British Gas offers accurate bills instead of estimates
November 24, 2009
British Gas is giving customers the option of paying accurate energy bills each month, instead of relying largely on estimated meter readings.
The company says its research has shown that estimated bills are unpopular among its 16 million customers.
Customers will be asked to submit their monthly readings online or by text.
People who sign up for the new service will receive a free monitor which will display their electricity use minute-by-minute.
"Instead of issuing you with a bill we will contact you by email or text and ask you to submit a reading from the normal meter," a spokesman for British Gas said.
"Estimated bills were seen as a source of frustration by customers as they didn't accurately reflect the energy they had used," he added.
The company stressed that the new monitors are different to the forthcoming smart meters that the government hopes will become universal.
The self-installed monitors will come in two parts: one attached to an existing meter in a house which will communicate wirelessly with the other part, the display, which can be plugged into a socket anywhere in the home.
"This tells you how much you are paying, daily, weekly or even monthly, and how much CO2 you are generating," the company said.
The new billing service does not involve cheaper tariffs, though the company predicts that people will be able to reduce their electricity consumption with the help of the monitor.
British Gas has also put adverts in a number of national newspapers, asking customers to join a 20-strong panel to write a report on how the company is operating.
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