British Gas final bill massively high

applecrate

Hi all,

Not having any help whatsoever from British Gas in trying to resolve this, so thought I would ask the internet!! I'll try to explain the issue as best I can & any/all advice gratefully recieved.

We have recently switched from BG to Octopus (in May '23), to make the most of our solar panels & battery recently installed (solar panels hve been in place for around 6 mths). BG have sent us a final bill for around £2,300 which is just non-sensical at the least. Looking back at the statements on our account, this value suddenly appeared in November last year (opening balance was £0). BG say the readings are actual from the smart meter, but given we are a normal family household (2 adults, 2 teenagers), and we do not run any massive electricitiy consuming devices or equipment (we dont have a clothes dryer or dishwasher for example), and the fact that we have had  solar panels in place for at least six months, I am struggling to understand where this alleged level of energy use has come from.

BG are being absolutely pedantic & not even willing to escalate or class this as a dispute or complaint. Basically am getting told, its our way or the highway. I've asked for copies of the last years bills (the website only goes back to November) and have beeen told that needs to go through their privacy team??!! They say the value comes from actual meter readings - we have a smart meter - but I question if this is actually working correctly at all given the sudden massive jump in supposed use & cost. We have been paying direct debit & never missed any payments, so this is not an issue of outstanding debt (zero balance as of November 1)

Not sure if any of this makes sense or if indeed we have a leg to stand on in terms of disputing this, but I genuinely believe there is an issue here not of our doing.

If anyone has any suggestions or comments, I would be very keen to read them. Happy to provide more info if that helps/is relevant.

Thank in adavnce to all the MSE experts out there!!

Robin9

What reading did you give to Octopus when you opened your account with them /  That is the reading BG should use.

Can you read the meter now? and give us readings from previous bills please/

check the serial number from the bill with that on the meter and also look on the bill for m3 or ft3   (it is possible that the account still thinks its a imperial meter)

applecrate

Hi Robin, thanks for the super quick response!!! I will pull all this together this evening & share, thanks again

Krakkkers

Is this for gas and electricity, if so what is the split?

CSI_Yorkshire

applecrate said:

We have been paying direct debit & never missed any payments, so this is not an issue of outstanding debt 

Unless you were paying on variable direct debit from actual meter readings, this is incorrect.

Krakkkers

Then you were probably paying a DD hat was too low.
DD is not your bill.

[Deleted User]

If you have switched from BG to Octopus, then Octopus was responsible for the management of the switch. Its Data Collector will have produced validated meter readings to close and open your accounts. Both suppliers are required to use these readings.

Check that both suppliers have used the same readings to open and close your accounts.

Check your actual meter readings at the of the switch with those on your Final Bill.  If the readings are massively different, then you might be able to open an Agreed Readings Dispute with Octopus. 

As others have suggested, your DD payment may not have been enough to cover your usage so your Final Bill is what is known as a ‘ Catch Up Bill’. You were not on an ‘all you can consume’ scheme. You pay for the energy that you use at the agreed tariff price. Your monthly payments are just payments on account from which energy charges are deducted.

Gerry1

applecrate said:

BG are being absolutely pedantic & not even willing to escalate or class this as a dispute or complaint. Basically am getting told, its our way or the highway. I've asked for copies of the last years bills (the website only goes back to November) and have beeen told that needs to go through their privacy team??!!

Have you followed the BG complaints procedure?

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/complaints.html

Best conducted in writing so that you have an audit trail.  Make sure you state you are making a formal complaint and get a complaint reference number.

Similarly, make a formal written Subject Access Request.

Annemos

Just a thought. Did you get transferred from the old Classic Billing System to the new Billing Platform of British Gas? Could the older bills be on the Classic Billing System?

I was changed over at the end of October 2022 and everything has now fallen through the cracks. I have been told there is a 4 month delay in accessing data held on the old System, as it has to be specially requested. The 2 teams on each system cannot see each other's records. Classic team is in the UK. New Billing Platform Team is in South Africa. 

This has resulted in me getting so fed up with waiting, as it has been going on since January this year. They actually opened a Complaint for me back in April. They are still unable to tell me when it will be sorted out and it has not been resolved. 

(Attaching my new meter to my new account!) 

They have sent me the letter after 8 weeks of still not doing it. They have no idea when they will be able to do it. So  I went to the Ombudsman last night. 

I also advise logging a complaint yourself, as Gerry1 suggests. So that if you end up waiting and waiting and waiting........  you can go to the Energy Ombudsman earlier. 

(British Gas has to be given 8 weeks after your Complaint to act, before you can go to the Ombudsman, if they haven't got round to sorting it out. You can go earlier if they send you a final reply which you do not agree with.)