Asking for a friend - the gas usage on their bill shows 0 MJ, even though the stove and hot water are gas. The only fee comes from the daily connection fee which is around 80c a day.
Does this mean the gas meter is broken? And if so, will they get shafted in the future if they don't raise this issue with their gas provider?
Is it an estimate bill or actual reading?
if you get your friend to look at the meter, does the meter roll over when you use gas? if so, the provider probably has some error and you could get a bill when they work it out.
This might actually be the arrangement with the apartment building & the gas supplier. Check if they have been charged a usage fee in the past.
i.e. Pay for a fixed daily usage fee in lieu of charging per MJ.
My apartment had a fixed 20c a day unmetered gas for the cooktop + 27c service fee per day.
The water however was separate and charged per litre of usage, and that came from the shared gas powered hot water boilers…on…the roof? I think.
The strata may pay gas usage
the gas usage on their bill shows 0 MJ
What does the meter show? Read the meter/take a photo and then come back in a few days time to compare. Has it changed? If not, then its most likely broken, say nothing, isn't your job :)
If its moving, then yeah, you might get a massive bill at one point. Does the bill say it is an estimate by any chance?
My gas bill is all included in the quarterly strata bill that I pay, including the connection fee - so I never see it as a separate bill. It's not to say that it's free. If there's an increase in the gas bill and strata is not "absorbing" that increase, then I'll simply expect to see an increase in strata fees.
Gas meters are not digital and require an actual person to go and look at the readings. Due to low unemployment/money printing and the low/minimum wage of meter readers there is a current shortage of meter readers. My guess is that prior to you occupying the property it was empty for a while and with the shortage of meter readers you are being assigned an "estimate" of 0 MJ because the property was empty for the past year. You will still need to pay for usage unless no one reads your meter within 9 months. 9 months is the statutory limit for billing retail customers (note that if you are a business then you will still have to pay as there is no statutory limit).
The other option is your meter is a dud and doesn't move and you get free energy forever- this is very very very unlikely.
It's not their responsibility to maintain the meter, they don't own it.