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British Gas problems, please help!


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I just moved in to a 1 bed flat and the gas/elec were provided by BGas. After the frst month I was sent a bill for £60 for my "first months usage". After coming for a 2 bed flat, using triple the usage and paying less I was shocked to see the cost. After many calls I was "assured it was correct" and reluctantly paid it.

 

I have since received my next bill for 2/3months (I am in the process of switching) and it is now for £150!!

 

I switch my boiler off now (after the first bill) and it is off from mon - fri 6am-6pm and I tend to switch it off at night. I have no baths and use the shower rarely (choosing to use my parents instead due to worry of my bills). The radiators are one maybe once a week for a timed 2 hour period and then that just leaves my oven which is used a few times a week.

 

The boiler works as it was checked before I moved in and I have a certificate. I don't know what to do or where I stand. They say they can send an engineer out but if there is no issue I will have to pay but I know it works. There is also a large debt on the previous account which stands with my landlord, I wonder if there adding amounts on to my bill for this (over £400 owed)

 

Is there anything I can do or anyone I can talk to? Is there someone in Sheffield who can visit my flat and tell me if it's working "eficiantly" or how much certian things cost ie radiators?. I worry also that maybe the upstairs flat may be getting some of my gas/elec as there readings are very low and theres 4 of them?

 

Sorry to rant I just feel helpless and I know something isn't right!! :-(

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Are you getting original BG bills or is it a charge coming from your landlord?

 

Are the bills based on actual meter readings or estimates?

 

Are the meter readings correct?

 

Can you be sure that the meter is only for your flat and not supplying anyone else?

 

Any debt recovery would clearly be itemised on a bill.

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I gave them actual readings which I took myself. I can't be 100% sure but I live in a victorian style house which is converted in to 2 flats. I live in the ground/1st section and the meters are in my cellar. There are 4 meters in there with labels on for which is for which......I was hoping they'd been done wrongly and upstairs had mine ;-) But I know nothing about meters etc so reply on what I'm told to be correct!

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Are you getting original BG bills or is it a charge coming from your landlord?

 

Are the bills based on actual meter readings or estimates?:

 

Are the meter readings correct?

 

Can you be sure that the meter is only for your flat and not supplying anyone else?

 

Any debt recovery would clearly be itemised on a bill.

 

I had this issue recently although my 3 month combined bill was for £1300! I misread the dial electricity meter readings. I added another 10,000kws on the bill :hihi:

 

If it is estimated get an actual reading. Also it sounds you are doing all what you can to save energy, BG will send you a smart meter so you can see what is using the kw's up. It has made us more energy efficient after our recent scare. unfortunately one of the down sides of a flat is your heat rises up and the flat above gets it. Apart from low energy bulbs have you tried the 15 degrees washing powder? Presuming your washer has a low temp function we use this powder on a cold wash 30 min program. The clothes come out as clean as any 40c wash. Good luck with it!

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If your gas and electricity bill for 3 months is £150 then that averages out at £11.54p a week. Not bad really.

 

No it's not bad but for a 1 bed flat that hardly uses anything. My parents 4 bed semi costs less and there also with Bgas...... My old 2 bed flat cost les also.

 

When it costs like 2.8p per unit....it seem a lot of units to be used!

 

Does anyone know if the Landlord is obliged to provide a boiler thats efficiant. Mine looks like its from th 80's and pstair said they had theirs replaced?

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