Sunday 1 July 2012

Problem with Imperial Gas Meter Shown as Metric on Bill So Undercharged

Since we moved into our house in 1999 we have had the same Imperial Gas Meter that reads in Cubic Feet.

Imperial Gas Meter Billed Metric Undercharged
Imperial Gas Meter Billed as Metric and Undercharged

We have been with the same supplier and always thought our bills were very reasonable but assumed it was because we were very careful to not overheat the house and time usage to match when we are home.

We always submitted readings to Scottish Power as requested and shortly afterwards received our bill. Nowhere on the bill or the gas meter readings section was any mention of the units that the consumption was measured in.

In 2010 we received a letter from Scottish Power that our meter had been recorded on their systems incorrectly as a metric meter when it was actually an imperial meter so we had been undercharged for our gas for 11 years. Scottish Power agreed to not backdate the charges but they amended their system so that the meter was now recorded correctly as an imperial meter.

How many people have been billed for Metric gas consumption and consequently undercharged? Equally if you are billed for imperial consumption with a metric meter you will be overpaying the gas company for your usage.

The factor involved appears to be 2.8x so if you are billed for imperial consumption with a metric meter you will be overpaying 2.8x more than you should

If you are billed for metric consumption with an imperial  meter you will be paying nearly 30% of the actual cost of the gas supplied.

Maybe the first thing the gas companies should be doing is showing the units on the bill and for any readings you supply - at least then you have a chance to check they match your meter.

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