Direct Debit Row Hits British Gas

1carminestocky wrote: »

I'm assuming you are Clive, blf? Nice one, about time this disgraceful practice got publicised. OFGEM...workng to protect the public or the energy supplier's interests?

I'm hoping this has nothing to do with Centrica recently putting out of the begging bowl in the city? Just an embarrasing co-incidence? It would certainly be a very cheap way of raising capital for their acquisition targets. Certainly cheaper than getting it from the Far East (just ask Barclays about that one). With the size of BGs cusome base it wouldn't take a huge over-inflation of DD amounts to raise MASSIVE spare wonga, would it?

Yip is me. I would have liked to have added more, only had 5 characters left, Chief Executives do tend to read the comments to such articles.

Whats interesting is that when people post on here regarding massive increases in Direct Debit payment amounts the vast majority of replies tend to seek to justify why its happening rather than look at apparent fact that the energy companies are merely seeking to use as much of other peoples money for free as they can get away with.

Lets face it monthly direct debit is only supposed to be a means of budgeting for a forthcoming bill, the user has the responsibility to ensure that the bill can be met when due rather than the energy company using the exercise as an means of using other peoples money for free. Some people are incurring additional costs in time and call charges ( if they dont hav ea freephone number) in addition to the cost of the energy itself due to having to phone these companies up in order to get the monthly payments reduced again.

I was with British Gas for numerous years before I started switching around, in addition i have switched to British Gas in very recent times, my belief is that the energy industry has access to consumers previous consumption history a bit like an open book. ( An industry insider can confirm and reject this belief) so the statement that BG made that it had no knowledge of my previous Gas consumption beggars belief.

Cardew wrote: »

I would find that very surprising!

Other than the information you give them in your initial application of course.

What information do you think they have? On the address? or the account holder?

In other words, if I(Mr A Hancock) of No1 Railway Cuttings East Cheam switch from NPower to BG, you believe that NPower will provide BG with my account details? Without my permission?

Do you not think that would come under the terms of Confidentiality and Disclosure?

I am very willing to bet you any amount of virtual pints that it will not happen.

My belief has been formed on the basis that energy meter readings appear to be conducted universally, i.e a meter reader walks up the street and calls on anybody and everybody that is due a meter reading irrespective of which company people are being billed by, someone might say that is not suprising being as the gas/electric is the same irrespective of which company is billing the consumer, if this is the case then meter readings and thus apparent meter consumptions are fed to a central point which is how i then form an opinion that meter readings/consumptions are available to all the energy companies like an open book. Information would be held on a meter number basis. Im happy for an energy insider to counter argument my stated belief as i am not saying that i am correct in my belief, as the saying goes people can believe what they want to believe.:cool:

During the last 15 months ive switched energy supplier every few months and this is the first occasion that an energy company including BG has told me that they have no record of my previous gas consumption. Even if my belief is incorrect British Gas still have a record of my previous Gas consumption due to the many years that I have previously been a BG customer including during 2007/2008. [URL="javascript:emoticon(':cheers:')"][/URL] [URL="javascript:emoticon(':cheers:')"][/URL] [URL="javascript:emoticon(':cheers:')"][/URL] [URL="javascript:emoticon(':cheers:')"][/URL] [URL="javascript:emoticon(':cheers:')"][/URL] [URL="javascript:emoticon(':cheers:')"][/URL] [URL="javascript:emoticon(':cheers:')"][/URL] [URL="javascript:emoticon(':cheers:')"][/URL] [URL="javascript:emoticon(':cheers:')"][/URL] [URL="javascript:emoticon(':cheers:')"][/URL] [URL="javascript:emoticon(':cheers:')"][/URL]