Faulty gas prepayment meters overcharge customers

[Michael Browne]

More than a million pre-payment gas customers have been overcharged because their meters are faulty, the industry has admitted.

 

 

About 1.5 million meters have not been working properly since they were installed, some as long ago as 2007.

 

 

The affected meters were set up incorrectly, meaning they miscalculate the price of gas and overcharge customers.

 

 

Energy suppliers are contacting customers with the faulty meter settings to arrange a refund

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30214471

[new-me2010]

I wonder how will it affect people if they have switched suppliers during this time?

[hillards]

I wonder how will it affect people if they have switched suppliers during this time?

 

Now that's a question I would have asked if you had not. We swapped supplier about 15 months ago, so this is our 2nd winter with the current lot and I really hope that someone at npower will sort out automatic refunds for people who were with them before, mainly because our reason for leaving was their appalling customer service !

 

I wonder why it's an average of £6.50 for each winter period - why just winter? We use gas all year round.

[new-me2010]

We've had 2 meters and 2 resets and 3 suppliers. I think I will email EDF

[vervegirl]

I have moved house since the gas meter was installed. I wonder if I can still see if I'm due a refund.

[Kellylou32]

Southern Electric wouldn't tell me if I was an affected customer they said I just had to sit tight and wait for the specialist team who are handling it to get round to me

[orge]

I am also in the situation where I have changed suppliers and no longer have a pre-payment meter... For those in the same boat, there is some more information from specific suppliers on this MSE page:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/utilities/2014/11/up-to-15-million-prepaid-gas-customers-overcharged

 

The telegraph article identified that the meters were supplied by Landis+Gyr, although the exact model is not detailed:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shopping-and-consumer-news/11255779/Energy-UK-admits-up-to-1.5-million-households-have-been-over-charged-on-their-gas-meters.html

 

The photo at the top of the article does seem to depict a Landis+Gyr meter by Brittish Gas and, anecdotally, this is similar to the meter I had fitted some time after 2007 - I have no idea if my meter was Landis+Gyr or affected though.

 

Hope that may help some folk.

 

J

[RubyPhantom]

How do you know if your meter is faulty then? You just have to wait for someone to contact you? I've just moved into a 2 bedroom detached house where the gas is used for heating and hot water. I can only afford to have the heating on for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening despite us being at home all day as we are unemployed. It's costing me £91 a month to heat the house. I can't believe this is right?

[JoeyJoeC]

How do you know if your meter is faulty then? You just have to wait for someone to contact you? I've just moved into a 2 bedroom detached house where the gas is used for heating and hot water. I can only afford to have the heating on for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening despite us being at home all day as we are unemployed. It's costing me £91 a month to heat the house. I can't believe this is right?

 

Mine was that high. We used it a couple of hours here and there. We had to stop using it as the cost was £100+ a month but then the damp started to settle in and we had to move out.

 

We used electric heaters to heat only the rooms we were in, in the end. Worked out cheaper this way.

[RubyPhantom]

Mine was that high. We used it a couple of hours here and there. We had to stop using it as the cost was £100+ a month but then the damp started to settle in and we had to move out.

 

We used electric heaters to heat only the rooms we were in, in the end. Worked out cheaper this way.

 

 

Thanks Joey...it's a ridiculous amount isn't it? Will probably invest in new heaters

[shylass]

I was with British Gas before I moved address over a year ago. I was putting £45 per week in the gas meter in the winter months and I did find that we were paying far more than some other people we knew who were also on prepayment meters. I wonder if the refunds will be made to previous customers at a previous address and if so that means that we can't sit back and wait for them to get in touch to let us know if we are due a refund as they won't have our forwarding address

[gigs]

I just like how resource-controlling equipment always "faulty" to your detriment, never to your benefit, outside of human error the computer won't accidently put money into your account.

 

I believe the error is that the machines go back to the original highest tariff once it's "reset". This reset can happen when the power is cut outside the house during blackouts for example.

[JoeyJoeC]

I just like how resource-controlling equipment always "faulty" to your detriment, never to your benefit, outside of human error the computer won't accidently put money into your account.

