British Gas underhanded practices?

gizz_10

As today is 1st April and as per Martin's advice , price cap reduces today, and I have by choice not upgraded to a smart meter yet, I duly went about taking my readings today to ensure i am charged the correct rates for the units I have used upto now, and from when the price reduces today.

I was shocked to see that a meter reader had apparently submitted an electric meter reading on my account on 23rd March - the reading submitted was 65159. However today the reading is only 64698 - so its a whole 461 units more than it should be - at which I am guessing I would have paid the higher rate pre-price cap reduction? In this period last year i used 278 units per month on average and there were 2 of us living here, and my actual usage in the last 5 months works out at 241 per month. So this is a huge over calculation, but crucially it was marked as an actual reading not an estimated one.

My meter is in a communal cupboard in the building hallway.

To clarify I am on the MSE collective rate which goes down with the price cap so its in my interest to ensure the reading is correct so that i am charged the lower rate from today. I have taken photos of the meter reading next to today's newspaper and submitted a complaint.

It makes me wonder how many other people (eg elderly) this might have been done to, who might effectively be paying more than they should be due to erroneous meter readings? Is this perhaps done deliberately by British Gas to inflate their profits?

So if anyone knows anyone not on a smart meter , I strongly advise them to check themselves today to ensure they are paying the lower rate from an accurate meter reading and not rely on the meter reader or an estimated read. I wouldn't put it past British Gas to do this on purpose.

la531983

What letter is next to the 23rd March reading?

If its an E, there is your answer. And surely shows you the benefit of a Smart meter does it not?

QrizB

Conspiracy or rooster-up? I'd suggest the latter.

gizz_10

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81946360#Comment_81946360

Nope - its listed as an actual reading not an an estimated one - and therefore would not allow me to submit a lower reading via the app and I had to fill in a special form. I'm not interested in a debate about smart meters, i know people who upgraded and regret it. I am happy to be hands on and I don't like my usage habits being monitored.

la531983

Yes heaven forbid Fuse should know I have the tumble dryer on.

gizz_10

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81946381#Comment_81946381

Each to their own

booneruk

It sounds far more likely to be an honest mistake by the meter reader (particularly if there are many in a cupboard) rather than skullduggery. I can't imagine a concerted effort to cheat pensioners out of a few quid would be a good look if it was revealed to the masses

dunstonh

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81946372#Comment_81946372

Your usage habits are monitored. Each and every time you submit a reading.

You say you know people who upgraded to smart meters and regret it. That may well be valid with SMETS1. It won't be valid with SMETS2 though. However, clearly being on a non-smart meter has left you in a position where an error has occurred. An error that would not have occured with a SMETS2 meter.

squirrelpie

Each to their own

Exactly. If @gizz_10 is happy with his existing metering arrangements, then all power to him.

I've had more trouble since getting a SMETS2 meter than I ever had before. But I chose to get it, so I get to keep the pieces.😈

imeach

Definitely a mistake.

BG don't read their own meters, so they wouldn't be asking a contractor to put in higher readings.

It's normally difficult to do, suppliers set a tolerance on what they would expect the meter readings to be, if it's too far out the meter reader would have to re-enter the reading and sometimes the serial number, and take a picture of the reading.

Maybe even the meter reader took the correct reading and somewhere in the system it's gone wrong

gizz_10

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81946381#Comment_81946381

You can joke, but your data can be sold, with all the data security issues that come with that, data gets stolen all the time, and someone could actually tell if you are home or not based on your real time usage, and then will come the dynamic pricing, charging higher rates during your specific surge usage times….watch and wait…

With an old fashioned meter they can't do any of that apart from know how much i used since my last reading - which sometimes can be a few months.