Jalexa, you're right about the fitting of the new boiler/cooker etc,; any good fitter would have checked for pressure drops before relighting the pilots!! (embarassed grin!)

A Plumber told me once that faulty gas meters tend to to under estimate usage ( even stop recording) - as a layman I'm not sure how it could clock up such high usage figures, however, seems that the OP needs it checked.

Thanks for the info brewerdave1, I had the boiler and cooker fitted by corgi registered fitters, its a good boiler not a cheap one (worcester) cooker is brand new not second hand so i would assume that all checks were done by fitters as fault shouldn't be in the new appliances ( I HOPE).

I have a gas safe engineer coming round this evening so will wait to hear what he makes of it he did say on the phone he cant beleive i could use that much gas,

it is an old house so maybe the fault could be in old pipes under the floor? there is definately no smell of gas in the house the meter is outside the back door no smell there either? the meter just has a small box thing built around it, no door on so i wonder if its faulty due to exposure to elements over the last 5 years?

will add to this post once i have an idea of whats going on.

thanks everyone

Natalie

furher devopments - edf wont request the meter testing unless i pay £35.00 over the phone to them now on a debit card, they have also put my direct debit up to £280.00 per month after i told them not to last week, i have now told them to cancel it completely. i explained that my usage was 8 - 10 times more than eveyone else so why are they so incompetant as to not notice this when i have pointed it out so many times,she said i must live in a bigger house than other people, told her i lived in the same size house now as i did at my last house bills there were around £250.00 winter qtr and £100. summer qtr and there was 7 living there, now there are only 2 adults 2 children, so i would expect to use more at my old house with 5 children 2 adults ( big ones have left home now) the silly girl on the phone said well your usage has gone right down to almost nothing now i told her it should be less than almost nothing as everything is switched off . she said my complaint will be noted afetr asking if that meant ignored she said well some one will look at it but they wont do anything to follow it up ! i have then said i wish to escalate the complaint and they have agreed to call me back.

my next door neighbour is having the same problems he also had a burner fitted in december and his bills are not going down either, he thinks some houses built at the back gardens of 2 cottages are getting their gas from our pipes somehow. but i think thats a bit too mad to think about, but something definatly amis. my Gas safe engineer has re booked with me as he had an emergency call out when he just got to me the other day so he will return tonight or thursday, as i have to work i couldnt take time off to let him in the next day.i have asked for the call log and phone recordings and said i will pay the £10 for them some other person is going to call me later today to arrange that, so will post again when i have news.

i might change my user name to something like ''nataliefromthehugegasguzzlinghousethatsbiggerthaneveryoneelsesthats

boilinghotbecauseshehastheheatingonalldayeverydayNOT''

do you think i might nee to put a number on the end of that name just in case its already been taken?

NW1:

You are much too nice. The EDF complaints procedure is here....

http://www.edfenergy.com/products-services/for-your-home/customer-services/making-a-complaint.shtml

Print it off and all the connected documents.

Follow it scrupulously.

On a quick reading I noticed it said something about Consumer Direct could be contacted "at any time" but AFAIK EDF are enrolled with the Energy Ombudsman. In that case you are entitled to ask the Energy Ombudsman investigate an unresolved complaint at "deadlock" or 8 weeks after first raising the issue whichever occurs first. The point about the Energy Ombudsman procedure is it costs you nothing but costs EDF a hefty case fee regardless of outcome.

You need to raise a formal complaint immediately strictly in accordance with the complaints procedure if you have not done so. There is no place for your namby pamby approach here when hobnailed boots are required. If you have already done so you are free to involve the Energy Ombudsman after 8 weeks regardless of the outcome.

The £35 is a no-brainer considering how much you are paying but I would be a little wary of giving EDF debit card access to your account. Make it very clear that the authorisation is for a single payment only.

Regarding your cancelling of your Direct Debit, can't say I blame you, but be aware that "arrears" are grounds for EDF to object to a switch to another supplier, but an account debit balance arising from the DD being insufficient isn't.

NW1:

i might change my user name to something like ''nataliefromthehugegasguzzlinghousethatsbiggerthaneveryoneelsesthats

boilinghotbecauseshehastheheatingonalldayeverydayNOT''

do you think i might nee to put a number on the end of that name just in case its already been taken?

