British Gas appear to have charged us in hundreds of cubic ft gas rather than cubic ft gas for 5+ y

lucyr103

Thanks for all the comments. We literally just gave them the numbers on the meter, and, as I mentioned, there were some professional readings in that time. At the time we did complain/query each time there was an unaccounted spike - but each time we've just been given the slip by customer service saying they will investigate then not calling back when they have arranged to. The spikes are so wild that I don't believe it can be explained by just the odd missed reading. Like I say, looking back through the bills the calculations seem to indicate we are using tens of thousands of KwH (more than my parent's five bedroom detatched house with gas cooker for example). Our real problem is that we are not engineers/mathematicians. We really need a professional eye to look through this and deduce from the bils/meter readings/current smart meter usage what has gone wrong, but we just can't get British Gas to stick to an open case and follow through with it. Each time we call it's a new employee who knows nothing about the case and then ghosts us.

BarelySentientAI

lucyr103 said:

 Our real problem is that we are not engineers/mathematicians. We really need a professional eye to look through this and deduce from the bils/meter readings/current smart meter usage what has gone wrong

We are.  That's why we are asking you these questions.

molerat

But what were the meter reads showing on your bills, were they in the 0511 region or 05111 or even 051110 regions ?

Spoonie_Turtle

I would suggest going through the bills, listing the readings and charges on here, and some members will be able to cast an eye over them to find out what was going wrong

Reed_Richards

lucyr103 said:

....looking back through the bills the calculations seem to indicate we are using tens of thousands of KwH ....

So you have the old bills; the old bills will have your old meter readings.  You meter can read numbers between 0000 and 9999 in hundreds of cubic feet.  When it gets to 9999 it will start again at 0000.  All you old bills should have numbers in that range.  The numbers should increase from one bill to the next.  But if you have one bill at 9900 and the next bill is 0100 then your meter will have gone round the clock (as was suggested earlier) and you would have use 200 hundred cubic feet.

Just give us the dates and the meter readings and we can do the maths.      

Scot_39

lucyr103 said:

This is our old meter. We literally just gave the readings from it

You only normally submit the white numbers on old numbers - 0511 - not the red numbers.

0511 is in 1 = 100 cu ft  - which is above what afaik domestic suppliers need as a reading 

051110 is in 1 = cu ft.

Your meter doesn't even have a real meter digit for 1cu ft - others do.


When you get a new smart meter it is important they change the billing and tge national meter database records.  And again be willing to check if move suppliers as others have reported they have been reverted to old meter units  - possibly even on internal account system changeover at BG.

As their will be approx 3 less kWh per meter unit.

100 in white on cu ft meter = 3215 kWh
100 on smart m3 meter = 1136 kWh

A ratio of 2.83 for volume difference - that sadly posters here  have found been overbilled for on new metres for months.

Not sure they show the full calcs on bills anymore - so do check when on new meter you too are not overpaying.

t0rt0ise

It's good to see the meter, now we need to see the bills or a list of dates, readings and cost etc from the bills.

Scot_39

lucyr103 said:

Thanks for all the comments. We literally just gave them the numbers on the meter, and, as I mentioned, there were some professional readings in that time. At the time we did complain/query each time there was an unaccounted spike - but each time we've just been given the slip by customer service saying they will investigate then not calling back when they have arranged to. The spikes are so wild that I don't believe it can be explained by just the odd missed reading. Like I say, looking back through the bills the calculations seem to indicate we are using tens of thousands of KwH (more than my parent's five bedroom detatched house with gas cooker for example). Our real problem is that we are not engineers/mathematicians. We really need a professional eye to look through this and deduce from the bils/meter readings/current smart meter usage what has gone wrong, but we just can't get British Gas to stick to an open case and follow through with it. Each time we call it's a new employee who knows nothing about the case and then ghosts us.

The spikes could easily have been errors in submitting the readings
.
A professional meter reader would / should have known to only submit the digits in white.

You may have accidently phoned in all the digits - either 05111 or even worse 051110 from your photo - to get a large bill.

B Gas or at least S Gas have form on rejecting meter readings and persisting with estimated billing - if they see anomalies.

We needed 2 meter reading visits and 2 user readings backed by photos to resolve a mis reading submitted by elderly mother - but we didnt have to pay - as the first contact with CS froze the erroneous bill.

You essentially need to do four things 

Get a history of readings and kWh charges for old meter.


Check for the final reading on it you were billed for on the bill corresponding to new meter fitting

Check your m3 smart to kWh conversion on new meter - checking your not being overbilled by tge 2.83 factor. 

If you have been transferred over to new accounts system - Check very carefully balances carried forward and again if post new meter - recheck for 2.83 over  billing.

The calcs are available on line as are many calculators where you can simply type in in meter units and get an approx kWh (there might be small variations c 10% in gas calorific value used by supllier Cs tools  -  range 37.5 to 43 acording yo NG across uk regions ) but in order of % - not the 283% metric vs old imperial 100 cu ft.

E.g.

https://utilitiessavings.co.uk/gas-kwh-conversion-tool/


Note it expects only the white four digits for imperial.  In 1=100 cu ft.

If your struggling post dates and readings on old or new meter and kWh calculated and as above one of us will do the numbers  even if at ave calorific value - should be close enough to identify a misread by x10 or x100 - or a imperial vs metric 2.83 issue.


Re: above comment on meter wrapping- there is definitely a possible that that happened recently..

511 (ignoring 00) = 16000 kWh - about 1.5 years use at median Ofgem tdcv

So may have gone through 9999 (90) to 0000 (00).

When checking any bills as wrapped 

If new reading - old negative, add 10000  - e.g. if 100  vs 9900 so 100 pre and post wrapping, so 200 used, 100 - 9900 + 10000 = 200

At median tdcv expected about once every 25-30 years.

MeteredOut

OP has not logged on since the day this was posted. Without the additional info requested, its all speculation.