Faulty gas meter causes £250 overcharge

Amanda from Leicestershire was overcharged on her gas bills by £250 due to a faulty meter. With help from regional charity Groundwork Five Counties, she received a refund from her energy supplier and had her meter set correctly, in time for the winter months.

54-year-old Amanda has numerous physical and mental health conditions, including chronic fatigue. After injuring her ribs last year, she was unable to move much for several months. As she was laid up, she noticed her heating bills were much higher than she expected, which worried her.

Amanda’s social prescriber got her in touch with energy and money-saving expert Vanessa, a Green Doctor at regional charity Groundwork Five Counties. The fully funded Green Doctor service supports households around the East Midlands to save money on their utility bills, become more energy efficient, and solve issues with suppliers.

Vanessa visited Amanda at home and found that her gas meter was faulty and not connected to her smart meter. This is why Amanda was receiving estimated bills at a much higher cost than her actual usage.

Amanda says: “Vanessa was fantastic, she was willing to crawl on her hands and knees to reset the gas meter and follow the supplier’s instructions to connect it to the smart meter. With my health problems, I could never have done that.

“I got a £250 refund for what I overpaid on my gas last winter, and the supplier confirmed that my bills won’t be as high as before. It’s a massive relief, going into this winter.

“Vanessa also helped me to switch to a better tariff and gave me a free electric blanket which costs just 2p an hour to run, keeping me warm for less. She also gave me tips on energy usage, for instance using the Eco setting on the washing machine saves up to 40%. That’s a lot over a year.

“I’m very grateful to Vanessa and would recommend a Green Doctor visit to anyone who’s worried about their bills or has problems with energy suppliers that they can’t solve themselves.”

All aspects of the Green Doctor service are free of charge, as it is a fully funded charity service. Home visits are available anywhere in the East Midlands to people of any age and background, whether they own their home, rent, or are a council or social housing tenant.

For more information and to get a free home visit, visit the website: www.groundwork.org.uk/fivecounties/green-doctor