Jump to content


Crossed meters and British Gas


style="text-align: center;">  

Thread Locked

because no one has posted on it for the last 5058 days.

If you need to add something to this thread then

 

Please click the "Report " link

 

at the bottom of one of the posts.

 

If you want to post a new story then

Please

Start your own new thread

That way you will attract more attention to your story and get more visitors and more help 

 

Thanks

Recommended Posts

Hi Folks, been a LONG time but huge problem.

 

Moved into a newbuild flat April 2008. Sort out all our energy suppliers as standard (british gas for Gas). No problems, get our first bill, pay it.

 

Next bill doesnt show up on time - and half a month late it turns up with a different name on it.

 

Investigate the meters, and confirm the meter point ref numbers don't match. So, get in touch with British Gas.

 

"Leave it with us, we'll get onto Transco and get this sorted"

 

6 months pass. I call again and get put through to someone quite high up in the services chain.

"Ah yes, I see this hasn't been resolved yet. I will take ownership of this case and deal with it from now on."

I point out I was currently bankrupt and having huge difficulty and can't afford a large bill at the end of this.

"Don't worry sir, British Gas will foot the bill until it's resolved. We can't have you without gas."

So, after a call every 3 months from the same lady to say "it's still in process, don't worry", I finally email them just after new year, this year. I get someone completely different.

 

"We can confirm the crossed meters appear to have been resolved - we don't know why you haven't had your welcome pack, or any bills - please let us know your original meter readings and we'll be billing you from the day you moved in."

 

!!

 

So, bankrupt, a very young child to look after, another one on the way in just over 7 months, and British Gas expect us to pay nearly 2 years worth of gas bill, reneging on their original promise.

 

HELP? At wits end :(

If it doesn't Moo, don't stroke it!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Never heard of that until now - just googled it and found quite a few good resources on it. Many thanks!

 

Still, 12 months worth of gas is still going to be a hell of a lot of money :(

If it doesn't Moo, don't stroke it!

Link to post
Share on other sites

As the last coiuple of responses advise, they can only bill for 12 months of energy consumption from the date of the first correct bill - thsi falls under the billing code of practice for accurate bills as agreed with ofgem and the energy retail association.

 

As a matter of course british gas should then offer you the opportunity to set a pay arrangement to repay the balance over 12 months and cover your ongoing energy consumption

Link to post
Share on other sites

Incidentally Kryt, if you are Bankrupt, you shpuld not be responsible for any debt accrued before the date of your bankruptcy. In addition, the company I work for would have fitted a prepay meter for gas & electirc by now, as they are not legally allowed to offer you credit. Are BG aware of your bankruptcy?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yes, they were, We moved in a good 6 months prior to going bankrupt, and we've now been discharged for a further 6 months.

We've been fine on normal meters throughout the bankruptcy, in fact EON actually spoke to us about it (they supply our electric) and asked if they could help - they noticed we were constantly in credit by at least £50 at each time of billing :) The one thing I'm thankful for due to the bankruptcy is how well we can now manage our cash - this issue with BG is close to upsetting that :(

If it doesn't Moo, don't stroke it!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Wow, this company really is atrocious. At the start of March, they finally got back in touch (after much prodding by me) and said it was all sorted. Got a bill for £35 on 13th March. Paid in full, everyone happy.

We were asked for an online meter read which I provided on 5th May for the next bill. Didn't get the bill in time to pay it and they said "technical issues". So come back from holiday today to find the bill was in. £55. Not bad we thought. Until I checked the serial number. STILL BLOODY WRONG!!! NNNNGGGGHH! Was originally just going to email them to ask them to bill me for the amount actually used rather than an estimate that was 400 units out (estimate for start read in January).

Emailed them again asking it to be escalated to the highest possible complaints handler. Have also updated an original complaint with ofgem in hope this might get sorted out soon - I've never heard of a company that is unable to administer a simple account.

If it doesn't Moo, don't stroke it!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Note that you only have to pay (billing code) for the 1 year before the first CORRECT bill.

 

If the bills that they have sent you are using the incorrect meter numbers they are not correct bills.

 

Personally I would inform them (as you have done by email) just once that they are still using an incorrect meter number. Then sit back and wait. The longer they delay in sorting this the more free gas you will get. You cannot be asked to pay anything until you have received a correct bill - so I wouldn't.

.

I would keep copies of all further incorrect bills and any communications from their collections department. I would send the originals back with a note that these bills and comunications are incorrect.

 

Has anybody from British Gas bothered to check your actual meter number? When this kind of thing happened to me when I moved into a newbuild apartment it turned out that the only addresses recorded for the whole block were the buider's plot addresses and that every single meter number recorded against 12 addresses was incorrect. I suggested to them that they sent soebody from their office (not the agemcy meter reader) to the block to check it out but they declined to do this. They appeared to prefer to muddle along resulting in billing code and compenstion losses rather than somebody travelling 20 miles and sorting everybody out in a half day. The last billing code and compensation I know that they paid was £750 2.5 years after the newbuild was occupied for the first time. I got £240 but i was stupid and did my best to sort things out myself. If I had not bothered I would certainly have got more! so think on.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Aye, it's daft. It'd save them a lot of hassle but they do appear to like doing things the hard way.

 

I've already been "compensated" a large amount due to the Billing Code - thankfully in writing we've been catagorically told we won't be paying anything from March 2008 to December 2009. They were quite good about that which I'm particularly happy about (and the saving paid for the small holiday we've just returned from) but I really would rather they just got it right in the first place. Less headaches.

If it doesn't Moo, don't stroke it!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 Caggers

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Have we helped you ...?


×
×
  • Create New...