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Trying to work out gas usage overcharge please help!

Hi, I have signed up to MSE in the hope someone can help me with this as I have heard how wonderfully knowledgeable you are. I'm keeping the story brief because it is a long and boring. I have not tried to withhold any information and happy to share anything necessary, I am just trying to spare anyone reading this.

From April 22-March 23 we did not have a functioning gas meter-reported to our energy provider multiple times but they failed to address this despite their legal responsibility to

This was reported to the Ombudsman in December 22, who made a number of resolutions, one of which was for a new meter to be fitted (as was finally actioned on 22/3/23), and to calculate our prospective gas usage to recalculate our historic gas use, since we reported the faulty meter in April 22. 

This has still not happened despite much chasing, though I think I have finally spoken with someone who is going to help and has asked me for lots of information. However, I find gas use really really complicated and am worried that I may give them information that means we end up owing them money, so I am hoping someone can confirm my calculations which confirm this is not the case. In fact, I believe we are owed a lot of our money back.

2 relevant but complicating factors I wanted to highlight:
1) Our energy provider changed to a different provider in May 23 so they have informed me they have no access to our historic usage or any previous correspondence-I find this hard to believe 
 
2) I had a child, 2 weeks after our gas meter was fitted. I told the ombudsman I was only prepared for the gas calculation to use our energy use before the child was born and I was at home on maternity leave, as clearly this would result in increased use. This meant that there was only a short window to calculate our daily pre child energy use-just to note, this was only such a short time period because the energy provider took so long to replace our meter.

From 22/3/23-06/05/23- our meter went from 00000 (new meter therefore started at 0) to 00006.033-by my calculation this is 4.43 kw/h per day during this period of time. When searching online, this seems ridiculously low. Is it possible that we could only use 4.43 per day? We have gas central heating and a gas hob.

For the 10 months we didn't have a functioning meter, our energy provider continued to charge us and we obviously continued paying as didn't want to get cut off. I have looked at a statement for this today and it states that our average use for that period of time was 51kw/h per day! 

To give some historical context, the year before that (2021) it was 12kw/h per day-we upgraded our 20 year old boiler and took various other measures to decrease our gas use in early 22 due to increasing gas prices so it wouldn't surprise me that our gas use had decreased further from 2021-2023.

So by my very poor calculations, it seems like we are due a refund of 46.57 kw/h per day for the 10 months that we did not have a functioning meter-again, this seems so high, I am questioning myself and my maths and am worried that in fact it may be that we owe them money.

Can anyone reassure me or assist me with this please? Thanks so much in anticipation

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Comments

  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 17,336 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    lbest1705 said: From 22/3/23-06/05/23- our meter went from 00000 (new meter therefore started at 0) to 00006.033-by my calculation this is 4.43 kw/h per day during this period of time. When searching online, this seems ridiculously low. Is it possible that we could only use 4.43 per day? We have gas central heating and a gas hob.
    In April, I used an average of 5kWh per day (just heating & hot water), and I'm a low user averaging less than 3500kWh per year. Your daily usage of just 4.43kWh is plausible. What was your heating schedule & target temperatures ?
    Her courage will change the world.

    Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.
  • Thank you, that is really helpful to know. We had our thermostat off, so it would only come on if less than 5oc to prevent the boiler being damaged. So really the only gas use for this time period would have been cooking and hot water.
  • Just to add, if my calculations are correct, I am outraged at how hard I have had to work to get OUR money back when the readings being used by our provider were so inflated from our historic use! They must have known this was not right!

    The Ombudsman have been useless and would not make the provider actually fulfill the resolutions they recommended over 12 months ago! The only reason I have got somewhere recently is because I threatened legal action-a big bluff as I have neither the time, money or knowledge to pursue this legally!
  • BarelySentientAI
    BarelySentientAI Posts: 2,448 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 13 August 2024 pm31 3:03PM
    lbest1705 said:

    1) Our energy provider changed to a different provider in May 23 so they have informed me they have no access to our historic usage or any previous correspondence-I find this hard to believe 

    Your new supplier is unlikely to have comprehensive details of correspondence with an entirely different business.

    lbest1705 said:
     
    2) I had a child, 2 weeks after our gas meter was fitted. I told the ombudsman I was only prepared for the gas calculation to use our energy use before the child was born and I was at home on maternity leave, as clearly this would result in increased use. This meant that there was only a short window to calculate our daily pre child energy use-just to note, this was only such a short time period because the energy provider took so long to replace our meter.

    Not particularly relevant.  You don't get to choose what period is chosen as a baseline, nor is the supplier expected to take a lot of account of reported change of usage patterns.  Just the same as saying "I had a new boiler" or "I tried really hard to use less" don't have too much relevance.

    lbest1705 said:

    From 22/3/23-06/05/23- our meter went from 00000 (new meter therefore started at 0) to 00006.033-by my calculation this is 4.43 kw/h per day during this period of time. When searching online, this seems ridiculously low. Is it possible that we could only use 4.43 per day? We have gas central heating and a gas hob.

