British Gas billed me 6.5 times my real electricity usage for 2 years

Lonnie7

Apologies for the long entry.

British Gas billed me, on average, 6.5 times my real electricity usage for 2 years since their contract began, with peaks of 22 times as much, as reported by Government contractor SGS in January 2024 after checking my broken meter, now replaced.

I was overcharged from Feb 22 to Jan 24 and I have not received my money back, nor my balance has been corrected.
They were bound to do so by both the SGS report and the Ombudsman’s decision of last January.

I believe the entire case was built up on innumerable and deliberate attempts to confuse me and damage me, so that they could avoid their economic responsibilities. Rather than checking by billing history, installing a test meter, sending the meter to a laboratory so that the fault may have been placed back in time, or suggesting to determine my overcharge by monitoring my usage through a new meter, they tried to push me to quickly replace a completely broken meter to the point of practically imposing appointments at my place, so that my evidence would be destroyed.

This is an accurate and well-documented summary of what has happened:

In January 2023, after noticing an increase in consumption rather than a fall following an extended period during which the mains electricity was off, I contacted BG and tried to get them to check their meter. I have recorded calls which prove I stated their meter was wrong and had to be checked 25 times, only in that month. I was ill-advised and I was told everything looked good. I insisted, and I was offered some sort of test to run on the phone, that never followed.

By July 2023, the fault must have degenerated even further, and I got a bill where my kwh consumption was up by 900% compared to previous readings.

I requested British Gas to check their billing history and I stopped my direct debit payments. Even then, the only reaction I got from British Gas was that they put my rates up.

I was offered support by the Citizen Advise Bureau (Extra Help Unit) in August 2023.

A formal complaint started and many other times, in writing, on the phone, we asked them to visit my flat and to check the meter.

Given their convenient inaction and complete lack of support, I went out of my way to provide much indisputable evidence that their meter was not only faulty, but that it was giving totally random values – even running with the main totally off, at no load condition (technically called "creep test").

The various and solid evidence we gave was constantly ignored by British Gas. It included: readings from a secondary meter I had installed at my cost, readings from an external monitor branded ‘British Gas’, and the report of a qualified electrician indicating that the meter was indeed faulty following isolation of the sub-mains (it gave increasing values with no electricity being fed).

In that time British Gas tried in all possible ways to replace the meter instead of having it checked or installing a test meter themselves, something that we also suggested.

By replacing a faulty meter and refusing to check someone’s billing history, it becomes impossible to determine the extension of an overcharge, both in quantity and in time.

After hundreds of emails and dozens of calls, in October 2023, British Gas finally sent a meter engineer who detected an average percentage error of 42%, plus an incalculable error at 'No load' – meaning they admitted the meter was running even with no electricity being fed (something I pointed out was happening often as I was switching the mains off for substantial periods).

British Gas then offered to recalculate my bills from April 2023, reducing them by the average percentage error of 42% between the high and the low load, therefore ignoring the no load fault and expecting me to pay for electricity I had never used, which is fraud. They also ignored the fact that the error had been first reported months before, which I had clearly reminded them about. The meter was completely unusable for their recalculations, but they insisted on using that meter as a basis for rebilling me.

I then consulted the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), an office within the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), who confirmed to me it was appropriate to firmly reject the installation of any new meter until the old meter had been independently and thoroughly checked by the SGS, an agency they use for similar cases.

As the independent meter test's appointment had to be booked by the electricity board, not the consumer, I asked British Gas to contact SGS, since their resolution did not make mathematical sense and also since I was certain that the meter percentage error was higher than the one their engineer had reported.

The British Gas complaint handler got back to me saying ‘I have spoken to my Manager and Metering Specialist and neither are aware of the test that you wish carried out on your meter.  What I would advise is that your meter is faulty and needs replaced. This has been ascertained by a British Gas Engineer who is trained to the highest standards and your meter has been tested to an industry standard’. 

The independent test I was legally entitled to was dismissed and the validity of their test was reinforced.

CAB referred me to the Ombudsman.

At the beginning of December 2023, the Ombudsman determined that an independent test meter had to be carried out and also authorized a goodwill gesture of £100, which I considered insulting. I challenged their decision, but it was confirmed. Hoping to end this pathetic case which had taken a toll on me, I then accepted it. By then I had lost hope in the entire process.

SGS independent examiner determined that ‘the meter was not in proper order for ascertaining the quantity of electricity supplied within the prescribed margins of error’ and that the overcharge error applied since February 2022 (rather than April 2023, as stated by British Gas).

The examiner determined I was billed 6.5 times on average the correct number of units for my entire billing history (the error was 650% from February 2022, not 42% from April 2023, like claimed by British Gas).

The meter was removed and replaced then.

SGS report was sent to the Ombudsman, British Gas and myself on 25/01/24.

On 22/02/24 British Gas sent me an email claiming that all the Ombudsman resolutions had been applied. However, they had not sent me any good will gesture and they had not even sent me a recalculation of my charges. All I did get was some ludicrous apology note.

 I asked the Ombudsman not to close my case, which was agreed.

 Today 25/04/24, claiming some technical difficulties, British Gas have still failed to update my balance. They starting collecting and keeping undue money 26 months ago.

