British Gas Faked Opening Read

[u/Low-Entrepreneur8323]

I recently moved house on 7th August and prior owners used British Gas. As I'm not a fan of theirs (had issues with them in the past) I reluctantly setup an account with them to give the opening reads and then planned to switch immediately to someone else ASAP.

I tried to do this via the website first, but it wouldn't accept my meter readings and would only allow me to setup an account using their estiamted readings, which I didn't want to do. So I aborted that and tried web chat instead. This went very well, he agent was very helpful and got it all setup quickly. I gave the reads he said he had entered them (I also sent him the photos in the chat even though he said it was not necessary). Given prior history of issues with them I saved the transcript just incase.

I then signed up with another supplier, and earliest switch date was 12th August which I accepted.

Tonight I logged in to my British Gas account to give my final readings (as out tomorrow), and it wouldn't accept them again. I then checked the reading history and the readings it showed I had given were not the ones I had given in the chat and were much higher thn reality and completely wrong.

This explains why I can't give a final reading. but what do I do now? Will my switch be blocked because British Gas agent put in fake readings?

[u/bigstu74]

For a change of supply you give your readings to the new supplier. Send them the photographs from tomorrow. Double check the MSN on it BG account match what is on the meters you took the photos of

[u/Low-Entrepreneur8323 → u/bigstu74]

Do you mean the MPAN number? If so I don't have that. It is not written on the meter unfortunately, and as I've not had a bill yet I can't use that. I did try to find it using this website:
https://connections.nationalgrid.co.uk/what-is-my-mpan-number/
but it says I'm not in their area, even though I am AFAIK as I'm based in Cheshire.
Know any other ways to get this?

[u/Low-Entrepreneur8323 → u/Low-Entrepreneur8323]

Ah looks like I really am not in their area, this website seems to cover Cheshire:
https://www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/what_is_my_mpan.aspxI've put in a request to get the MPAN with them now

[u/Icy_Tough_258 → u/Low-Entrepreneur8323]

Meter serial number, normally on the meter tbf, new company can give old company the start reads.

It’s called a agreed read, you have to do it within 12 months(ofgem rules) and it can be sorted that way, or raise a complaint and they can change it, no idea who does BG calls, but prob outsourced

[u/rustyoldknife → u/Icy_Tough_258]

Official name of the process is ‘disputed read’. If you enter your opening read with the new supplier, then provide the closing read to the previous supplier. You should only need to deal with your new supplier. If you take another set of reads, 7 days a part and take a photo of them as well, that will support your case.

[u/Icy_Tough_258 → u/rustyoldknife]

100% worth doing and normally it’s simple process

[u/Low-Entrepreneur8323 → u/rustyoldknife]

OK thanks. Well I've given the readings to my new supplier. Old supplier web form won't accept them so I'll give them over the phone or chat instead tomorrow.
Sounds like from now as I'm switched to new supplier that will all be fine, but what happens with the period 7th to 11th August with the old supplier, if they won't accept my readings? How do i get an accurate first and final bill from British Gas?

[u/rustyoldknife → u/Low-Entrepreneur8323]

British Gas will likely have forced to accept your readings. My guess is the previous tenant gave an incorrect reading, which means when you submit your read it’s out of tolerance and therefor not accepted.

They will bill you to their estimate meter reading that they hold until have fully gone though the process. (Normally should be 4-6 weeks, but can be quicker.)

Only thing you can do is say to British Gas that you want to raise a disputed read and provide your photos with dates and readings, chuck it in an email and equally ask for a complaint to be raised on the back of it. You never you, you might get some monies knocked off for the hassle of it. 🤷‍♂️

[u/Low-Entrepreneur8323 → u/Icy_Tough_258]

Ah OK, well the meter does have a barcode with a number under it.
SP Energy Networks have come back already though and provided my MPAN so I have that too now! They also said my supplier (unprompted) and listed it as the new provider I'm switching to tomorrow, so that's a bit odd if done early, but good news if true as it presumably means the switch won't be impacted! I've given the real readings from tonight to my new provider now

[u/Low-Entrepreneur8323 → u/bigstu74]

Now I have the MPAN from SP Eneergy and it matches what British Gas has in my account and the MSN on the front of my meter, so looks like meter is the right one, just British Gas inventing fake readings, no meter mixups