A MAJOR energy firm glitch has left thousands of customers paying just 1% of their gas bill.
Octopus Energy, which has 3.2million customers, has undercharged customers by 99.9% this winter.
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Thousands of Octopus customers were sent emails last week informing them that they’d been paying just 1% of their gas usage over the past few months.
This was said to be a glitch with billing households that have old style gas meters due to them still using imperial measurements.
The glitch is likely to have saved these customers hundreds of pounds over the winter period.
The issue, which was first uncovered by the The I, is now resolved.
Customers who were billed the incorrect amount have now had their the issue fixed, according to Octopus.
They will not be charged for the gas they’ve already used and didn’t pay for and no bills will be re-issued.
Those who were affected by the error have now all be contacted and people are being urged not to contact Octopus.
An Octopus Energy spokesperson said: “Customers don’t need to worry, the error is now fixed and all those affected have already been contacted.
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“Several customers have since let us know they were aware the payments were lower than expected but that they were enjoying the discounts.
“Of course, we are offering further support to any affected customers as required.”
The blunder will have been welcomed by thousands of households as the cost of energy bills continues to rise.
Although they will likely have a bit of a shock bill next month now the issue has been rectified and they go back to paying the full amount.
And, with the Energy Price Guarantee set to be hiked to £3,000 in April, up from £2,500, people will be looking to save where they can over the winter months.
What can I do if I think there’s an error on my bills?
If you think you’ve been charged too much or too little for your energy bill, there are some steps you can take.
You should go to your supplier first and dispute it.
But you’ll have to say why you think you’ve been charged the wrong amount and include evidence.
You can usually send the complaint via email or post.
Make sure you keep a copy of all correspondence in case you don’t win the claim.
If you don’t win the claim, you can take it to the energy ombudsman.
It’s an independent body that handles disputes between customers and energy suppliers.
What energy bill help can I get?
If you’re worried about paying your energy bills, don’t worry as there is support on offer.
Plenty of energy providers offer grants to customers struggling to pay their way.
British Gas, E.ON, Octopus and Ovo all offer grants worth hundreds of pounds.
For the full list, you can read our guide here.
Millions of households started receiving a £400 energy bill discount from October 1.
Households will have already received a £66 and £67 payments every month.
There will also be a payment worth £67 in March.
Between November 2022 and March 2023, a £300 one-off “Pensioner Cost of Living Payment” is being paid out to eight million households.
It is being given to those who already get the winter fuel payment – which is worth between £100 and £300 for those over state pension age.
Millions of households have also started to get the £150 Warm Home Discount between December 2022 and March 2023.
Meanwhile, the government is pumping a further £842million into the Household Support Fund after March 31 which councils are giving out to help towards bills.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
