Is it stealing if it's an error that you're aware of?

I guess my ethics a little flexible on this. If a friend borrowed $20 and accidentally pay me back with a Fifty, I'd certainly point it out. But if some big corporation or government agency that I wouldn't do me any favors goofs up? Not my problem.

If they fuck up, it's not your fault.

They may be rectifying an error.
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Response to your example with a similar one:
After reading my meter (electricity) wrong one month, I was charged a larger than usual amount. The error was rectified and resulted in a few months of no charge since my account was then in surplus.
You sure they aren't compensating you for a previous overcharge.
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Otherwise, it's their fault.
If the cell-phone company logs my data usage as less than what my phone did, I won't abuse this, but I would gladly pay the lower phone bill without notifying them.
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Another example: At many educational institutions, If you get an exam re-marked, you keep the higher mark of the two, regardless of whether the new (correct) mark is the lower or higher one.
-If it's actually lower: That's what you legitimately earned, even if it was a result of their fuck-up.
-If it's actually higher: It's unfair to not give you what you actually deserve.
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I would handle it this way:
-If I score more than I pay for on a service or product from a large company, It won't hurt them and I'm fine to hang on to my bonus.
-If it will personally disadvantage someone else I won't. For Example: If someone dropped their wallet and I saw it happen, or found an ID, bank cards, or other identifying information in it, I would make every effort to get it back to it's owner with all it's contents present and intact.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary;
transitive verb, definition 1 d : to appropriate to oneself or beyond one's proper share.
Yes it is stealing.

The gas would be a error on their part, but it should still be brought to their attention.

Not your mistake

Don't you worry about it....they'll catch on eventually

Yes

I kinda think its stealing. I mean, the right thing for you to do as an honest person, would be to bring it to their attention that there's been a mistake. Unless you wanna throw whats 'right' right out the window. Haha!

But before I read your story, and I just saw the question, I did have to chuckle a little. It reminded me of something that me and my friend did when we were like 13. Actually, nevermind. But yes, you should probably have a chat with your gas company rather than 'playing' it dumb like you had no idea. It would be a good thing for you to do. It'll make you a nice person.

Take it as a gift :)

If it's not someone else's money (and i do not mean corporations, i mean a unique person) then i guess you should return it or tell about the error. But then again...would I...hmmm...

I find these types of things will always come back to bite you in the ass. If it was me, I'd definitely square it with the gas company, rather than face a hefty bill one day or have the gas cut off.

If however I found a bag of money in the woods, I'd keep it-unlike some idiots who try to track down the (drug-dealing) owners. ;)

It is according to the Law. Just because you have something to gain, doesn't you should try to justify it.

I'm pretty certain is stealing from a legal and moral standpoint. I would notify them if I were you. It's also good Karma to report it f you believe in that sort of thing.

No, it's not technically stealing. Stealing is where you choose to take something for free. What's happened in your example is that you've been given something for free.

However, the logical assumption is that it was a mistake. Gas companies don't generally get all generous and give free months. Given (that the assumption is) it was a mistake, you're kind of expected to resolve it rather than pretend you didn't notice.

For instance if the parking valet who took your VW Beetle made a mistake and brought you back a Bugatti Veyron, you wouldn't think, "Great! That's mine now".

Usually in a case like that the company will have a time frame in which they can collect what is rightfully theirs. In the case of an electric company, with the way the meters work if they screw up a reading this month then it corrects itself next month, may be the same for a gas company depending on their set-up.
It IS stealing from their point of view even though you did nothing wrong, but if they acknowledge their mistake then you shouldn't suffer any kind of penalty charge.

I don't know how it works in your jurisdiction but in a case like that we will still be liable should we take something that we know isn't ours.

I guess the same would apply to you being an eyewitness to something horrible eg. murder and not taking the means to report it.