British Gas customers have been complaining in their droves about problems with their smart meter, with one saying there was "something fishy going on". Another said they had been charged £13 in the space of just 45 minutes.
The cost of energy is very much on people's radars at the moment, with the rise in the price cap at the start of April and warnings of future increases due to the pandemic, the Ukraine war and Brexit. To make matters worse, some British Gas customers say they have been experiencing smart meter problems since February, reports NorthWalesLive.
On the 'The British Gas complaints page' Facebook page, complaints have been flooding in. Sharon Backhouse said: "How the hell can BG charge me £13 in 45 minutes when I have no heating on?".
Amy Evans said: "Keep a close eye on your accounts. After querying what the cost says on my smart meter I was then told this was correct. £80 electricity in 4 days! Again queried this suddenly it went down and after further query went down again. Something fishy going on!"
Julie Rose brought up the issues of home discounts, she said: "Still not got home discount. I've got a 2 year old in house with a coat on and hot water bottle and blanket. I've explained this to BG and said they cant tell me when it will be sent out to me and they can see I'm entitled to it but cant even put it on my meter at there end. Are they having a laugh. Fuming not the word".
In response, Charlene Borsberry said: "Told me I didn't even apply for it but why am I surprised they stole last year's from me. I've had 3 year of dealing with them constantly cutting us off or letting us down.
"I have 3 children one who needs medical equipment. they know all this. They just don't care..as long as the big wigs are sitting pretty. I'm done I've started the switch. cant handle the stress. disgusting company!".
Anne O'Shiel apparently managed to get through to British Gas, who gave a date for customers expecting payments, she posted: "Finally spoke to BG re; my Warm Home Discount. I was informed that everyone should receive their payments by 14th April.
"If nothing has been received by then, to call back & only then, can they make payment, directly to the meter...!".
Nicky Hitchcock was equally outraged. She said: "We were on a fixed tariff of £159 per month which ended in December. They then put us up to £342 per month and have now recommended we pay 466 PER MONTH, even though we’ve never been in debit!
"Three bedroom semi-detached, not a mansion! We now only use the boiler for 1 hour each morning to provide some hot water for the day and then wrap up in thermals for the rest of our time in the house!".
NorthWalesLive has contacted British Gas for a response to these claims. The company's help page has the following advice:
If your meter isn't working
If your pay as you go meter is damaged, British Gas says it can send someone out to make sure you and your property are safe. Customers should use the pay as you go enquiries line.
This line is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm for general enquiries and 24 hours a day, seven days a week for emergencies. If you don't have a pay as you go meter you should use the account enquiries line.
What if my meter's damaged?
If there's something wrong with your gas meter, that's worrying. Immediately get in touch with the Gas Emergency Services. If you notice any sparking, smoking or burning coming from your meter, ring the fire brigade. Turn off all your appliances and call your local electricity distributor.
What if my meter reading hasn't changed, or is going backwards?
Your meter may be recording your energy use incorrectly. If you have a pay as you go meter call the pay as you go enquiries line as soon as possible to make sure you're only paying for what you've used. If you don't have a pay as you go meter call the account enquiries line
Why has my smart meter stopped working?
The company said it would need to establish if the problem is with a smart meters or smart energy monitor. Follow this link here to check if the problem could be with your smart energy monitor.
If this hasn’t resolved the issue, occasionally there are problems with the technology that supports smart meters. The company said it investigated any issues on a case by case basis work out what it can do to help.
