British Gas has been accused of mixing up energy meters in new-build homes, leaving customers penalised with a 19 per cent increase in their tariffs. The issue was highlighted in a letter to a national newspaper, detailing the struggles of residents who are being billed for each other's energy consumption.
Customer Complaint Exposes Meter Mix-Up
A resident of a new housing development wrote to the Guardian newspaper explaining how British Gas had registered meters incorrectly. “Residents in our new housing development are being billed for each other’s energy after the meters were mixed up,” the customer said. The letter further revealed that the customer had informed British Gas of their details upon moving in seven months prior, but the company continued to send bills to the developer instead.
Data Breach and Billing Errors
When the customer finally persuaded British Gas to put the account in their name and attempted to set up a direct debit, the company sent the customer’s bank details to the developer and continued billing the developer. Subsequently, British Gas began billing the customer for a meter with a different reference number. It turned out that the newly installed meter and those of the neighbours had been registered to different addresses.
Compensation Offered but Complaint Ignored
British Gas offered compensation for the data breach involving the bank details but closed the complaint regarding the meter mix-up. The customer informed the company that they were cancelling the direct debit as they were not prepared to pay someone else’s bill. In response, British Gas said this would result in a higher tariff, which the customer described as a penalty.
British Gas Response
A British Gas spokesperson commented, “Energy meters for new-build properties can sometimes be registered incorrectly following construction when a plot number is assigned to the wrong address.” The company did not provide further details on how it plans to resolve the issue for affected customers.
Smart Meter Context
The incident occurs as smart meters are being widely installed across the UK. Smart meters accurately measure gas and electricity usage and come with an in-home display showing real-time consumption and costs. However, this mix-up highlights potential registration errors that can occur during the installation process, particularly in new developments where plot numbers may be mismatched.
Impact on Residents
The 19 per cent tariff increase is a significant financial burden for residents who are already dealing with billing confusion. The customer in question has been left without a resolution to their complaint, raising concerns about how British Gas handles such errors. The company has yet to announce a systematic fix for the problem.