    For the 10 months we didn't have a functioning meter, our energy provider continued to charge us and we obviously continued paying as didn't want to get cut off. I have looked at a statement for this today and it states that our average use for that period of time was 51kw/h per day! 

    To give some historical context, the year before that (2021) it was 12kw/h per day-we upgraded our 20 year old boiler and took various other measures to decrease our gas use in early 22 due to increasing gas prices so it wouldn't surprise me that our gas use had decreased further from 2021-2023.

    So by my very poor calculations, it seems like we are due a refund of 46.57 kw/h per day for the 10 months that we did not have a functioning meter-again, this seems so high, I am questioning myself and my maths and am worried that in fact it may be that we owe them money.

    Can anyone reassure me or assist me with this please? Thanks so much in anticipation



    4kWh sounds low but possible, 51kWh sounds very high.  You're trying to calculate annual usage of a very seasonal thing using only a single month, so there are certainly bits missing in your calculations.

    I don't think you are due a refund of 46.5kWh per day, particularly if you're trying to base that on late Spring usage, but I do think you have overpaid substantially and do not owe them anything.

    You've had more than a year since the reading on 6/5/23 - what has your usage done since then?  You should have nearly 15 months of usage (including a full winter) to get a more accurate baseline from!  What were your readings 12 months apart?

    lbest1705 said:
    Thank you, that is really helpful to know. We had our thermostat off, so it would only come on if less than 5oc to prevent the boiler being damaged. So really the only gas use for this time period would have been cooking and hot water.
    Exactly - why are you using a time when you did not use any gas for heating as the basis for your calculation of a full year?
  • MeteredOut
    MeteredOut Posts: 2,422 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    As above, calculated how much you used over a 12 month period, and see where that leaves you.

    For comparison, at present (with the boiler off), we use around 4-5kWh per day on 2 showers and general hot water. But, we have a large house with underfloor heating throughout, and during cold spells, we can use 80-100kWh/day.
  • Thanks for your helpful advice, just to respond on a few things:

    The reason it was agreed with the ombudsman and the provider in the resolution to use that period of time was because everyone acknowledged that 1) me being at home on maternity leave and 2) having a newborn baby at home, daily baths etc would increase our energy use. The provider were meant to fit the meter at the start of February so they’d have 2 months, one being a winter month, to base their recalculation on. They didn’t do this until 22/3 which meant there was only a few weeks before baby was born. 

    The new company I am dealing with procured the other company which is why I am surprised no correspondence was transferred, but I no nothing of how such procurements work so maybe I’m imagining things are more joined up than they are. 

    I wasn’t expecting the energy provider to take account of us trying to use less energy, just stating on here why our gas usage could have plausibly reduced in that time period. 

    I will have a look at our past 12 months, it was silly of me not to. I guess I was just thinking our energy use will have increased so much post child it wouldn’t be that helpful but it will certainly give me a broad idea of our gas usage with a functioning meter.

    Thanks again 
  • lbest1705 said:

    I will have a look at our past 12 months, it was silly of me not to. I guess I was just thinking our energy use will have increased so much post child it wouldn’t be that helpful but it will certainly give me a broad idea of our gas usage with a functioning meter.

    Yeah, I think it will give you a much better idea than trying to use only the five weeks.

    Weather is likely to have a much bigger difference (on the gas consumption) than your child has.  A cold winter can need 50% more or even double the gas compared to a warm winter.
  • Just a quick update, since the meter was fitted in March 23 we have used 742m3 so our average daily kwh is 16 (assuming my calculations are right), which means we were still paying significantly more for the period of time without a meter. I will submit everything to them now I am confident that we don't owe them anything.

    Thank you all again for your help
  • Ectophile
    Ectophile Posts: 7,771 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Something to bear in mind is the Ofgem back billing rule.  If your supplier wants to charge you more than you have already paid, then remind them of this rule https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/check-energy-back-billing-rules .  They are only allowed to back bill you for up to one year.
    If it sticks, force it.
    If it breaks, well it wasn't working right anyway.
  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 17,336 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    lbest1705 said:
    Just a quick update, since the meter was fitted in March 23 we have used 742m3 so our average daily kwh is 16 (assuming my calculations are right)
    742m³ is roughly 8300kWh - Over a 12 month period, you'd be at the bottom end of "average" (in a 2-3 bed house) and doing very well. I had been using ~8500kWh in a 3 bed semi before embarking on a program of thermal upgrades and energy saving measures. If your 742m³ is over 18 months, you should be congratulated.

    Her courage will change the world.

    Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.
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