Energy bills conundrum. What to do?

[Pondy]

I am with EDF energy and have been for years.
In October 2023 they decided they would 'upgrade' our gas meter to a 'smart' one. As you can probably guess, this was a disaster as the new meter can't connect and they have no record of them ever changing the meter.
I have tried to sort it out several times, as they just can't understand our new gas readings. As they have no record of it changing (which they did via a sub-contractor) and the new meter doesn't have a MPAN on it anywhere, we got nowhere each time so I gave up.

Today I got an email from them saying our DD is going down by almost £100 a month!
The only thing I can think of is that they are no longer taking any notice of our gas usage because of the f**k up with the meter.

My question is can they demand back money for gas usage if, and when, they eventually realise they are giving us free gas? I have not stolen anything, as this fiasco is all their doing, I have tried to sort it out and they have volunteered the reduction in charges.

It's an interesting one.

 

[Usel]

If it's their fault then they can only chase back money over the last 12 months.

If it's your fault then it's 6 years they can try to claim back from you.

 

[paul1969]

That’s a right headache - EDF aren’t exactly famous for getting this stuff right first time. A few pointers that might help you out:

• Keep a record of everything – emails, letters, even take a photo of the meter with its serial number showing. Always good ammo if it gets messy.
• Drop EDF something in writing (not just phone calls). A quick letter or email saying when the meter was changed, that their system’s not updated, and that you’ve already tried to sort it.
• Worth knowing – Ofgem rules say they can’t back-bill you for more than 12 months if the mistake is on their side. So worst case, they can only go back a year, not all the way to 2023.
• If they still don’t sort it – after 8 weeks you can take it to the Energy Ombudsman. They usually back the customer when the supplier’s records are a mess.
• Just keep paying the DD they set for now – don’t reduce it yourself, then they can’t accuse you of dodging payments.

End of the day, you’ve done nothing wrong – it’s EDF’s cock-up. As long as you’ve shown you’ve tried to sort it and got the paper trail, you’re covered.

 

[MikeyH]

We had this hassle with Eon when they put in a new meter (not smart) due to the old one leaking a few years ago. The idiot that changed it didn't register the change with eon. My wife spent months sorting it out with them as they were charging us more per month as they were charging by a different 'size' per unit (square meters not feet or something?) She went through all the paperwork, bills etc and in the end sorted it out. Lots of brick walls! If I was you I would keep a record of the readings every month and the reading of the old meter when it was changed as ours went to zero and this is partly what caused the problem. At least then if they come after you, you will have a proper record of your usage. After all that, they can stick their 'smart' meters up their proverbial ****holes.

 

[colb]

British Gas aren't much better with smart meters, we are duel fuel with them and the Electricity meter gets read by them ok but the Gas meter was always estimated and way too much, kept submitting readings but they still estimated, took it up with them and told them I would not accept estimated bills in respect of the gas they can't read it then change it for one that they can, still submitting readings monthly because I think they are inept.

 

[Pondy]

I have been submitting readings since the meter was changed (and keep photos of the readings) but because it obviously went back to zero instead of 123,456 M3 I think their 'system' thinks it owes us until our readings reach the old numbers. If so, happy days, as it took 23 years to reach the old numbers!

 

[smorris_12]

Apparently there's a chunk of the village here that hasn't had a gas bill in decades. But they did get the road main and all of the feeds to the houses re-lined and replaced last year. So, err, that's ok then.

 

[Pondy]

Apparently there's a chunk of the village here that hasn't had a gas bill in decades. But they did get the road main and all of the feeds to the houses re-lined and replaced last year. So, err, that's ok then

That's the UK for you.....get the money off the many and don't worry about the few.
I have an ex neighbour who purposely hasn't had his house 'signed off' by the Council so he hasn't paid council tax in 15 years. Council tax is only 'triggered' by a sign off by the LABC on a new build or renovation.

 

[smorris_12]

We do seem to live in a country where they-in-charge come up with rules & regs and then compete fall over their own feet because of some loophole they've created.

Does your ex-neighbour get their bins collected, out of curiosity?

 

[Pondy]

Does your ex-neighbour get their bins collected, out of curiosity?

Yep. And the irony is they always have far more rubbish than anyone else in the vicinity.
My ex neighbour has worked out over the past 60 years that doing as he likes doesn't cost him anything.
He has 24 points on his driving licence and still has a valid licence because he pleads 'lack of income' with the courts. He has been bankrupt twice and still lives in a nice house and goes on foreign holidays at least twice a year.
He has tapped into the water main and doesn't pay a penny to the water board aswell. They just don't care about individuals, it's the easy money they want.
I don't think the Council could possibly give the bin-men a list of 'do not collects' without a major increase in Council Tax due to the admin. Even if they did, I would be surprised if our local bin-men could read it TBH.