Interest free loan on your electricity bill

[ARWadsworth]

Well not quite free but it is DIY. As the banks are paying bugger all interest on any money that you have in there I have decided to let British Gas pay me some interest on my money.

Dead easy. I have just received my electricity bill. Now the electricity price will be going up by 7% from the 10th December. So have just sent BG a customers own read that includes all the electricity I will use up to the end of Feburary and I will receive a revised bill that will be paid.

When the Feburary bill comes (they are always estimates) I will then send them a new customers own read and I will have only used a few units of electricity.

7% profit on my money for lying.

[Bolted]

Most fraudsters operate on higher margins to reflect the risks.

On the other hand the police might be sympathetic and are rather likely to be apathetic given the sums.

[The Medway Handyman]

Dennis will no doubt report you for fraud.

[Bob Minchin]

The scheme all goes to pot when they send a meter reader round from time to time. your account credit which was in terms of units turns back into monetary credit. I can't possibly recall how I know this ;-)

Bob

[Andy Dingley]

We've had the opposite lately.

Having got into a similar situation from their estimates, and seen it as working the gas & electricity futures market and a better deal than bank interest, we've just had refunds from both of them. So now we're going to have to give them the same money back over the next quarter, but at the new prices 8-(

[Mark]

Should have been out when the meter reader called ;-)

[ARWadsworth]

I always am.

[Dave Liquorice]

They'll get you in the end, they have a legal obligation to read the meter. I think it's every 6 months, last time the chap called here he said there was a "must read" flag attached to the record, I didn't ask what he would have done if we were out.

[Robin]

6 months may have been a legal obligation once upon a time but I don't think it is the current one in England. I know someone who worked as a meter reader while between his professional jobs and he pointed out that the details are left to the supply licence conditions. For electricity the obligation is to "use all reasonable endeavours to ensure that, at least once in every period of two years" they read and inspect meters. He also confirmed that meter readers don't insist on entry if you tell them it's not convenient - especially not on estates of a certain kind.

I think there is also a difference in that the gas people can get a warrant to inspect and read but the electricity can't.

BICBW

[Huge]

I think we've had ours read 3 times in 18 years.

[ARWadsworth]

They could have read my meter if they had turned up on the day they were supposed to do so.

The appointment was not to read the meter but to do a visual inspection. I was bloody annoyed as I had gone to the trouble of putting the correct meter back on the wall.

[damduck-egg]

Many when young/Students etc share houses ,and have to share bills. In my case I ended up as the account holder .Never had a problem with my housemates paying up their share of the Bill. The problem was some of them using more than others. One couple used to leave a fan heater on all day even if they were out. So I did what the OP did for both gas and leccy. They paid the bills as read and eventually when we all went our separate ways I got a good credit.Made quite a profit in fact. A decade or so later the couple admitted they knew they were using more than they should have, I told them not to worry and explained how I had covered myself. Can't say they were best pleased but it was more a case of them being outfoxed rather than any financial reason.

G.Harman

[damduck-egg]

I upset the Gas people by leaving a meter on the step for them to empty the 50p from it, left a note to say I would put it back later or they could take it away. A moonlighting Gas fitter from their own work force had reconnected a bed sit to an ordinary meter and not put the paperwork through. Left the coin one sitting on the shelf. I couldn't be arsed to take a day off when they needed to see it. Came back home to find a deputation from the police and gas people almost ready to kick the door down. The neighbours were not best pleased at being turfed out either. G.Harman

[ARWadsworth]

I beat them to it

[geoff]