Converting Gas to Kwh?

Gerry1

Not sure whether the back billing rules would apply in this case, but It's worth remembering that they're not straightforward.

IIRC if/when the howler is spotted, if there's suffient credit to pay the revised bill then the relevant amount of credit would be wiped out.  However, if there's insufficient credit (e.g. the account is settled by Variable Direct Debit) then the amount would be written off if the other back billing conditions are met.

FreeBear

Switch supplier, wait a month or two, and then get the error corrected. The old supplier probably won't notice.

matt_drummer

FreeBear said:

Switch supplier, wait a month or two, and then get the error corrected. The old supplier probably won't notice.

Wouldn't that be fraud?

I think this is an internet forum that is open to the whole world?

Evidence of fraud wouldn't be difficult to find!

In any case, why would you be advocating defrauding an energy company out of money that is rightfully theirs?

QrizB

matt_drummer said:

FreeBear said:

Switch supplier, wait a month or two, and then get the error corrected. The old supplier probably won't notice.

Wouldn't that be fraud?

I don't think so.

OP has supplied accurate meter readings and has done nothing to mislead their supplier.

I don't believe there's any legal obligation to inform your supplier if they've made an error in billing.

If you know otherwise (I seem to recall that you work in finance?) please let us know.

Gerry1

matt_drummer said:

FreeBear said:

Switch supplier, wait a month or two, and then get the error corrected. The old supplier probably won't notice.

Wouldn't that be fraud?

I think this is an internet forum that is open to the whole world?

Evidence of fraud wouldn't be difficult to find!

In any case, why would you be advocating defrauding an energy company out of money that is rightfully theirs?

Hard to see that it's fraud.  The OP can reasonably expect their supplier to get their sums right.

Similarly, the OP has the right to switch tariffs and/or supplier; consumers have long been encouraged to do so to encourage a competitive market.

Of course, flagging up a supplier's double incompetence may be considered a moral obligation, but failure to do so does not constitute fraud.

matt_drummer

QrizB said:

matt_drummer said:

FreeBear said:

Switch supplier, wait a month or two, and then get the error corrected. The old supplier probably won't notice.

Wouldn't that be fraud?

I don't think so.

OP has supplied accurate meter readings and has done nothing to mislead their supplier.

I don't believe there's any legal obligation to inform your supplier if they've made an error in billing.

If you know otherwise (I seem to recall that you work in finance?) please let us know.

I am an accountant.

If you know something is wrong, in accountancy, then I would be obliged to say something.

Morally I would feel obliged to correct my supplier.

Taking something you know not to be yours is wrong however I look at it.

What the law might make of it I don't know for sure without researching it.

But generally speaking in law, if you have taken something knowing it is not yours then you are wrong,

matt_drummer

Gerry1 said:

Hard to see that it's fraud.  The OP can reasonably expect their supplier to get their sums right.

Similarly, the OP has the right to switch tariffs and/or supplier; consumers have long been encouraged to do so to encourage a competitive market.

Of course, flagging up a supplier's double incompetence may be considered a moral obligation, but failure to do so does not constitute fraud.

The OP knows that their suppliers sums are wrong.

Not to tell them would be wrong, I don't know for sure how they would stand in law without researching it, but my legal training and knowledge tells me that they would be found to be on the wrong side of the argument.

Fraud could be described as avoiding payment that you know you are liable to make.

SAC2334

If the OP has at any time refused access to meter inspections then the back billing rules are not in place . A  ludicrous mistake at billing only £1.75 p for 158 metric units gas when it should be approx £65 , it's pretty obvious to the occupier that they are getting really underbilled and should be pointing this out to the supplier
If they were overbilled then they would expect and get every penny back plus compensation too.
The rules state that the OP escapes 1 years back bill .It s been 2 years now so they will owe at least 1 full years billing if they tell the supplier now . 
Personally I think the OP should point this out sooner rather than later .
Bit of a mystery how this has happened seeing that it's all auto billing nowadays with no humans involved .It may well have happened to many thousands . 

macman

Alternative resolution: request smart meters, OP will not presumably be back billed, but ongoing billing should then be correct.
I too am baffled as to why they have not noticed the undercharging, but the OP is under no obligation to correct the supplier's billing error.

matt_drummer

Gerry1 said:

matt_drummer said:

FreeBear said:

Switch supplier, wait a month or two, and then get the error corrected. The old supplier probably won't notice.

Wouldn't that be fraud?

I think this is an internet forum that is open to the whole world?

Evidence of fraud wouldn't be difficult to find!

In any case, why would you be advocating defrauding an energy company out of money that is rightfully theirs?

Hard to see that it's fraud.  The OP can reasonably expect their supplier to get their sums right.

Similarly, the OP has the right to switch tariffs and/or supplier; consumers have long been encouraged to do so to encourage a competitive market.

Of course, flagging up a supplier's double incompetence may be considered a moral obligation, but failure to do so does not constitute fraud.

FreeBear said:

Switch supplier, wait a month or two, and then get the error corrected. The old supplier probably won't notice


Switching suppliers or tariff as part of a competitive market does not constitute fraud, I agree.

However, switching supplier, waiting a month or two and then getting the error corrected hoping that the old supplier won't notice the error is a deliberate act to avoid paying for the gas supplied.

What anybody calls it may vary and it may not be called fraud but it is deceitful and dishonest in my opinion.

And that is the part I took a dislike to, advising somebody to be dishonest regardless of its legality, I would hope that we were better than that.