British Gas App - Data Error

C0nfused

My app stopped displaying gas and electricity usage on 28th December 2022, it started showing data again on 4th February 2023.. however.. the app recons I've used EXACTLY the same gas and electricity every single day from 28th December - 30th January! This isn't correct, my usual 'usage' is much more varied. The data also doesn't match the smart meter monitor so I know that the app info is wrong. I just wondered if anyone else is experiencing similar? 

ariarnia

not the bg app but we find it sometimes with the ovo app. its alway seems right if we look a the weekly or monthly use but sometimes it doesn't seem to pick up on the half hour or daily readings. 

not sure why. but we always check our readings against the bills each month and the actual bills are always right so havent looked into if it can be fixed. (and we also use the bright app which sometimes also has a few days where it doesn't show any data but when the data turns up its always been recorded right to the 30 min readings). 

Stevek1311

To add to the above, we have been complaining to British Gas since last October about incorrect and missing energy use readings both on the App and web browser.  Spent hours on their chat and phone lines to each time ultimately get the 'it should be OK in 72 hours' message over and over - and of course it never is.  Have made 4 written complaints all acknowledged by BG  only for BG to deny any such complaints existed. 
 
And now they have launched their 'new system' and new 'App'  which give no access to smart meter usage readings or any of the historical readings from 2022.
 
So a complaint to the Ombudsman is imminent.  

PNorth2

We moved into our new home in September 23 at that time the smart gas meter wasn't being read automatically. Three visits and two new meters later British gas still aren't getting my gas  readings and I have to phone them in. I have been told that the problem is with the master database held by someone else who has the wrong meter reference against the property. I checked my new meters numbers  against what they held and they are correct so the problem is with British gas. I was first told it would take a couple of weeks, then first three months in 23 and now some time in 2023😡. I would like to move provider when markets relax,but I'm not sure I can if my meters aren't reporting correctly. Is this another way for British gas to stop people leaving? I have told them twice I want to formally complain. On one occasion I said can I make a complaint, response was yes, you won't get a fix for several months, the help desk said I will now close your complaint, I said why, response was because I told you we are working on the problem, I said keep the complaint open. But I have not received any communication about the complaint.

Surfintaz

I cleared an outstanding bill in Dec 2022, the account showed zero.  Since then my bills have been £300, £600, £900 then down to £400 last bill I had was £238.  I have raised several requests with BG to explain how my account went from Zero to over £300 in two weeks when I've been sitting at home freezing etc.  They were less than useless when I raised several complaints with BG.  I wrote to the CEO at Centrica and Amanda Martin Executive Complaints officer replied, she sympathised with me saying my bills were confusing as quite a few state bill cancelled and replaced,  some were estimated and I have smart meters fitted. One of the bills showed no gas usage for a month. However I am still waiting for a breakdown of my bill that I understand so I can pay.  All of this has taken over 8 weeks and I gave up and now I have put it in the hands of the Ombudsman as I really cannot deal with them anymore.  Since the beginning of Feb I have been taking a photo of the meters readings each week, same day and time as I do not trust these no so smart meters at all.  Good luck to all of you who are dealing with British Gas from my experience you are going to need it.

Steveball7885

I have raised numerous complaints to BG about not being able to view usage. They have a naughty habit of just closing these complaints down. It's been well over a year and I still haven't had any joy. 
I am not at all confident that my usage is being recorded and charged correctly. 

vic_sf49

PNorth2 said:

We moved into our new home in September 23 at that time the smart gas meter wasn't being read automatically. Three visits and two new meters later British gas still aren't getting my gas  readings and I have to phone them in. I have been told that the problem is with the master database held by someone else who has the wrong meter reference against the property. I checked my new meters numbers  against what they held and they are correct so the problem is with British gas. I was first told it would take a couple of weeks, then first three months in 23 and now some time in 2023😡. I would like to move provider when markets relax,but I'm not sure I can if my meters aren't reporting correctly. Is this another way for British gas to stop people leaving? I have told them twice I want to formally complain. On one occasion I said can I make a complaint, response was yes, you won't get a fix for several months, the help desk said I will now close your complaint, I said why, response was because I told you we are working on the problem, I said keep the complaint open. But I have not received any communication about the complaint.

BG weren't able to get data from my meters, and I got sick of their excuses so moved to Octopus,  because BG were annoying me by this point.

Meters became smart again at the point of switching, which I didn't expect, but was a nice surprise.

And £50 each for switching (£50 to me, and £50 to the person who referred me.)

ianjanrob38

I left British Gas at the earliest opportunity.  The 'smart' display generally only showed the standing charge, not the useage.  They set my DD at a ridiculously high sum.  They 'forgot' to take a payment in December, and thus also 'forgot' to pay the £67 into my account.  When they changed to their new and even more useless system, they 'forgot' to transfer my credit balance of over £900.  It took them 3 weeks to raise the finall bill and have yet to repay me the credit.  Since switching back to EDF, the smart display has worked perfectly.  Never, ever will I use BG again.

Lozza0879

I also have been back and forth to British Gas since last October. Smart display constantly loosing signal kept being advised how to re set it only for an hour later it to fail again. I eventually was told I was on a waiting list for a new one and would have to give meter readings manually. I gave my manual meter reading and within 24 hours the house meter now no longer has a display so I cannot provide anymore readings to them Strange!.  I know have an engineer booked to attend my house on 5th May to look at the meter where they may or may not replace the smart display while here.
I feel like they have a big button which has been pressed and turned everything off.
I have not been able to see my usage at all just ridiculous. Now today my disabled Mum told me she has received an email from BG telling her she needs to submit a manual reading as they are not receiving any from her smart meter.  What is going on

phi_lw

There's certainly something going on with BG and their data readings - but contstant information brick walls with their support staff and apologies is all we can acheive 

muzzy092

I would like to add that I also have the same issue with my Smart Meter no longer reporting readings to British Gas after transfer to the 'new system'. 

On top of that they also incorrectly recorded the type of my meter as 'imperial' on the new system.
This meant my latest bill is more than thousand pounds higher than it should be.   The conversion factor for imperial units to kWh is 2.8 times greater than for metric units.

After multiple attempts via email and chat I have managed to get BG to acknowledge the mistake. This involved sending pictures to prove I really did have a smart meter!  I have been advised it will take 6 weeks to correct.

I would advise anyone in this situation  to carefully check their bills and check how units have been converted to kWh.