Gas bill spike after leak on other side of town

Ashgordon123

This is my feb gas usage from Scottish power app. SP confirm the image chimes with actual daily readings . 

Ashgordon123

This is the daily breakdown. For Feb 12. You can see when the gas was turned off , and you can’t see a massive spike. but the usage for the day is still massive . When I raised this with SP they said this image was superseded by the actual meter readings provided. Actually it looks accurate to me 

EssexHebridean

That graph *seems* to suggest in the region of 38kWh of gas used in that timescale…? Is that about akin to any other period when the heating has first kicked in after being off for a while recently? 

Ashgordon123

EssexHebridean said:

That graph *seems* to suggest in the region of 38kWh of gas used in that timescale…? Is that about akin to any other period when the heating has first kicked in after being off for a while recently? 

Hard to tell as I’ve only recently got a smart meter which records daily readings. 

Normal days I get through around 40kwh so the 38 would fit with that given the gas was off half the day. In fact it would still be high. 

The previous day (when the gas was also off half the day ) 11kwh was used. 

Ildhund

Thanks for sharing the meter readings and other data.

The readings suggest that there was a metering fault on the day of the incident, because there's no way that 154 m³ of gas could have been delivered on 12 February. A metering expert would be able to explain how it might have happened, but it could be related to either the sudden drop in pressure as the service was interrupted or (more likely) the sudden increase when service was resumed. It looks as if the meter went into a spin and clocked up unrealistic quantities in a very short space of time, because the usage pattern before and since looks unremarkable. That would also suggest that the meter recovered from its wobble and is now behaving normally again, but of course the counter can't be rolled back. Only if you notice any suspicious activity again should you consider asking for a meter accuracy test; that involves nowadays exchanging the meter for a new one while the suspect one is taken away for testing. If it proves to be accurate, you'd be landed with the testing bill.

Your half-hourly data show no sign of any abnormal consumption, but the daily figure shown is based on the meter advance (154 m³ > 1736.73 kWh). SP will have to find a way of ignoring that sudden spike in the register reading, e.g. by billing separately for 1-11 February and 13-28 February, with the cost of 12 February's 3.4 m³ perhaps written off as a gesture of goodwill. If they won't play ball, the energy ombudsman will almost certainly support you when you play the 'it couldn't have happened' card. 

Scot_39

Ashgordon123 said:

This is the daily breakdown. For Feb 12. You can see when the gas was turned off , and you can’t see a massive spike. but the usage for the day is still massive . When I raised this with SP they said this image was superseded by the actual meter readings provided. Actually it looks accurate to me 

Suspect these graphs all tge evidence you need.

Don't know how SP billing works for gas - but could be simply daily.  For some on electric they might switch to 1/2 hrly like those on its weekend saver deal.

Can you grab tge previous and next days half hourly just to check those do add up sensibly.  And the glitch isn't being billed I the wrong day.  Like first or last hour.  Or confusing the daily read on one day with total daily register from another.

The first daily one is just so clearly off the normal  it surely cannot be real.

And the second - no way that those half hourly readings - add up to their claim for 1736 kWh for the day.

Send a screen grab of these graphs to Scottish Power ax part of a formal complaint email.  And ask them to do the 1/2 hrly maths.

My problem is If it was just a one off reading error it should have fallen out of billing - with the next read.  But thr SP absolutes the upto 400 m3 seem to reflect the suspected glitch - and maintain a c154 m3 step from tge 12th to 13th.
I assume you have checked those against your actual physical meter read.
If not, There is a remote/ small risk this might be an online account error - now mapping the wrong meter read to your account - and just a  coincidence it aligned with gas main fault.
So does your meter absolute reading today agree with current meter reading - so in low 400s based on 3-4 m3 per day for sub 40kWh and Feb 21 absolute reading ?
Or assuming you can see it - check the absolute figure on portal vs actual meter today if you can.
And check the serial numbers if visible on line statements post the glitch. 

But I'd say you certainly have good grounds to report a suspected faulty billing issue - and if confirm the meter reads even a faulty meter.

[Energy companies have in past gone into "we do not believe new reading" modes - and might have stopped using measurements - reverting yo estimates to avoid using readings thst show negative use.  I've certainly had meter readings not used in past with old non smart tech at SP and SG because computer said no - too high and too low.]

Ashgordon123

Scot_39 said:

Ashgordon123 said:

This is the daily breakdown. For Feb 12. You can see when the gas was turned off , and you can’t see a massive spike. but the usage for the day is still massive . When I raised this with SP they said this image was superseded by the actual meter readings provided. Actually it looks accurate to me 

Suspect these graphs all tge evidence you need.

Don't know how SP billing works for gas - but could be simply daily.  For some on electric they might switch to 1/2 hrly like those on its weekend saver deal.

Can you grab tge previous and next days half hourly just to check those do add up sensibly.  And the glitch isn't being billed I the wrong day.  Like first or last hour.  Or confusing the daily read on one day with total daily register from another.

The first daily one is just so clearly off the normal  it surely cannot be real.

And the second - no way that those half hourly readings - add up to their claim for 1736 kWh for the day.

Send a screen grab of these graphs to Scottish Power ax part of a formal complaint email.  And ask them to do the 1/2 hrly maths.

My problem is If it was just a one off reading error it should have fallen out of billing - with the next read.  But thr SP absolutes the upto 400 m3 seem to reflect the suspected glitch - and maintain a c154 m3 step from tge 12th to 13th.
I assume you have checked those against your actual physical meter read.
If not, There is a remote/ small risk this might be an online account error - now mapping the wrong meter read to your account - and just a  coincidence it aligned with gas main fault.
So does your meter absolute reading today agree with current meter reading - so in low 400s based on 3-4 m3 per day for sub 40kWh and Feb 21 absolute reading ?
Or assuming you can see it - check the absolute figure on portal vs actual meter today if you can.
And check the serial numbers if visible on line statements post the glitch. 

But I'd say you certainly have good grounds to report a suspected faulty billing issue - and if confirm the meter reads even a faulty meter.

[Energy companies have in past gone into "we do not believe new reading" modes - and might have stopped using measurements - reverting yo estimates to avoid using readings thst show negative use.  I've certainly had meter readings not used in past with old non smart tech at SP and SG because computer said no - too high and too low.]

I’ve checked the previous few days , and after feb 12th, and they all add up correctly . One of the days is 45ish , another 56kwh. 

I also checked the meter this week outside and it tallies with the readings. 

I must have a strong case but as I mentioned before, Scottish Power are blaming Wales and West. 

Annoyingly If I hadn’t naively mentioned the gas leak when I first contacted them , they probably would have sorted it out there and then as clearly something has gone wrong. 

The gas leak gave SP scope to accept the anomaly but blame wales and west. it looks to me to be a SP issue not Wales and West though.  

I wonder if both companies are concerned by compensating me, it could open the floodgates to other claims from my estate  but that is me speculating. 

Next step is formal complaint to SP. Then ombudsman . I don’t suppose you know if it’s in my interests to get a dead lock letter to move things along? 

lohr500

I stand to be corrected, but I think if you can get a deadlock letter from SP, you can then go directly to the Energy Ombudsman without having to wait 8 weeks from the time that you raised the 1st official complaint with SP.

Qyburn

Can you get the half hourly consumption data for the days in question?

QrizB

Ashgordon123 said:

I must have a strong case but as I mentioned before, Scottish Power are blaming Wales and West.

Scottish Power can blame the man in the moon if they want to, but the fact remains that your supplier is SP, your contract is with SP and it's SP who have billed you for gas that you haven't used due to some sort of problem with SPs metering and billing system.