British Gas billing - back billing?

GedlingRed

I'm hoping someone can offer advice on an issue with British Gas, I changed from BG to Octopus back in April 2024, at the time I had a £1479 credit on my BG account and chased several times to get a final bill, I provided final readings on numerous occasions, raised complaints and quite honestly got totally exasperated with British Gas's inabilty to resolve my complaint. I've got copies of the emails I sent etc. Yesterday I received a final bill which was pages and pages long telling me I owe them £960. Looking at the bills it appears they've recalculated bills going to 2022! I was on a smart meter and EV rates. I'm totally baffled.

Does this fall on the back billing rules, can I dispute this? I'd appreciate any help, thanks

Ectophile

If they claim you now owe them money, then yes it would.

But if you make a complaint against them, then they might generously write off the £960. And keep the £1479 credit you previously had.

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6659044/british-gas-billing-back-billing

You can absolutely dispute it, but not under the back billing rules. If your account was in credit they can use that credit to cover bills as far back as they want. Back billing rules do not apply when the account is in credit.

QrizB

Looking at the bills it appears they've recalculated bills going to 2022!

Do you have the original bills for that period? Were they all Estimated?

If your account was in credit they can use that credit to cover bills as far back as they want. Back billing rules do not apply when the account is in credit.

I agree, if your account was in credit then BG are entitled to use that credit to settle any previously-unbilled usage.

Reed_Richards

If your final bill is £960 after your £1497 credit has been offset against the total charge, then back billing will apply. But if the total bill is £960 leaving you £537 in credit then it will not.

You must have been very naïeve to allow BG to bill you based on some sort of estimate, or not bill you at all. All EV tariffs that I am aware of require half-hourly readings from your smart meter so if the readings are not received you cannot be billed properly. Has it really taken two years for BG to find its record of your half hourly data and apply it? It's no good being baffled, you need to work out what is going on.

Studley1970

My account was in credit with BG, to the tune of £1500+ and an ongoing complaint about not being invoiced for over a year.

They wouldn't release the credit they held either, despite being asked on many occasions.

When they did finally get around to generating a statement, they ignored my initial request for a back billing amendment. However to their credit, they did remove almost 6 weeks of usage under the back billing rule when asked. They also compensated me nicely too :)

So, no harm in asking in my opinion

GedlingRed

Thanks for your replies. I'll clarify as I've looked further at my bills, it looks like they have credited and refunded lots of bits between 2022 and 2024. October 2023 was my last bill and I had been paying monthly £400+ and eventually amassed a credit balance on my account of £1479. I was on a smart meter and they were receiving readings. I changed supplier in April 2024 and provided BG with my final readings and requested a final bill. This never arrived despite numerous online chat promises and me raising it as a complaint. So the final bill is for the period Oct 23-April24, they have charged me £2415 less the amount of credit on my account of £1479 so £932 owing.

QrizB

I'm pretty sure back billing will apply and you can't be forced to pay the £932.

BG should have sorted this all out within six weeks of you leaving them.

cannugec5

£2400 for 6 months use.
Does this tally with your own readings over the same period?
Is this a realistic usage for your home and EV?

Reed_Richards

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81919261#Comment_81919261

Isn't some automatic compensation due for not sorting it out within six weeks?

GedlingRed

Fingers crossed back billing applies, I got so worn down with them previously that I lost the will to keep on at them when they were so clearly incomptetant - I've sent them an email to dispute and quoted Ofgem back billing rules.