British Gas - ridiculous bills!

pinkshoes

Does anyone else get ridiculous gas bills from British Gas?

I just got a bill the other day via email (paperless!), and on it it states they've read the meter, and in 3 months we've used £180 of gas!!

Bearing in mind the central heating has been off for 2 of those 3 months, and we also live in a very well insulated 2 bed flat, plus we only used £160 of gas in the entire of last year!!! !!!!!!?? I spent all day at work really agitated that somehow we'd used all this gas somehow. I've just read the meter, and we've only used 1/4 of the amount of units they're claiming we've used.

Either they made a really stupid estimate, or the ejit that came to read the meter can't actually read, or read the wrong one.

Does anyone else get bills that are SO far out??

Energised

All you need to do is check the billed to reading. If it's similar to what your meter says then the bill is accurate. If not, phone them with an up to date read and they will re bill the account.

Simple as.

pinkshoes

I phoned them and gave them an ear-bashing!

Normally they'd put on the bill that it was an estimate, but this time they were claiming to have read the meter, hence me being so alarmed at how I'd used so much gas.

The woman said they HAD read the meter, but then looked at the other bills and apologised, as it was ridiculous and the person reading it had obviously read the wrong one! I'll be getting sent another less heart-stopping bill!

Only thing is, one of my neighbours is probably getting a nice low bill now, and unless they've read the meter themselves recently, will get a nasty shock!!

Energised

To be fair, it might be a lazy DC (meter reader) "estimating" the read.

Like I said, all it takes to sort these things out is a phone call to give them the correct reading.

Merrywidow

pinkshoes...I have been thru the same drama. I live alone in a 3 bed bungalow, and only have gas for heating and hot water. I requested an accurate meter reading because the bill was scary. The bottom line after a new reading is that I am paying on average £3 a week for gas. I don't use British Gas, but Southern Electric who are the cheapest at the moment according to various sources.I daren't go back and see what I was paying last year - utility bills are scary enough. I would love to hear from others what their bills work out at and their views on other suppliers.

Energised

The fact is Merry, energy companies have millions of customer and occasionaly have to estimate readings if the meter reader can't gain access to the meter or a mistake happens.

Really, it's as simple as looking at your meter and phoning the company who supplies your energy, they will re bill the account.

Simple !

On top of that, if it's a big concern for you, you can phone your supplier before your bill is due to give them readings, this will ensure accurate billing.

Tozer

Wonder if it could be that previous bills were being estimated too low and so it is 'catching up'.

Why don't you simply read the meter and give them the correct figure?

pinkshoes

Tozer wrote: »

Wonder if it could be that previous bills were being estimated too low and so it is 'catching up'.

Why don't you simply read the meter and give them the correct figure?

I've given them a meter reading now, and the bill has been recalculated to £65, which is much more accurate!!

If they'd actually said it was an estimate on the bill, rather than a reading, then I wouldn't have been so alarmed!

I think I'm going to switch to another supplier, because I'm a bit fed up with BG as they've messed me around with bills before.

Premier_2

To be fair to British Gas, this problem doesn't appear to have been of their making.

From what you've said, the error was caused by the meter reader submitting an erroneous meter reading. BG don't usually use their own meter readers now, but sub that work out to independent specialised meter reading companies (e.g. Accuread).

It could well be that the company you move to uses the same meter reading company.

daveyjp

Why get so stressed about it? As soon as the bill comes check it , even if it says its a reading. Send them the reading and you get a new bill. Done.

A meter reader (Meter Plus, so nothing to do with BG) mixed our reading with a neighbour and we ended up with a bill ten times the normal amount. One phone call and it was all sorted.

Even if you swich suppliers the meter reading company will still be the same!

Energised

Exactly! I'm sorry but really, don't some people have anything better to fret about?

It's been solved in one phone call, what are you expecting? If BG get a read from a subcontracted data collector, they will bill to it. You get the bill, if it's incorrect you phone them and it's sorted in one call.

Sounds like reasonable service to me, and I work for their competitors!