Large bill after meter was not working

[martygturner]

If the meter was not working how would the gas supplier know what gas she had used ? there is no recording of individual branches of the gas network.
This does not make any sense and sounds a wind up...if the meter was static and she was being charged by estimate then the estimate would stand and as long as that has been paid then thats that. Its not the consumers equipment , any faults are the responsibility of the owner, ie the network operator.

 

[SUNRAY]

If the meter was not working how would the gas supplier know what gas she had used ? there is no recording of individual branches of the gas network.
This does not make any sense

My point exactly.

and sounds a wind up...if the meter was static and she was being charged by estimate then the estimate would stand and as long as that has been paid then thats that. Its not the consumers equipment , any faults are the responsibility of the owner, ie the network operator.

 

[flameport]

a regular meter reading was taken by the company every few months. T

Are you sure it was a physical reading and not just estimated?
Meter readers calling every few months is highly unlikely.

Logically, the systems are sufficiently sophisticated

You are talking about British Gas here - their systems are ancient and have no sophistication whatsoever.

A fixed direct debit has been taken each month and a regular meter reading was taken by the company every few months. The reading has been the same for 5 or 6 years it now transpires.

Take the average gas usage for a property and occupancy of the size hers is, and estimate how much gas would have been used over those years.
Some averages here: https://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy/guides/average-bill.html
Compare that to their estimated readings over the years.

Estimate an approximate cost for that, and deduct whatever has been paid over the years.
What's left is what might be considered as what should be paid, assuming there is anything left at all.

As for complaints - do NOT contact BG by phone or email.
Send everything in writing, with their estimated readings, copies of ALL bills/other letters received from whenever the meter broke, records of what she has been paying, your approximations as to what may have been used over the period.
If they have been paying an amount each month which would be considered reasonable for a property of that size, then offer no payment. BG will have to void whatever the claimed outstanding amount is, install a new meter and start billing from the install date as if it was a new zero balance account.
If what was being paid every month is grossly under what would be expected (such as she was only paying £10 a month or something equally ridiculous) then she will have to pay something, offer some amount per month above what is being paid now.

For some additional info - at a unit price of 7p total (which is at the high end of pricing) and including the standing charge
8000kWh per year for small gas usage is about £55 per month
12000kWh per year for medium usage is about £80 per month
17000kWh per year for large usage is about £110 per month.

 

[SUNRAY]

I agree the days of a meter being read 4 times a year (as it usually was 50 years ago) are long gone except in densly populated areas where energy theft is more commonplace and the reading dates are randomised to increase the chances of catching the fiddlers. However even there 4 times a year is uncommon.

 

[ETAF]

my meters get read at least 4 times a year at least sometimes they read them 3 times in a month!!!!!!!!!!!!
which always surprises me , and i have mentioned it to the company as well

 

[crystal ball]

My MIL has been bedridden for at least four years, any access to read meters has to come through me, never had any contact apart from meter reading requests, her gas meter has been turned off for a year due to gas fire being condemned, so readings have been the same, no query on that one either

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

my meters get read at least 4 times a year at least sometimes they read them 3 times in a month!!!!!!!!!!!!
which always surprises me , and i have mentioned it to the company as well

Does the reader live next door, and gets paid a bonus, for the number of reads perhaps?

 

[ETAF]

I did ask them and they said , they just get allocated a list in the area and often do places 2 - 3 times within a few weeks
in fact i have had it read twice now - just looked at my spreadsheet - my meters read in March , April June, August , September, December , may have multiple times in any of those months as i only Note the last one on the Bill

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I did ask them and they said , they just get allocated a list in the area and often do places 2 - 3 times within a few weeks
in fact i have had it read twice now - just looked at my spreadsheet - my meters read in March , April June, August , September, December , may have multiple times in any of those months as i only Note the last one on the Bill

My meters are read, every 30 minutes. I never see any evidence of an eyeball on meter readings.

 

[Old Salt]

I used to work for 1 of the big 6 as part of the field services team which included meter readers, fixers, engineers etc.
Here is what you or your neighbour need to do,
Write to BG marking the letter/email as COMPLAINT and that you will be escalating to Ofgem if the issue is not resolved. Suppliers do NOT like Offem complaints.
Set out the facts and tell them you would like it investigated i.e. regular readings, no previous comments about gas useage etc. and now the excessive amount and demand for payment despite a standing order/DD.

The meter reader has a device for recording the readings which will query a reading if it is outside of normal tolerance e,g. Minus usage, excessive usage, no usage.
That should have alerted him or BG to the fact that something wasn't right.

They cannot bill usage over 12 months old that has not previously been billed. It can get complicated so you need to be sure that there are no demands for payment or previously unpaid bills.

The supplier should provide an interpreter or send communications in a language she understands.

You cannot complain to Ofgem until you have been through the BG complaints process.

 

[phatboy]

So each reading is taken by a different reader, who has no access to the previous reading

Why can’t people just accept they are partly to blame

A couple of years ago I did an EICR - the meter display was dead, so I asked the tenant how they checked their bill - they said they didn’t as they couldn’t asked them why they didn’t call supplier - said they didn’t want to. Noted this on EICR for landlord, talked to the Landlord about this and went to next job.

Ignorance is not an excuse

You think every customer should validate any readings? I never do. I may check usage now and again, but if by DD doesn't get updated, I feel I am safe to assume it is roughly correct.

When our water meter started under-reading the water company came out and spoke to us, and then replaced the meter when we said we had been occupying the entire time. No attempt was made to reclaim for the previous 2 quarters, the accepted it as a loss due to failure of their equipment (Yes, it's their equipment, and their responsibility).

 

[Murdochcat]

You think every customer should validate any readings? I never do. I may check usage now and again, but if by DD doesn't get updated, I feel I am safe to assume it is roughly correct.

More fool you then. Never assume the bill is accurate, and the monthly DD is correct

This is why so many people get in a mess because they bury their heads in the sand

 

[big-all]

somthing wrong with this story as a faulty meter would need intervention before a bill can be generated as in conversation to ascertain theres a problem with the meter -----meter changed ---estimated bill generated
how do they know any energy has been used ??
if its just someone has decided to assume use based on previous years then its not an actual bill so will just be an attempt to get an actual reading by shocking
do not panic but get in touch as the system will eventually say she is in default

has there been any review off the amount over the last say 5 years iff not b/g have a lot to answer for as they would be aware off shortfalls as energy price x4 with puntins tax

 

[carmanmemoranda]

More fool you then. Never assume the bill is accurate, and the monthly DD is correct

This is why so many people get in a mess because they bury their heads in the sand

I read my meters every month and send them through.

Then I check the bill for the readings and the prices and pay the DD.

I can't do anything more than that. If the supplier then says I owe lots more, it's not my head in the sand. It's a supplier issue.

In this case they need to explain their charges.

 

[u587162]

Some of u

somthing wrong with this story as a faulty meter would need intervention before a bill can be generated as in conversation to ascertain theres a problem

Some of you are really over thinking by this. It’s not a wind up as I’ve seen it for myself.

Gas was being used for regular heating and hot water. A direct debit was being taken (but I need to a certain exactly whether this was a low amount covering just standing charges (because consumption was showing zero due to the meter not working) of estimated consumption amounts were being taken).