Reading Error advise!

Eamonn85

Any help would be much appreciated!

I live with 4 other students, in a university managed house. We have to take care of our own bills.
Unfortunately, I haven't been in charge of our house bills and never knew they have been supplying us with estimate readings until today! (Practical jokes do pay off!)

Basically, the number I have given them for our gas bill is LOWER than the number they had when we moved in. This was discovered by them when I called to give the gas reading. However, not only were we charged a vast amount on the 1st bill, even with the new reading (lower than the reading when we moved in!) our 2nd bill is over £85!
This might not seem much, but considering we have an electric shower and electric oven. The only thing we use gas for is heating, and with 5 students, we'd rather freeze than put the heating on!

What legal ground do we stand on, as we never supplied them with the original reading, so I'm guessing they had to of read it themselves. Can I argue with them to get the bill reduced?
Thanks!

We_Laugh_Indoors

Have you called to speak to them on the matter?

I had a problem like this when moving between uni houses and after a few phonecalls ended up with a cheque for a big refund from British Gas.

Eamonn85

Hi,
I did, all the lady on the phone said was that our current bill (of over £160!) will be reduced to £86 or around that.
She wouldn't reduce it anymore. I still think thats over the top, considering how much we use the heating!

BigDave_Cash_Saver

Eamonn85 wrote: »

Hi,
I did, all the lady on the phone said was that our current bill (of over £160!) will be reduced to £86 or around that.
She wouldn't reduce it anymore. I still think thats over the top, considering how much we use the heating!

They have to show you the starting and closing meter numbers being used to calculate the bill and then show a bill reflective of your Unit rates. If they are billing you on numbers that are not correct, and they know they are not correct, then they are basically committing fraud.

Before you moved in SOMEBODY would have paid for the gas being billed on the meter numbers, meaning the gas used has probably been paid for.

For them to try to go back and bill somebody again is mental, unless they are going back and amending the original readings in order to repay the former tenants!!!

Basically all of their bills are based on theory – they don’t know what you have used so wont be able to enforce it. I would send them a letter, also send one to Energywatch and then go from there.

Dont take any [EMAIL="!!!!"]!!!![/EMAIL], British Gas are a fiasco and will probably ignore your letter so make sure you send one to the regulator.

Joyful

If neither yourselves or the previous tennants gave readings this becomes a dispute between yourselves not the energy company. It may help though if you take reads a week apart and then ask them to use this as an average to recalculate your bill. Remember though that it means that if the previous tennant gets a bill and disputes it you may have a problem.

Eamonn85

Thanks for the info.
Im going to give them a call tomorrow and dispute our last and current bill!