Dispute with So Energy over retrospective change to Smart meter take-on reading

caveman8006

I had a smart gas meter installed on behalf of So Energy on 5 Dec 2023. The installer pointed out that the start reading was 0194 (not zero) and posted a sticker to that effect on the meter.  On 8 January I called So as no bill had been issued and was told there was a "problem" with a missing start read, so I gave them it over the phone. Within 2 days, a correct December bill was issued (to my billing date of the 11th using a smart meter reading) and on the 13th January a correct bill was issued for January (to a smart reading for the 11th Jan). However, in mid February, I received a set of revised bills for Dec and Jan based on a 000 start reading and with interpolated "estimated" readings for 11 Dec and 11 Jan, obviously overcharging me for 194 cub m of gas (approx £150).

There has since transpired numerous telephone and email exchanges with their support team and complaints handlers in which there repeatedly denied any error had been made (until finally accepting their mistake on the start read when I showed them the engineers sticker). Now they refuse to reissue the Dec and Jan bills using the correct smart meter readings, claiming they don't exist (even though I have sent them their original bills). 

I have spent over 6 hours on the phone or compiling emails trying to get this sorted and, despite still being out of pocket because of the inflated Dec/Jan readings they are trying to make me accept £50 compensation as full and final resolution. This does not seem fair as I have an open and shut case with clear evidence of their errors and full documentation of my time and trouble ready to send to the Ombudsman. My main concern is not the monetary compensation but the arrogant  attempt to overcharge despite having installer and customer evidence of a non-zero start reading and smart meter readings clearly inconsistent with their attempted re-write of history...if repeated with other customers this could reflect a systematic mis-billing issue.

QrizB

Have they credited you for the 194 cubic metres of gas?

If so, £50 seems a reasonable payment.

MultiFuelBurner

£50 is an ok amount but maybe push them for £100 or ask them for a deadlock letter so you can take it to the ombudsman service.

caveman8006

They have agreed the correct start reading, so I am only a few pounds out of pocket because of their use of inflated estimates in Dec before the price cap came down. I have asked for £75 to cover my 6.5+ hours of time in chasing them and a final request to stop denying that the smart readings exist (when they have already been used in the original bill sets sent out in January). What worries me is how many other (less savvy) customers have been subject to this devious "try-on" to retrospectively change the documented "start" readings to their benefit...