Has British Gas started to seriously overestimate usage for estimated billing readings?

CannySaver1

I meter read and forgot to give my actual gas & electricity readings this quarter (I remembered last quarter!). So BG made an estimated bill for the quarter to yesterday. Fair enough. But their estimates seriously overstated my actual usage, and are a large increase compared to the same quarter last year.

Supply Overestimate Increase compared to same quarter last year

Electricity 39% 54%

Gas 196% 80%

My electricity usage each quarter varies little. So the overestimate for electricity seems completely unjustified.

Turning to gas, my central heating usage obviously varies with the weather and the usage in the spring/summer quarter is relatively little. So whilst some sort of higher usage estimate might generally be a legitimate, again the overestimate seems excessive.

I should add that any estimates BG have made previously over the years that I have been with them have been reasonable.

QrizB

As someone (possibly @Robin9?) says in their signature, "never pay an estimated bill".

Have you contacted BG with your actual readings and requested a revised bill?

Robin9

There were some very high increases on July 1

Have you now submitted your actual reads - you should get a new bill

sheenas

Maybe a smart meter is the best option and it is easier to pay and monitor monthly?

Exodi

CannySaver1

Supply Overestimate Increase compared to same quarter last year

Electricity 39% 54%

Gas 196% 80%

Sorry I don't understand what I'm looking at - why are there two numbers for each?

Your estimated electricity usage increased by 39% or 54% against last quarter? Gas by 196% or 80%?

Out of interest, any reason you can't just get a smart meter? Then you don't have to worry about forgetting to provide readings.

Hopefully you're not one of the previous posters from last month who proclaimed it's to prevent the radio waves scrambling their brains and/or giving them cancer/autism/etc.

Sorry back on topic, if you provide actual readings they should issue a revised bill. Overall, even if you/they don't, you're not any worse off, it's just a cashflow thing and it will come right eventually.

CannySaver1

Thanks for your responses. Almost immediately I supplied BG with my actual usage.

CannySaver1 has a couple of questions, answered below.

For my electricity supply, BG’s estimate of my usage in the last quarter was 39% more compared to actual usage. And that estimate was 54% higher than my actual usage in the same quarter last year.

For my gas supply, BG’s estimate of my usage in the last quarter was 196% more compared to actual usage. And that estimate was 80% higher than my actual usage in the same quarter last year.

I am old fashioned (in my 70’s) and quite happy to do meter reads myself, so I have not applied for a smart meter.

Robin9

I am also in my late 70's and wouldn't go back since my Smarts went in.

You might like to do tariff comparison on this site's Cheap Energy Club to see what you can save by going to a 2 year fix with smart meters and monthly DD - My bet about £25 a month.

Give us some actual consumption figures and we can number crunch for you

CannySaver1

Robin9,

Thank you. I saw MoneySavingExpert mentioning a Big Energy Switch fixed tariff back in February 2026 in one of their weekly MoneyTips emails. I have been a member of Cheap Energy Club for a year or so.

So I signed up for a fixed tariff with monthly DD (from memory no smart meter was suggested) and I am very glad I did. Only fixed for a year, but I'm saving very roughly £25 a month compared to a current variable tariff.

A neighbour had a smart meter installed and I was not impressed. Readings failed after about six months.

Exodi

CannySaver1

I am old fashioned (in my 70’s) and quite happy to do meter reads myself, so I have not applied for a smart meter.

CannySaver1

A neighbour had a smart meter installed and I was not impressed. Readings failed after about six months.

Sounds like you are stuck in your ways, but for what it's worth I have had smart meters for years without any issue. I don't need to read meters, my bills are always accurate, my DD has never dramatically increased because I forgot to submit a reading, etc.

But don't just take my word for it, nearly 3/4s of all gas and electricity meters are smart:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a17646365bc5f798327f424/Q1_2026_Smart_Meters_Statistics_Report.pdf

Based on my experience on this forum, it's usually older people who seem to insist on not changing - and from a quick google it appears this stereotype is not just isolated to this forum:

I would encourage you to think again because it's plainly easier, I honestly don't understand the argument for insisting on manually reading your meter if you have the choice, but I know there has been some negative publicity of smart meters (particularly on social media) so below you can find a page which addresses some of the most common myths (scroll down):

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/smart-meters-the-smart-choice

Bigphil1474

OP, i got smart meters put in in my old house when my knees started playing up. When we moved a couple of years ago, the new house had a gas meter at the bottom of a cupboard and I had to lie down to read the leccy meter. Got them changed quick smart. Had them in 2 years now and no issues although BG have just emailed me asking to supply meter readings for some reason.

Not had an estimated bill from BG for a while, but they did up our DD by £5 a month recently which I know is unnecessary, but they seem more keen on me staying in credit all year round rather than as was traditional, having a debt some of the year and credit at other times.