British Gas Backbilling Query

Birchway

I left British Gas last December and moved to Octopus.  I paid a final bill of ~£600 in January.  On May 20th I recieved a bill via email of £1950.  It is for energy from February 2022 to September 2023.  This has been a huge suprise.  This was the first I knew about such a bill.  After multiple phonecalls and webchats I have been able to set up a complaint.  The case handler contacted me this week.  My complaint is based upon backbilling.  I thought I am only liable for any energy 12 months before the bill.  But, the case handler says this is not true and i have I have to pay it all.  The £1950 bill is dated September 2023 and he says I am to have pay for energy from September 2022 to 2023.  Surely this is wrong as the bill was generated and sent to me May 2024 and I have received no any other information about it.  My account shows no evidence of this bill apart from being generated 20th May 2024.

Just wondered if anybody else has had such a problem or if anyone can clarify the rules of backbilling.  He is phoning me on Tuesday to discuss this further.

Thank you in advance.

Birchway

Forgot to mention that the case handle said this is not backbilling as I have been sent and paid bills from February 2022 to December 2023.  All these bills were paid in full and on time.  None mention anything about the huge £1950.

Brie

Was your final bill based on actual readings or estimates?

Birchway

The final bill in December was based on actual l readings.

Swipe

That sounds like a genuine case of back billing to me. If they refuse to accept it falls under back billing rules, I'd ask for a deadlock letter so you can take it straight to the Energy Ombudsman without having to wait.

t0rt0ise

Never mind backbilling, are you sure that you actually owe it? British Gas have a habit of making mistakes like this. If you paid a final bill, you need to check to see where they think this has come from.

badmemory

Check the bills very carefully.  Within that period they cancelled 7 of my bills, 3 of them covering the same overlapping period, the last one cancelling the whole lot.  It was such a mess I ended up doing a spreadsheet calculating the whole lot from day 1, using the prices & readings I had & ignoring their bill.  Luckily it turned out alright but it was a real mess.