British Gas Debt

[Helloitsmee]

Hi all, sorry if this is the wrong forum. I’m new to this site and this is the only thread I have found that I think is related to my query. 
 

This morning I have received a letter from British Gas telling me that due to a technical error

- somewhere between changing my gas meter to payg in 2015 until now

- I haven’t been paying an outstanding debt and now I owe them £949.96.

 

According to this letter It was originally £1358.70 (although I think that’s wrong, I need to find the original letters) and I’ve paid £339.39

I was paying it and I had assumed I was still paying it as I was paying from my meter. 
 

Do I have any leg to stand on to get it cancelled?

They are asking for £3.65 a week and it is now on my credit file.

According to their dates it won’t be finished until 2025 but it’s not my fault it wasn’t on the machine. 
 

They have given me a £69.35 discount as a goodwill gesture. 
 

if anyone has any information or help I would be very grateful.

 

Thanks 

[dx100uk]

a technical error?

if the error was made their way, they can't back bill YOU for THEIR error past 12 months under the industry back-billing rules.!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Helloitsmee]

Thank you for replying, I have paraphrased slightly, it actually says technical problem but it’s still the same thing. Did I see on here that there was some information regarding the industry back-billing rules? 

[dx100uk]

..

code-of-practice-of-accurate_bills (1).pdf

[Helloitsmee]

Thank you. How would I go about contesting this? I take it I have to give something in writing (I’ve been reading other threads) do I email or write them a letter etc? 

[dx100uk]

p'haps 1st send them an SAR.

lets get all the truth first?

 

could you scan this letter to ONE multi-page PDF file please

read our upload guide carefully.

 

trouble with BG is they are a nightmare with PayG key meters and just do as they please.

 

so you already have historic debt on your meter.

yell us about that too?

 

 

dx

 

[Helloitsmee]

That is the historic debt.

I’ve just been putting credit on the gas meter and not really checking it.

I put money on every week as I have to pay the weekly standing charge and it never seems to run out because it’s constantly topped up so I very rarely need to look at the smart meter as I top up using my phone.

I’m guessing it hasn’t been taken from the meter and that’s the reason they gas hasn’t turned off. 
 

The debt itself is from when I moved in in 2013,

I was lead to believe I was with Southern Electric as that’s who my local council said I was with (I had to ask someone on the phone as they hadn’t left any paperwork)

 

after many phone calls it was British Gas and the debt was how much gas they had reckoned I had used in a few months (which I’m also sure was just over £1,000) just accepted it and agreed to pay through my meter.

 

I also had a debt on the electric but I’m assuming that’s paid off which is why I’m confused about this one.

Both meters were changed at the same time in 2017. 

[dx100uk]

i would be sending them an SAR 

to just accept a guess upon how much gas you were using before they started billing you is wrong.

 

you should not be simply accepting they are correct especially if those were estimated readings too.

 

do you have a record of both meter readings upon moving in?

 

lots of things are not right here.

 

dx

 

[Helloitsmee]

I think I may have the letters somewhere, I did keep them all but some of them were damaged in a fire thanks to a stupid council contractor. I will have to look for them. 
 

As for accepting they are correct, I assumed they went from my meter readings and just thought the cost of gas was high, even if I was only using it for heating and hot water. 

[dx100uk]

sar is a must get it done asap

dx

[Helloitsmee]

I will get it done now, thanks for your help