GDF pays €500k for wrong bills

GAS supplier GDF has agreed to pay half a million euros in compensation to customers in Picardy who received bills based on incorrect meter readings.

About 4,000 homes around the town of Montataire in the Oise were sent bills in early 2008 which under-estimated their 2007 gas usage.

They then got a shock when their next bill arrived in early 2009 - based on correct readings - asking for up to €4,000.

GDF said a "human error" was to blame for the first set of inaccurate readings. It has already paid €25 to each home affected.

However the customers went to the Médiateur de l'Energie - the new gas and electricity ombudsman - to ask for more. They said they had incurred bank charges because of the huge bill.

The watchdog said GDF had been too slow to spot and correct the error. It also ruled that it was unfair that the second bill used 2008 prices when much of the consumption occurred in 2007.

GDF will now be sending an extra €100 to each customer, bringing the total damages up to €125 per home.

Photo:Teq