British Gas want me to settle final bill based on estimated reading??

itm2

I had a running battle with British Gas from December 2022 to June 2023, as they were either failing to bill me at all for energy usage, or billing me based on estimated readings for gas (despite the fact that I have smart meters and had also been submitting readings on their website - which were being ignored). I also gave at least 2 meter readings to them over the phone - the most recent in early June 2023 - to try to get it resolved. It didn't help.
I eventually left them in June 2023 and moved to Octopus (having already raised a complaint with Ofgem regarding the issue).
In January this year (6 months after leaving them) they sent me a final statement - again based on an estimated reading for gas. The estimated reading was clearly miles out, as it was higher than my current meter reading at the time (some 6 months later). I immediately emailed them to reject the statement, but heard nothing back. I am now being chased to settle the bill (with threats of debt collectors). I lodged another complaint, and they have asked me to submit a current meter reading, plus another one in 7 days' time, so that they can correctly estimate last year's bill.
I have complained about this on several grounds, not least that the temperature in our area was about 15 degrees higher this time last year, but they insist that I provide the readings, saying that the actual final meter reads for gas had not been submitted at the time (although I did supply these to my new provider at the time). I also pointed out that Ofgem rules do not permit them to back bill me for energy consumed more than 12 months before if an accurate statement has not been provided up to that date.

Any advice for how to approach this?

Zandoni

Can't you just contact them and give the start readings to Octopus.

itm2

Zandoni said:

Can't you just contact them and give the start readings to Octopus.

I think I gave those over the phone. Would they not have shared them with British Gas as part of the switchover?

Swipe

itm2 said:

Zandoni said:

Can't you just contact them and give the start readings to Octopus.

I think I gave those over the phone. Would they not have shared them with British Gas as part of the switchover?

Check your Octopus bill to make sure they used your opening readings. I suspect they also used an agreed third party estimated opening reading if BG don't have the actual readings for the final bill. This could be a lot of work to get resolved if that is the case and will need to be done via Octopus as your new supplier.

itm2

I've just checked my first Octopus bill and it does contain my meter reading from the day of the switchover - which coincidentally is one year ago exactly. So presumably BG can no longer bill me for the energy as it has been 12 months and they have not provided me with an accurate statement up to now?

Swipe

itm2 said:

I've just checked my first Octopus bill and it does contain my meter reading from the day of the switchover - which coincidentally is one year ago exactly. So presumably BG can no longer bill me for the energy as it has been 12 months and they have not provided me with an accurate statement up to now?

It's good news that Octopus have used your opening readings, but BG can still bill you and will. You need to call Octopus and it's important that you raise this as a complaint. Explain the whole situation and ask them to update the national readings database with your opening readings for your switch date so that BG can bill you accurately based on those readings. This system is in place so you cannot be billed twice for the same energy. Good luck and don't take no for an answer from Octopus. If they don't understand, ask for it to be escalated. Once Octopus have updated the records, it wouldn't hurt to go back to BG and ask to be re-billed using the newly updated closing readings held on the national database.

Chris_b2z

I had a similar experience recently. In my case, it was Scottish Power that sent a final bill with an estimation that 4 month's worth of electricity was used in 22 days even though my SMETS2 meter had always been reliably sending half-hour readings. It took a bit of hassle to get resolved, but many consumers would have just paid without checking.
According to DCC, smart meters are supposed to make the switching process 'seamless' -
When you apply to switch energy suppliers, your new supplier will do all the necessary work, communicating with your existing supplier to ensure the switch goes through without a problem. With SMETS2 meters, the process should be seamless, with all readings sent automatically and your meter and in-home display updated remotely, continuing to work as they always have.

itm2

Swipe said:

itm2 said:

I've just checked my first Octopus bill and it does contain my meter reading from the day of the switchover - which coincidentally is one year ago exactly. So presumably BG can no longer bill me for the energy as it has been 12 months and they have not provided me with an accurate statement up to now?

It's good news that Octopus have used your opening readings, but BG can still bill you and will. You need to call Octopus and it's important that you raise this as a complaint. Explain the whole situation and ask them to update the national readings database with your opening readings for your switch date so that BG can bill you accurately based on those readings. This system is in place so you cannot be billed twice for the same energy. Good luck and don't take no for an answer from Octopus. If they don't understand, ask for it to be escalated. Once Octopus have updated the records, it wouldn't hurt to go back to BG and ask to be re-billed using the newly updated closing readings held on the national database.

Ofgem's rules place a time limit of 12 months on back-billing - have I missed something?
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/what-do-if-you-get-back-bill

Swipe

itm2 said:

Swipe said:

itm2 said:

I've just checked my first Octopus bill and it does contain my meter reading from the day of the switchover - which coincidentally is one year ago exactly. So presumably BG can no longer bill me for the energy as it has been 12 months and they have not provided me with an accurate statement up to now?

It's good news that Octopus have used your opening readings, but BG can still bill you and will. You need to call Octopus and it's important that you raise this as a complaint. Explain the whole situation and ask them to update the national readings database with your opening readings for your switch date so that BG can bill you accurately based on those readings. This system is in place so you cannot be billed twice for the same energy. Good luck and don't take no for an answer from Octopus. If they don't understand, ask for it to be escalated. Once Octopus have updated the records, it wouldn't hurt to go back to BG and ask to be re-billed using the newly updated closing readings held on the national database.

Ofgem's rules place a time limit of 12 months on back-billing - have I missed something?
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/what-do-if-you-get-back-bill

They sent you a bill in January though didn't they? It's certainly worth a try, I could be wrong, but I don't think you'll have much luck.

itm2

They sent me a bill in January which was demonstrably inaccurate - it was based on an estimated reading which was significantly higher than the actual meter reading 6 months after I had left British Gas. I responded to that bill on the same day, pointing out the error and telling them that if they send me an accurate statement I would settle it promptly. I received no response. Several months later I started receiving emails chasing me for payment, most recently advising me that they would be contacting a debt collection agency.

I have emailed Octopus in the meantime, asking them whether they shared their opening meter readings with BG after the switchover last year (readings which I had given to Octopus at the time). They confirmed that they had, and that "British Gas confirmed the final/opening reading on 14th June 2023". They also confirmed what these readings were. I forwarded their email to BG, but they ignored it. and sent me another email repeating their request to send current meter readings so that they can estimate what the bill should have been last year.

So now BG have been provided with actual meter readings but are ignoring them, and it is more than a year since the end of my contract with them. They also ignored my objections to their intention to estimate my bill based on energy usage a year later (particularly since I provided them with meter readings over the phone 2 weeks before the end of my contract).

I tried phoning them earlier this week and demanded several times to speak to either the case handler or their manager, but was refused. I was told that it was "not the way things worked".

Any ideas for how I can make contact with a functioning human being at BG who is willing and able to read and process the information that I have already sent them?

Swipe

I'd just ask for a deadlock letter and then go straight to the ombudsman and open a case with them. Not worth the hassle trying to reason with them as they won't back down easily even though you raising it with the ombudsman will cost them money.