National Grid Gas Account
We moved in a couple of years ago and thought our cooking gas was included – from the first day, it worked, kept working, and we never received a bill. Now, two years later, it’s been turned off, and it turns out the gas was not included (probably should have realized this was wrong -…
We moved in a couple of years ago and thought our cooking gas was included – from the first day, it worked, kept working, and we never received a bill. Now, two years later, it’s been turned off, and it turns out the gas was not included (probably should have realized this was wrong – our bad).
So now we’re going to set up an account with National Grid. Has this situation happened to anyone before? We’re mortified that we’re going to get a bill for the last two years’ worth of cooking gas (gas for heat is definitely included).
On a related note, is National Grid the only option in Brooklyn? If not, is it the cheapest?
Similar thing just happened to us! We’ve lived in our Forest Hills apartment (rental) for 17 months (seventeen!) and long story short, we didn’t know we had to set up an account for gas (I swore it was included in the lease – its not – and we never got the “set up your account” postcard N.G. says they sent repeatedly), and 17 months later our service got shut off, whoops!
Called Nat’l Grid today and they were quite nice, found out we just need to fax them a copy of our lease to show start date of occupancy BUT they can only charge us for one year of past use. Still not sure what the grand total will be, but it’s not going to be thousands like we feared, and there are no late fees or back charges. Phew. We’re pretty smart people, but we definitely look/feel like big idiots for this oversight as we eat our microwave meals all weekend until service is reinstated early next wk!
Thanks so much for all the replies…we set up our account and are waiting to find out what the total damage will be!
It was interesting to find out this wasn’t a unique experience; we thought it was so strange that they let us use the gas for so long without getting paid for it!
I was in the exact same boat a few weeks ago. Moved in and paid no gas for one year, then suddenly got a postcard saying set up an account or face shut-off. I considered saying I just moved in, but decided I didn’t want to get caught in some elaborate lie and fessed up. It was $160. I wonder if National Grid is cracking down on this now for some reason.
They are not the best record-keepers, in my experience.
same thing happened to us before–it was like the first two years after we moved to brooklyn. They hit us for some of the back bill but it definitely wasnt the full amount and wasnt too bad.
Sorry, I forgot it was every 2 months they charge you. I thought we were paying around 35 every month.
The last time I moved, I knew I wouldn’t be cooking–didn’t have any pots and pans, for one–so I didn’t open an account with KeySpan. When I finally did, I was required to provide my lease (to prove I am actually the tenant, I thought) and the f*k-you-tility insisted on charging me from the beginning of the lease. I told them to look at the meter readings, to confirm I had used no gas, but they said usage didn’t matter. KeySpan left me with no option: I had to pay or they would not open the account and would report me as skipping out on my bill. ‘It’s between you and your landlord,’ they said. Forewarned is fore-armed.
“How can Natl Grid be sure it was you living there the whole time? Can’t you just say, “we moved in last week?” like a friend of mine did w/ Con Ed? Is Natl Grid gonna go to all the trouble to investigate when u actually moved in?”
I tried to pull that and they called the landlord to collect the remainder of the unpaid months.
How can Natl Grid be sure it was you living there the whole time? Can’t you just say, “we moved in last week?” like a friend of mine did w/ Con Ed? Is Natl Grid gonna go to all the trouble to investigate when u actually moved in?