Moved both to new supplier (I thought) but now I'm paying someone elses bill

aafoel

Dad moved into a care home last summer. I look after his flat.

Thought it might be an idea to move to a tariff where the standing charge was lower. No-one living there so gas would be zero and just a minimal amount of electricity.

So switched from Scottish Power to EDF. Had email from EDF all done.

Then I noticed the gas bills weren't as low as I expected. Asked EDF had some fob off answer.

Then I realised there was still a DD for £15 from Scottish Power going out. Logged into his old Scottish Power account and, yep bills there with zero usage.

Logged into new EDF account. I have no idea whos gas this is but its not my Dads. Electricity - Im hoping its the right house.

Then I noticed address on paper bill (which I hadn't seen). Flat 10 Flat 7 xxx road. (My Dad is no 7).

No idea where this came from? I certainly didn't put Flat 10.

A bit to sort out. I think his neighbour has sat there for months not paying for gas!!!!

I guess all meters have an identication no - time to check which bill hes been getting I guess?

Scot_39

Not as expected or not as measured ?

You need to check actual measurements on actual meters if haven't already done so.

Unless you have switched the boiler and all other gas appliances off (in terms of fires, ovens etc valved off) - there are potential reasons why gas may not be zero.

Not rely on remote monitoring / logging into accounts etc. - even more so now if expect a problem - given the address issue.

Background

Meters crossed at supplier switch (bad address ?) ?

It isn't unheard of for meters to get crossed - especially in flats (or new builds) - and with communicating smart meters - then yes that could be the wrong meter's readings being billed.

Smart meter readings should always therefore ideally be checked against actual - at least initially / periodically.

Your fathers address will link to a set of specific supply numbers - MPAN / MPRN - and the meters themselves should also have serial numbers (my electric has - not on gas to check).

You should hopefully be able to check these on both old and new bills given a recent switch.

You would have supplied a set of manual readings to the new supplier EDF at time of switch - these should have been verified by the mysterious third party process and agreed with both old and new supplier. So same on old final and new first bills.

Wrong Meters?

If the meters arent in the individual flat - but multiple individual outside or communal grouped cabinets / meter rooms in larger blocks - you might want to even do meter sanity checks - easy enough with electric - there's many threads here - gas anyone ?

They may always have been wrong.

As at start if Expected Use vs Actual Measured ?

Given its been at times a pretty cold winter with sub zero days and nights in parts - are you not heating the flat at all ? Given you expect Zero gas - you using electric instead ??

[Note : Your fathers insurance company may well take a very dim view of leaving no heating when empty. I assume you have notified them it is empty. You probably actually will need specialist insurance - most only allow 30-60 days without actual prolonged occupation between such absences (a quick visit doesn't count) - at least one UK insurer only allows 60 nights empty pa total - and many will require regular inspections too - to stop minor problems becoming major claims.]

And even if the gas heating not on (are you sure?) but the boiler is powered on - the boiler itself could be cycling in either a frost protection mode, or some brands (WB, incl BG re-badged WB designs) certainly have a water preheat mode (keeping a small volume permanently warm for convenience / quicker hot flow at tap - if not in ECO mode iirc parents old boiler).

Frost protection mode sensors can go bad - and boilers been known to frost cycle "continuously" even in milder temps (posts here well into teens in past - as only "easily" spotted late spring / summer when owners have switched heating off) - giving non trivial consumption still.

[And thats assuming the boiler and any other appliances - are modern - older boilers, gas cookers - maybe as young as c15 yr old - had so called pilot lights - that used gas continuously. A domestic boiler pilot light - could easily consume say 100-150kWh per month - 4 rings on a stove and oven ?? ]

Faulty Meter ?

Its rare - but it isn't impossible - there is even a fault with the gas meter. There's a large thread here on one smart model - of the gas meter reading use with absolutely no gas flow (valved off).

dunstonh

Very easily resolved. It happened to me on my last switch. There is human input in the process and humans can make mistakes. A similar house name or address results in someone selecting the wrong one.

Ectophile

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81907504#Comment_81907504

Very easily resolved - but only if someone in customer service believes you and actually cares enough to do anything about it. Otherwise, you have to go all the way to the ombudsman.