Smart meters

Halfpint71

Hiya
I moved into this property in January 2020. I reported to British Gas that there wasn't an in-home monitor. They booked me in with an engineer to get one installed but COVID hit literally days before they were due and told me it would obviously have to wait and to just monitor my usage on the app. I told them that although the electric was reading ok, the gas usage wasn't registering on the app but it was like they didn't believe me as they were still receiving readings.
When life started to return back to normal I contacted them to ask if they could book me back in but they said because it had been more than a year this was now not possible as the in-home monitors have to be fitted within a year of becoming a new customer. So for 6 years my gas is still not reading on the app, even though I have complained about this many times they just don't care. I am disabled and want to keep an eye on what I'm spending, especially with my heating as I need it on 24/7 in the cold months, but how is this possible when they won't give me an indoor monitor or fix the meter as it can't be working properly if it's not sending my usage to the app. I have emailed their complaints department only to get a reply telling me to use their web chat but I never get anywhere when I do that. Any advice would be truly appreciated.

Scot_39

Immediately post covid you likely could have more easily pressured them to honour the original appointment - given it was they who cancelled.

Now years later - much trickier - but might be worth trying - especially if you are on the PSR - where the support requirement for IHDs is tighter.

Age - pension age - and disability - are normally sufficient - so register if not already

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/priority-service-register

And on basis of voluntary code from 2024 - which Ofgem may have since made mandatory - anyone ?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meter-in-home-display-voluntary-replacement-principles/smart-meter-in-home-display-voluntary-replacement-principles

"offering customers in vulnerable circumstances and customers who are on the Priority Services Register a replacement IHD for free or at the lowest possible cost"

You obviously want it to be free.

If your bills are showing real data from the meter - it's maybe more likely to be an App problem - that needs BG to fix at their end - than the meter itself. Their App I suspect is only accessing the data once stored on their servers. Not talking to the meter directly. Have you tried the open options like Bright app - that can get via DCC - just like the suppliers.

Halfpint71

Thank you for your response/advice. I have an old smart meter so not sure bright would be any use but I'll give it a try. They're now basically calling me a liar and that I wasn't even a customer with them in 2020, and that I didn't join them til 2023. I looked back at the app readings for my electric and for some reason all my data before 2023 has disappeared so now I just feel even more frustrated. I'm not getting anywhere with them. I was going to change supplier but it won't change the problem so guess I've just got suck it up and hope the meters get updated some time in the future. Thanks though

Scot_39

Other suppliers might agree to sell and configure.

There's another live thread here on ihd's - suggesting some having better luck than others.

KittenChops

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81912111#Comment_81912111

I think British Gas moved their customers onto a new billing system over the last few years - you could tell which system you were on from the account number. So perhaps 2023 is when your account was moved? (I've not been a BG customer for many years but I read about it on this forum)

Phones4Chris

@Halfpint71 The change of billing system will account for the loss of the data from the old system.

Have you kept any of the bills prior to 2023? Do you have any copies of the correspondence (emails/letters) for the booking which didn't happen because of Covid?

Have you checked that your current Bills are showing correct Smart meter readings for your usage (especially the gas) and aren't "Estimates"?