 

I believe the error is that the machines go back to the original highest tariff once it's "reset". This reset can happen when the power is cut outside the house during blackouts for example.

 

If it was faulty to your benefit then they would be right on that in an instant and slapping you with the costs.

[new-me2010]

I have received my refund this morning from EDF £23 that will cover next weeks payment

 

Have to go to the post office to get it.

[RedVixen]

I have just got £34 back from Utility warehouse. I was wondering about the time period when I was with British Gas - will make a call today to see what thye say

[king12345]

Hi guys, I'm a bit confused and would like some clarification please.

I'm on a gas prepayment meter and have been for the past 8 years.

Who pays for the meter to be checked?

If energy company pays for it and they find no fault, do I have to reimburse them?

Is there any tell tale sign to look out for to suspect a faulty meter?

Our bill has always been a bit on the high side compared with our previous home but we put it down to higher cost of gas.

Thanks

[new-me2010]

The company will contact you if your meter is one of the faulty ones

 

NM

[king12345]

The company will contact you if your meter is one of the faulty ones

 

NM

 

Would they really?!?!?!?!

I've got more chances of passing new year day with the queen!

[Ros1609]

Got a letter today saying British Gas owe me £7

[odds]

Hi,

 

Sorry to drag an old thread up but

 

 

I have always had a pre-pay meter,

always with BG and

 

 

I got a letter to take to any Pay Point to redeem a cash payment for £62.

 

The strange thing is they say this is how much they calculate that I will be over paying between now and June when the fault will be fixed,

six months to fix a problem is pretty poor considering they can change the price increases at the drop of a hat.

 

There is no explanation how long this problem has been going on since,

only that my meter was set to the wrong Calorific Value(CV) which apparently works out

how much gas you use and converts it to £'s.

 

 

A bit more detail would have been nice from them, at least informing people what date the meter was set up wrong.

[new-me2010]

That sounds odd, but my meter was faulty from the start..

 

It should say that on the letter, or somewhere in the paperwork. Scan the letter on here so we can have a check.

[odds]

It should say that on the letter, or somewhere in the paperwork. Scan the letter on here so we can have a check.

 

Hi new-me2010,

Here is the letter we received, no dates and certainly no paperwork, just one paragraph that they refer to, which I have highlighted in red, which explains the problem. I particularly like the way they have worked out how much I am 'likely' to overspend over the next 6 months.

I think I'll have to write to them for further information

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]55735[/ATTACH]

 

Thanks.

[poorandalone]

Hi Odds,

 

I got one of those letters.

I read the article on bbc website and then contacted British Gas in January after 3 requests they got back to me and stated that if my meter was one of those identifeid as faulty i would be notified by end of January.

 

Only difference between your letter and mine is the am outn .. I got a very transparent £88.00.

 

Now whether its a refund i am not sure as the letter states its covering a future period -- Jan to Jun.

 

So I am curious that if they choose to use the word refund -- where is the detail.

 

 

I am going to request further information fromthem and i am really surprised that they have not provided any detail -

 

It could be quite possible they choose randomly some numbers to include in the voucher and hoped for the best.

 

 

My prepaid meter been installed since 2008 so I would like to learn how long the fault has been present, how they calculated the estimate for jan to jun and how does that relate to the previous.

 

Can we keep in touch and share progress and outcome.

 

Love to know whether they will provide a convincing explanation.

 

BTW - i checked the CV value which reads 39.900 --- what should it be any ideas?? and how do you check history of the cV value ?

 

 

I am going to prepare some further questions to forward them.

 

Ill post before I submit if you are unable to get in touch .

[odds]

Hi poorandalone,

 

I agree with you completely about the vagueness of it all.

They also say they will send a message to the meter to correct it. Is\should that really going to take six months ?, after all when the price goes up the increase is implemented straightaway.

I too will be contacting them for a much fuller explanation of all the points you raised.

 

Thanks

[poorandalone]

Hi Odds

 

by the way how did you initiate contact with them?

 

I pursued the matter on their email to customer services and it took three times repeating the same query before i got an reply even though it stated 3 day turn around for replies.

 

I wonder if any of the consumer programs would be interested in determining why the process of calculation is not transparent.