Help with British Gas

helpmewithmybill

I'm really confused about my energy bill.

There was an error on my account and they couldn't see multiple payments they have reissued my bill

Which says
1 Jan 2023 - 2 May 2023 Total Electricity costs £668.22

Electricity VAT at 5.00% £33.41

Total Electricity costs (including VAT) £701.63

1 Jan 2023 - 2 May 2023 Total Gas costs £530.44
Gas VAT at 5.00% £26.52
Total gas costs (including VAT) £556.96

But the total is showing.

Adjustments after VAT £519.49

Total energy costs (including vat) £1778.09

Can anyone help me as to whether there should be the additional vat payment of £519.49 when I've already been charged the 5% on my energy costs and I owe the £1,778.09 or should it just be £1,258.59

Thank you in advance.

CSI_Yorkshire

That's not an additional VAT payment.

That's an adjustment to the bill after the VAT has been calculated and added.

QrizB

If you give us the full details, we can probably help you understand what the adjustments are/were.

helpmewithmybill

It doesn't show anything in the adjustment section only a further VAT charge. There is nothing else in the section.

helpmewithmybill

This is copied and pasted from the bill.

1 Jan 2023 - 14 Feb 2023 2224.33kWh at 9.834p per kWh £218.74
6624 - you gave us your meter reading
6693 - we read your meter
69 gas units at 40.1 calorific value
Standing charge
45 days at 27.128p per day
£12.20
15 Feb 2023 - 31 Mar 2023 1805.26kWh at 9.834p per kWh £177.53
6693 - we read your meter
6749 - estimated meter reading
56 gas units at 40.1 calorific value
Standing charge
45 days at 27.128p per day
£12.20
1 Apr 2023 - 3 Apr 2023 128.94kWh at 9.825p per kWh £12.67
6749 - estimated meter reading at price change
6753 - you gave us your meter reading
4 gas units at 40.1 calorific value
Standing charge
3 days at 27.720p per day
£0.83
4 Apr 2023 - 2 May 2023 898.12kWh at 9.825p per kWh £88.24
6753 - you gave us your meter reading
6781 - you gave us your meter reading
28 gas units at 39.9 calorific value
Standing charge
29 days at 27.720p per day
£8.03
1 Jan 2023 - 2 May 2023 Total Gas costs £530.44
Gas VAT at 5.00% £26.52
Total gas costs (including VAT) £556.96

Electricity

1 Jan 2023 - 14 Feb 2023 790kWh at 31.742p per kWh £250.76
51016 - you gave us your meter reading
51806 - we read your meter
Standing charge
45 days at 41.200p per day
£18.54
15 Feb 2023 - 31 Mar 2023 669kWh at 31.742p per kWh £212.35
51806 - we read your meter
52475 - estimated meter reading
Standing charge
45 days at 41.200p per day
£18.54
1 Apr 2023 - 3 Apr 2023 46kWh at 31.160p per kWh £14.33
52475 - estimated meter reading at price change
52521 - you gave us your meter reading
Standing charge
3 days at 48.967p per day
£1.46
4 Apr 2023 - 2 May 2023 443kWh at 31.160p per kWh £138.04
52521 - you gave us your meter reading
52964 - you gave us your meter reading
Standing charge
29 days at 48.967p per day
£14.20
1 Jan 2023 - 2 May 2023 Total Electricity costs £668.22
Electricity VAT at 5.00% £33.41
Total Electricity costs (including VAT) £701.63
Adjustments after VAT £519.49

Total energy costs (including VAT) £1778.08

CSI_Yorkshire

You're confusing yourself.

It's not a further VAT charge.

It could be unpaid usage brought forward from a previous bill, incorrectly-refunded credit, a correction to the balance of your account, or several other things - that's what QrizB is suggesting we can help work out.

I don't know if you're able to post an anonymised photo or screenshot of the bill (and possibly some previous ones or the cancelled one)?

An adjustment like that (particularly as you've said there were payment problems) sometimes refers to when they've accidentally credited you with payments that didn't actually go through - like failed DDs or things - so it might be for something that you thought you had paid but when they fixed the problem it turned out you hadn't/

QrizB

helpmewithmybill said:

It doesn't show anything in the adjustment section only a further VAT charge. There is nothing else in the section.

In which case, whatever you are looking at isn't a bill.

Your bill should look something like this:

There's a full guide here:

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-support/bills-and-payments/understanding-your-bill

helpmewithmybill

This is the account in detail. My brought forward balance was £345.54 in debit.

QrizB

There should be another page, explaining what the adjustments are? They are not energy costs for the period, they're something else, possibly relating to a previous period but not billed until now.

If you haven't been given any details, you might have to speak to BG customer service to find out what's going on.

QrizB

There's a thread here where previous bills were cancelled, then added as an adjustment; could that be your case too?
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6421043/british-gas-cancelled-bills-involving-adjustments

helpmewithmybill

I'm dealing with the complaints manager on my account already - the error was that 2 payments were missing from my account.

I provided my bank statements and they said that they would re-issue the bill.

On the original bill:

Energy costs were £1,258.81
Debit carried forward: £345.54

These usage / carried over was never disputed

The total therefore was : £1,604.35
The amount we paid during that was £1,691.25 meaning we were in credit of £86.90


Now they've reissued the bill - as shown in the pictures

On the new bill

Our energy costs and vat has increased to a total of: £1,778.08

Debit carried forward: £345.54

The payments wrong is still incorrect we have still paid £1,691.25

Leaving us with a difference of £432.37

I'm really confused, I'm due to speak to them again today but it is just so confusing and makes even less sense than the previous error.