.  
If I went with their lower reading - got a refund - and then a meter reader came along and took the reading as per the age old instructions for the meter and then BGas slams me with a bill for the outstanding units - what then?  
Is that my fault?

YorkieDave

Deleted_User said:

YorkieDave said:

Deleted_User said:

YorkieDave said:

Dolor said:

continued to submit correct readings

I assume that we are talking about gas? What was the the reading that you gave: kWh; cubic metres or cubic feet? What is the conversion formula that BG is using: it should be on your statements?

BG has a year to correct your bills before BackBilling applies. You should have no expectation of a write off.

It's electric only. They insisted that my meter only had 5 digits but it has 7. Does this year to correct apply even if the customer has given the correct readings and raised a complaint about it? I wish I'd kept quiet if that's the case. 

Yes, and "deciding to keep quiet about it" could exclude you from being covered by back billing anyway.

Am I understanding the situation correctly?  You are now being billed based on actual and correct readings - so being asked to pay the correct amount for the energy you have actually used - and your position is "they should write it off and I should only pay for what I will use in the future"?

Or to paraphrase - "I want the last ten months of electricity to be free".

That's one way of looking at it I suppose. It wouldn't be free though. As I've paid for what they told me I had used. I tried to tell them that I'd used more, multiple times, even raising a complaint about it. Then months later they try to claim the extra money. 

My analogy would be buying a car for £10k, but accidentally only being charged £5k and raising this issue with the car dealer multiple times and being told it's correct. Then after a year, the car dealer asks you for the extra £5k. Or maybe buying petrol or diesel at the garage and being massively undercharged and then the garage trying to claim it back after a year.

So yes, I don't want to pay any more for what they've incorrectly billed me in the past. 

Ah, so you only want 90% of the electricity to be free.  That's ok then?

If it had been the other way around, and there had been a mistake with the readings such that they overcharged you, would you be just as quick to say "well it's been a while so I suppose that I should just ignore it and start from zero now"?

It's probably about 60% but, yes I do now. They are the experts and told me I was wrong. Now they tell me I was right. So, correct I don't want to pay for their mistake.

Who wouldn't notice overpaying by thousands for something? The question seems a bit irrelevant. But isn't it also rather different if a multi-million-pound conglomerate overcharges a consumer by thousands? 

[Deleted User]

YorkieDave said:

Deleted_User said:

YorkieDave said:

Deleted_User said:

YorkieDave said:

Dolor said:

continued to submit correct readings

I assume that we are talking about gas? What was the the reading that you gave: kWh; cubic metres or cubic feet? What is the conversion formula that BG is using: it should be on your statements?

BG has a year to correct your bills before BackBilling applies. You should have no expectation of a write off.

It's electric only. They insisted that my meter only had 5 digits but it has 7. Does this year to correct apply even if the customer has given the correct readings and raised a complaint about it? I wish I'd kept quiet if that's the case. 

Yes, and "deciding to keep quiet about it" could exclude you from being covered by back billing anyway.

Am I understanding the situation correctly?  You are now being billed based on actual and correct readings - so being asked to pay the correct amount for the energy you have actually used - and your position is "they should write it off and I should only pay for what I will use in the future"?

Or to paraphrase - "I want the last ten months of electricity to be free".

That's one way of looking at it I suppose. It wouldn't be free though. As I've paid for what they told me I had used. I tried to tell them that I'd used more, multiple times, even raising a complaint about it. Then months later they try to claim the extra money. 

My analogy would be buying a car for £10k, but accidentally only being charged £5k and raising this issue with the car dealer multiple times and being told it's correct. Then after a year, the car dealer asks you for the extra £5k. Or maybe buying petrol or diesel at the garage and being massively undercharged and then the garage trying to claim it back after a year.

So yes, I don't want to pay any more for what they've incorrectly billed me in the past. 

Ah, so you only want 90% of the electricity to be free.  That's ok then?

If it had been the other way around, and there had been a mistake with the readings such that they overcharged you, would you be just as quick to say "well it's been a while so I suppose that I should just ignore it and start from zero now"?

It's probably about 60% but, yes I do now. They are the experts and told me I was wrong. Now they tell me I was right. So, correct I don't want to pay for their mistake.

Who wouldn't notice overpaying by thousands for something? The question seems a bit irrelevant. But isn't it also rather different if a multi-million-pound conglomerate overcharges a consumer by thousands? 

Ah, right then.  It's purely a "lets stick it to the man" thing.  Nothing to do with "not paying for their mistake" at all.

alicef said:

OP - I have sympathy for you in this matter. 
I hope BGas comes to an arrangement with you. Stick in another complaint.

I to have been providing meter readings to BGas which are higher than the ones they are taking from my smart meter.   I too have a complaint trundling thru their system, pointing out the discrepancy, 4 weeks down the line and not a peep from them.  
If I went with their lower reading - got a refund - and then a meter reader came along and took the reading as per the age old instructions for the meter and then BGas slams me with a bill for the outstanding units - what then?  
Is that my fault?

You should pay the amount that is due for the amount you have used.  Whichever are the correct readings, they are the ones that should be applied - particularly if at least one of the parties in the arrangement knows they are correct.

Gerry1

YorkieDave said:

My start point is that I shouldn't have to pay for any of their errors and we should start afresh from today with me owing nothing from prior.

I very much doubt that will happen.  When the usage and billing have finally been reconciled you might get £100 compo, but only if you make a big fuss and are very persistent.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79637676/#Comment_79637676

YorkieDave

Gerry1 said:

YorkieDave said:

My start point is that I shouldn't have to pay for any of their errors and we should start afresh from today with me owing nothing from prior.

I very much doubt that will happen.  When the usage and billing have finally been reconciled you might get £100 compo, but only if you make a big fuss and are very persistent.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79637676/#Comment_79637676

Thanks. Helpful link. I am very persistent and would be very disappointed with £100 compensation. 

They'll be waiting a long time for the money owed as there is no way that I can afford to pay off the debt at anything other than a snail's pace. 

alicef

quote 'You should pay the amount that is due for the amount you have used.  Whichever are the correct readings, they are the ones that should be applied - particularly if at least one of the parties in the arrangement knows they are correct.'

Not quite sure who that party is?   Is it me, pushing a button on a 'smart' meter as per the instructions which agree with the instructions that meter readers appear to use for reading the meter OR a long standing supplier of electricity who is polling said 'smart' meter.

I haven't got a scooby...I'm hoping that the 'industry' may be able to tell me - at some point.