British Gas - regret changing

Shazbat_2

I switched from Npower to British Gas for both gas and electricity and boy, do I regret it.

The gas hasn't been a problem but the electricity has been a challenge from Day One. Overall, their customer service is everything but. In the beginning, I received two letters telling me the start-dates of my contracts and direct debits but only the gas actually began. I then received a payment card for my electricity. I rang to inform them that although I had had once had a pre-payment meter (I changed from BG to Npower because BG wouldn't change either of my pre-payment meters despite numerous requests), I now had a credit meter. They said they would amend my records and send me a date when supply started. Another month passed and still there was no sign of the direct debit being collected for the electricity. I rang again and was told that it was because I had a pre-payment meter. I rang again and explained again that this wasn't the case.

Eventaully, this was resolved. They sent me a bill for 50 quid. When I queried this they said it was so they could see my account was up and running - good one. Unfortunately in the confusion I didn't notice that the direct debit collection date they gave me wasn't the one I requested; I get paid on the 18th of every month so all bills start being collected from the 19th onwards. BG had me down for the 15th, which I would never have agreed to but by this time felt unable to argue because I only noticed when they cost me £35 bank charges twice because the direct debit failed.

BG send emails on Sundays to tel you that your bill is available to view online. I have not yet been able to view a bill on line on a Sunday; I get an error message telling me I can only view it between 7am and 11pm, Monday to Saturday! My bill was estimated so I took my own reading and tried to submit it via the website; only to get an error message telling me that because it was less than their reading, I had to phone it in. The operator then tried to tell me that I couldn't give a lower reading as it would cost me more in the long run. Well excuse me, that's for me to decide isn't it? I used to submit my own readings every time to Npower without any difficulty.

I also wanted to reduce the amount I was paying by dd every month for my gas, from £39.50 to £20, the same as the electricity. Npower was expensive but still never cost me that much p.m. for gas. Every time I asked, I was told I had to give a meter reading so that they could assess my usage (bearing in mind it's now been longer than the 3 months they told me I had to wait before I could change). Each time I give a reading they give me some old flannel about my projected usage being more so they're letting me get into credit. Well, I'm getting married in 15 weeks and right now every penny counts.

Anyhoo, after getting totally fed up with them I sent in a 3-page letter of complaint (because the email kept booting me out "for security reasons" - too Big Brother for me) on 9th March and as yet have not had any response. I sent a further letter on 9th June and also cancelled my direct debits until I get a response. Now of course they're sending me threatening letters over the outstanding account, but it's the only leverage (sp?) I have. When I rang to explain why I wasn't paying (as you can, according to the narrator on the phone), the girl said to me, "so why are you ringing if you aren't going to pay, I can't deal with that here". AFter the first letter I sent an email (it worked!) just to say why I wasn't paying, and to point out that they hadn't had the common decency to respond to my complaint. All I've had is an automated acknowledgement email. Nothing since.

I rang today on receipt of another stiff letter and the guy said he would note my comments on my account and to be fair, didn't dispute what I said.

But what do I do now? I don't want to withhold money as in the long run I will still have it to pay, but what other means of bargaining do I have? I know they don't give a rats a**e about my complaint or my meagre £73.86 that I owe, but I feel I should have some claim on a decent level of customer service and they should have the common courtesy to acknowledge their shortcomings in whatever area that may be.:mad:

keith_lard

I too have 'give up' with BG.

They have'nt got a bloody clue, not a bloody clue!

one dept, havn'e got a clue what the other department is doing, complete shambles!

wish I never bothered with such a poor company.

hope you get sorted soon, but would switch and leave well alone.


k.

SwanJon

Money Saving first.
When you wrote in, did you include a copy of your bank statment with the charges and explain that they took the DD on the wrong day? They should be able to credit that back onto your account, so then you are looking at a £3.86 bill.
Might also be worth asking if you have had the DD discount (5%) applied as you asked for it when you signed up. If not, 5% of £73.86 is £3.70, so that would get us down to 16p.
As for readings, you can also phone them in on a freephone number if the webiste has issues, but keep giving them - it means that if you do go back to DD they'll have a better idea of your consumption pattern.

You need to get this resolved as soon charges will start appearing on the account, and it will affect your credit score. You could look at Energywatch or the Energy Ombudsman, but try telling BG this is what your next step is and see what they can do.

Shazbat_2

Can't argue over the DD dates cos although I wouldn't have asked for those collection dates, they're confirmed in the letters I received from BG and I just didn't notice.

They just keep fobbing me off with this 'you'll have to give a reading' but what really infuriates me is that because my reading is lower than their guess, they say I can't give a lower reading just because I'll have to pay more on a future bill. Surely that's my decision!

Anyhoo, I will ring them again tomorrow and see what they say.