 After trying to get the Ombudsman to close the case, I was told by them that a new complaint procedure applied. It was recently accepted and it is currently being investigated.

 This time I was encouraged by the new case handler to give details regarding the time and energy I put on trying to have this resolved and also about the health price this experience has had on me, but this is confusing, since at the end (or what was supposed to be the end) of the first complaint, the Ombudsman wrote back to me saying that they do not take into account those factors when they come to their resolutions. They told they are now undisputedly aware of the extension of the fault, and this will be considered.

 What I would expect to see is a real deterrent for companies to act in such a way, where solid evidence justifies all sorts of cover-ups rather than corrective action.

I would especially hope that, on the basis of factual, written and audio evidence, British Gas is found to have handled this case in a way which is exactly opposite to that of an ethical or even legitimate company, and that has a very substantial and deplorable price on the unfortunate citizen who happens to be involved.

 It is clear to me that something very wrong is happening in this industry and companies like British Gas believe they can get away with a case like mine.

I wonder if the Small Claim Courts would not be a more appropriate place to obtain justice and proper compensation given the entire experience and the time I spent on it and the pain I suffered, and also to make sure my account is properly rebilled and finally closed.

 Would the Ombudsman be fitting to determine compensation or not? And also, how do I make sure this case is recorded?

 Thank you all

 

 

BarelySentientAI

Firstly, take out all of the sentiment and emotional accusations.  "I believe they set out to damage me", "I considered this insulting" etc is not a sensible way to approach something like this.

What you are asking for as "proper compensation" is punitive damages.  This will not happen.

They will correct your actual demonstrable losses.

CouldntResist

If you knew the meter was faulty wouldn't it have made sense to get it replaced as early as possible rather than arguing about independent testing etc whilst it was tracking up more phantom digits?

Lonnie7

I tried to make myself clear. A faulty meter that is removed by the provider to be distroyed cannot be tested in a laboratory and the extension of the fault was such that a proper assessment from the provider (including checking my billing history) was necessary.
They did not do that.

The provider expected me to pay for electricity I have never used and placed the fault back in time in a way that totally beneficial to them, but did not represent reality. They also reported a ridiculous fault with a 42% overcharge, which is very, very high (the legal limit of error is 2%!), but that was still nothing compared to what was later determined.

DE_612183

Small Claims is to get back money owed to you - if they have not paid you back what they owe you then thats the way to go.

How much do they owe you? ( forget about the £100 ).

Lonnie7

As you can imagine it is a substain amount I was overbilled and that is not in question any longer.

Petriix

In this case I suspect court action would be the most appropriate resolution. You've given them ample time and they've done nothing and have ignored the clear evidence. 

You need to put together a case which details the facts. This should include actual meter readings and amounts paid on specific dates as well as detailed evidence of the issues faced. You'll need to calculate exactly how much you think you are owed. 

British Gas have previously been forced to pay punitive damages so it is possible, though probably unlikely, to persuade a judge. If you make it clear just how many hours you've spent trying to get the matter resolved then that might help. 

The first thing you need to do is a Subject Access Request to get all the information BG hold relating to you and your account with them. This should include every piece of communication in both directions. 

It might be worth engaging a lawyer. 

Good luck! 

Mobtr

Lonnie7 said:

As you can imagine it is a substain amount I was overbilled and that is not in question any longer.

So if the over billing is not in question anymore, has your account now been amended & is correct? 

Lonnie7

Hi Mobrtr,
No, the account has not been adjusted because of a technical challenge they say they have.
To be exact the billing question in money has remained open, it is the overcharge in number of kwh units that has been finalised months ago.

They will need to multiply that number by the average cost per unit and that is a simple operation, but who knows.

They claim that the rebilling has been stuck since last January since "the exchange details of the (new) meter are still not showing on the National Database or our own system". 

And I do not see the connection between having the new meter details and crediting me over an overcharge that relates to the old meter either. I am just reporting things as they have been reported to me, careful not to make emotional comments.
Thank you

Mobtr

Lonnie7 said:

Hi Mobrtr,
No, the account has not been adjusted because of a technical challenge they say they have.
To be exact the billing question in money has remained open, it is the overcharge in number of kwh units that has been finalised months ago.

They will need to multiply that number by the average cost per unit and that is a simple operation, but who knows.

They claim that the rebilling has been stuck since last January since "the exchange details of the (new) meter are still not showing on the National Database or our own system". 

And I do not see the connection between having the new meter details and crediting me over an overcharge that relates to the old meter either. I am just reporting things as they have been reported to me, careful not to make emotional comments.
Thank you

Unfortunately if your new meter is not showing on your account yet then they would need to wait for it to be updated, a final reading for the old meter to be added & this should then bill the account correctly removing the overcharges. 

I believe BG have changed systems so that could be the hold up if the meter was exchanged before you were migrated to the new system but not updated. EDF have similar issues with updating meters that were exchanged prior to migration, they’re taking forever as well. 

Bendo

They won't want it to go to court. They are quite happy stringing you along. A letter betore action to their registered office with the facts and what they need to do to put it right will likely sort it in a few weeks.