British Gas Problems - Don't Know What To Do

ClarkeEJ

Have recently switched from British Gas to Powergen so we could collect Tesco Clubcard points.

A few months before switching we paid British Gas a security deposit to change both our electric and gas meters from prepayment to standard meter. We paid them approx. £180 (£90 each meter).

They have sent us a final bill for both accounts back in October but the meter readings are wrong. We have been paying Powergen from a particular reading on the meters but British Gas were charging us for a final meter reading for much more than the final reading (so we would in effect be paying them both for our electirc and gas for the same month.)

We have rang British Gas on numerous occasions and they say they are sending out new bills with the amended amount but we keep getting red bills from them with the same amount on them and threatening our credit record etc.

The worst part is they in fact owe us money i.e. £180 which we have paid them. When they calculate the correct amount we owe them they just need to take it out of what they owe us.

Ringing today was a complete waste of time and they just keep passing us around to other people because nobody wants to deal with us.

Don't know where to go from here.

jem16

I've just moved from Scottish Gas to London Energy and am in the midst of sorting out my final bills with them. Despite emailing my meter readings on the day of transfer to Scottish Gas, they ignored them and used their own - exactly where from I've no idea. However London Energy confirm that they have used these readings to open my account and as the differences were fairly small they felt it wasn't worth the argument with Scottish Gas who often do this, they say.

Meanwhile I've paid my electricty final bill by debit card using my online account on the 17th December. It's still showing as pending and they then had the cheek to send me a red bill reminder. I've phoned them twice and emailed them twice about it. The first time I phoned I was told to pay it again which I refused to do, so I emailed them about it - no reply as yet! Then I learned there had been a problem with debit card payments and phoned again. This time they at least confirmed there had been a problem with payments and I was told not to worry about it, they would make a note on my account - that was the 28th. I also emailed again but still no reply.

I am now waiting on my final gas bill arriving by post - it's been online since 23rd December. I will pay that by internet banking - at least I know it will get paid that way.

I seem to be getting nowhere trying to sort out my electricity bill and will be very annoyed if another red bill arrives. So if any one had contact details of a complaints department it would be very useful.

caveat_emptor

ClarkeEJ wrote:

Have recently switched from British Gas to Powergen so we could collect Tesco Clubcard points.

A few months before switching we paid British Gas a security deposit to change both our electric and gas meters from prepayment to standard meter. We paid them approx. £180 (£90 each meter)........

WRITE to BG Customer Service, setting out your problems and asking them to sort it out. Phoning is a waste of time and a letter is useful in case of a dispute. In a similar situation I had, I told my supplier that I wouldn't pay until the meter readings were corrected.
If you don't get satisfaction from BG send details of your complaint to Energywatch.

Bri_2205

Try speaking to Powergen, they should be able to contach BG with confirmation of your final reading. You need BG to place a dispute on your account to stop the reminders etc you are receiving.