thanks nottslad, I've started the complaints procedure now, this is very much in dispute! JY

Thanks for the replies. Been on to them this morning and after being passed between departments I finally got through to a nice guy who actually seemed to make sense. my debt has jumped by £1700 since August!! This is based on a 'reading' that was taken from the old meter. They were supposed to record this reading on a sticker placed on the new meter. The sticker is there but nothing has been written on it. we now have this meter read that cannot be proved one way or the other, and given the fact that they sent a man out to get the old reading from the sticker on the new one, which of course he couldn't do because it was never recorded, throws even more doubt as to the legitimacy of that final reading and subsequent massive bill. Since the prepay was fitted exactly two months ago, I now have a fixed window whereby I can see exactly how much I've used, and I can tell you it's almost half of what SP have been demanding in DD payments all this time.

To cut a long story very short, we agreed to have a prepay meter installed as we were struggling to meet the DD payments. We owed around £1500 and saw this as a way of ensuring we don't get into any further debt, and we could slowly begin to pay the debt off. For one reason or another SP haven't taken a reading for ages and so much of the debt was based on an estimate. We have sent them customer readings but not for a while. When they came to change the meter I had assumed they would record the final reading on the old meter and work out a final bill from that. Today I get a visit from a meter reading asking to see the gas meter. Why? I asked, I'm on a prepay, I explained. The guy explained he had been sent to see if he could get the final reading off the old meter! He was hoping that when they installed the new one they would have written the reading from the old meter onto the new one - which they hadn't. it would appear SP have lost the final reading from that old meter. The reader explained that they may be able to trace the meter itself if it hasn't already been scrapped, in order to get that that reading. My position now as I see it is this: If SP don't know the final reading from the gas meter, and all of this has been based on estimates for at least 12 months, then how can they say with any confidence what I actually owe them? and why should I take their word for it anyway? Even if they find the meter, how do I know it hasn't been tampered with and that the reading is a true one? I am of the mind that they have messed up big time here and I can dispute any figure they throw at me? I mean, if they don't know, and I don't know, then how do we agree on what the final figure should be? Am I correct in thinking this and where can I get some help and advice? Would anyone know the legal viewpoint on this? Firstly I am going to write to them asking for the final reading and a true, easy to understand statement detailing what they think I owe them. Thanks in advance JY