I think the other Natalie might get annoyed - add the number 666 to indicate you are in hell (it's so hot and expensive!)

hehe

Fingers crossed the new gas safe engineer has a strong nose of the smell of leaking gas (or at least a gadget that will tell them!)

Sparky.

Could you send a cheque or make a cash payment at a bank / PO counter, or add it to your bill? so as not to give access to your card?

Sparky.

i felt like telling EDF to go there, ha ha. i might not pay my bill now i am not on DD, then let them take me to court i am sure that they would take notice then. i have bben reading the link again from Jalexa and ofgem do not charge for the test is Them at edf that want the money for admid fee or whatever for organising the test cheeky B!%*!!!. and also they are supposed to inspect meters every 2 years so i also asked them when was last inspection they said last month i informed her that no one had been to inspect the meter and she said oh yes we have and also been out in november as well how stupid the staff are there they are confusing meter reading with meter inspections, she said the reader always inspects the meter, the meter reader cannot even get to my meter which is in a court yrad with locked gates no one else has access to the key only me and if and when the reader comes he gets me to read it to him through the gate as i have a big dog roaming around in there and indeed it was the reader who told me about these very meters being known for faults as he asked me to read the name of the meter to him when he last came and i was telling him about my huge bills.

NW1:

i

I sense there must be very low morale at the EDF call centre because they seem to still digging when in a hole.

Just one thing about the meter test. Your existing meter will be removed and you will get a replacement meter. The old meter will not be returned. You should see the result long before the old meter gets tested.

I've been reading the thread again as I was sure that you had meter readings, are you still taking them regularily (daily?).

I'm just wondering what happens if when they replace the meter that your consumption goes down by a factor of 10 for instance!

Could Natalie take EDF to court to reclaim 90% of the money that she has paid if this was the case?

(then Get a CCJ and then next step sell the debt to a DCA and default them... hehe.)

Sparky.

sparky76:

An interesting point is when/if the meter is found to be now faulty is how to prove how long it has been faulty for. A second issue is how to obtain compensation for the ignorant and inept handling of the issue by EDF customer service staff every time the concern was raised. Possiblly soon be time to hand this case over to the forum's legal experts......

Also on the flip side (sorry to spread the doom and gloom), but what if a replacement meter and the existing meter are not found to be faulty, what would the next steps be? What sort of investigation can be carried out to assess the energy usage.

It is even more worrying now that you have mentioned that your neighbour also has the same type of usage.

Is the gasline down to Transco rather than a particular supplier?

hmmm...

Sparky

i will be contacting ombudman in morning regarding jalexa' latest post, i hope the meter IS faulty, omg what if its not? why would / how could i possibly use that much? weres it going? what if there is a leak after the meter would i be insured for the loss ? what about the guy next doors theory the newer houses in the back garden of the next house could they be on supply after our meters? tapped into the main at the wrong point or something? omg sparky you have set me off stressing now doom doom doom haha. once they do agree to take the old meter for testing i will take more photos of it with serial number, readings at the exact minute they remove it, as i read another post somewere that wrong findings were given to someone and it only came to light when serial number didint match those of the meter removed. also i read that there could be a fault in the gas main outside but i still dont understand how that can register on my meter as it wouldn't pass the meter if its in the gas main or am i missing something here?

Natalie

sparky76:

That's a good point and a fair point but regardless of whether the meter is faulty or not or there is another explanation for the apparent x10 consumption, the right for a meter test is included in the supply legislation but as reported EDF have been completely obstructive on the issue to the extent of being inept and incompetent.

There was a customer concern about overconsumption, the meter test legislation should have been explained and the customer should have been given an opportunity to request it at the applicable cost. Full stop.

Without accusing Nat of necessarily being timid, the customer service should serve a timid approach just as it would have to serve or else, my "no prisoners taken" approach.

NW1:

I hope you will be able to discount the leak stories which have been unhelpful and worrying. See Brewerdave1's acceptance of why a leak is unlikely.

You are right to be concerned about the "what if the meter is right" but I fear that a meter change is a necesary step in moving the issue on. If the replacement meter is still "x10" OK, there is still an issue to deal with.

Regarding the meter supplying the other houses, you could always operate the shut-off valve at the meter and wait for some feedback, however switching back on to an unattended premises is potentially dangerous. Discuss this with your GasSafe fitter.