ANYONE ELSE TIED INTO AN EVERGREEN CONTRACT with BRITISH GAS??

steven27

I've been trying to switch from British Gas to Scottish Power on our Business account. At the moment we are paying 12.34p/KWh and 37.9p/day with BG (Scottish Power and Eon are offering 8.9p/KWh and 19p/day, fixed for 3 years. - a potential saving of about £2000 per year.)
British Gas are telling us that we signed a 5 year contract 27.1.2003 and a renewal letter was sent out 30/10/2007 so we could sign and continue the contract. Because we didn't sign and return it, we are now automatically tied to them until 26/1/2010 - something they call an Evergreen Contract.(If we sign and return it we are in a contract, If we don't return it we are in a contract??)
Can I get out of this? I don't think I ever received this letter but I can't prove it.
When I rang them they just told me that I was on a cheap rate and that it should be 17p??
Any help on this would really be appreciated - I feel like I'm being dictated to and definately being ripped off.

MarionLJ

We are also tied into an "Evergreen contract". We agreed to lower rates for 1 year but have been automatically renewed onto a 2 year standard contract which has actually more than tripled our bills. This is insane - we didn't agree to it (why would we!) and, like you, I don't think we even received the renewal notice.

We are a web-based company so we use a lot of electricity to keep servers and fans running 24/7 - we need lower tariffs.

When I challenged them I was told that the renewal letter had been sent 6 months in advance!!! With utility cost spiralling, how can they set prices 6 months in advance and then roll us on from a 1 year contract to a 2 year contract?! How can this be legal? The only people who actually gain from this are British Gas, while we, the customer, suffer heavily.

Can we get out of this and HOW? Please, someone - HELP!!!

Premier_2

As you are a business, it is common with business account contracts to be renewed if not cancelled typically at least 60 days prior to the end of the contract. Also you don't often get a renewal notice.

Refer to your terms & conditions.