Charged on wrong meter number

[tooley3000uk]

Hi everyone.

British Gas sent me a bill recently for just over £2000.It was for electricity that they claimed ,wasn`t charged for over a four year period.I had had electric bills coming in,but most of them claimed that i was in credit and the ones that required paying were always for a small amount.Then in August,just after i had paid my electric bill of £200,i received another bill for just over £2000.

I promptly phoned customer services and asked them what was going on,as i had just paid my bill.They told me that all my bills had been estimated but according to the bill they had sent, the meter had been read.They asked if i had any proof that i had paid any of my bills in the last four years,i said i did but why haven`t they.Apparently its up to me to prove i`ve paid.

To cut a long story short,i checked my meter number and found out it was different to the one on my bill.British gas have been charging me for a different meter for four years.As i write,they said that they would suspend the bill until they made further enquiries (within 40 days).

Does anyone no how i stand legaly??

[Clare_L]

I believe this would come under the billing code of practice, operational costs. Basically meaning their error has caused you a debt in which case they can only backbill one year. When the meter reader read your meter this should have raised questions as the address and meter serial number wouldnt have matched.