British Gas Bill for Unoccupied Property

[Cannyshar]

Wonder if I might be able to obtain some advice! I moved out of my apartment in August last year and gave BG my meter reading for which I received my final bill.
I continued to own the property although it was left unoccupied from August until Feb this year when I sold it, during that time the central heating has been turned off and the place has been left unfurnished.
The new occupier dropped some post through my door at my new home today and to my horror 'The Occupier' at my old address has received a final gas bill following the new owners meter reading of £288.00!
Looking at the bill it states that on 3rd Jan 08 'you gave us your meter reading' which I certainly did not on that date, though interestingly the figures given are exactly the same as the ones I gave in August when we moved out. According to the bill there has been over 1000 gas units used since we moved out. How can that be possible with no one living at the property and using gas?
I have contacted BG to query this and although I accept that as owner of the property I am still responsible for it I am incredulous as to where the difference in meter readings comes from. Do you think the new owner has read the wrong meter? If not, I am most concerned. Any advice would be gratefully received!

[tiglet]

british gas need to use your final reading for the final bill - did you tell them this was your final reading?

[mree]

You would be responsible for gas used at the property until the date the sale went through, not the date you moved out. The bill addressed to The Occupier will cover the period between you moving out and you selling the place. The bill to The Occupier will more than likely start with the reading you supplied when you moved out, and end with the reading given by the new occupiers to begin their account. If I were you I'd be asking BG about this reading, given by the people you sold the place to - it's more than likely they've read the meter wrong!

[welshcakes]

Hi cannyshar

Snap! After two years of confusion, BG finally removed the prepayment used by previous owner and installed a credit meter last December at a property I had been refurbing.

The property was unoccupied but ready for its first tenants moving in on 2nd January this year. I rang BG the day after they installed the meter to advise that it was non occupied so the reading remained at zero but I needed a final bill because BG actually owed me money.

They sent through a Final Bill dated 18th Dec with a £80 odd cheque which I banked.

The tenants duly moved in 2nd January and last month forwarded another Final Bill in my name for £75 from BG!

As far as I'm concerned BG, by sending me a final Bill and a cheque in December, acknowledged that my account with them was closed.

I suspect the tenants have given the wrong gas reading however as far as I'm concerned this is BG's problem, not mine. It's ludicrous for BG to suggest that an empty property (between 19th Dec to 2nd January) could use £75 of gas.

I'm about to embark on a big battle wih BG. Dick Turpins!