British Gas - Domestic and Business Rates

Tomarse_2

Hello everyone.

I have a bit of a problem with my gas bill. Basically, at my old property, we were incorrectly invoiced for gas as a business customer. British Gas are aware of this and have sent another invoice, minus daily business charge (based on number of days, not usage).

This still leaves us paying for gas at 5.660p per kWh. Is that right? I thought domestic supplies were more like 2 or 3 p per kWh. This is from 28/06/08-10/03/09 (though the end date has now been amended to 27/02/09).

So this is 8 months, 20756 kWh used @ 5.66p per kWh = £1174.79+VAT... in a house of 2!

We had dual fuel and were paying British Gas by DD. We hadn't realised this only covered the electricity and not the gas until we got snotty letters months after moving out. Any help as to what to do next would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks in advance.

Premier_2

If BG have agreed to re-bill you based on a domestic tariff, then that doesn't sound right.

Although you have both fuels sourced from BG, they might not bill you on a dual fuel tariff.

Even on BG's standard domestic tariff, gas is about 7.1p for the initial 670 kwh per qtr and 3.4p thereafter (note that this is the latest price, a slightly higher price would have applied for the end of last year)

On a domestic tariff you shouldnt have:
a) any standing charge (allowed for in the 2 rate pricing)
b) any climate change levy

and VAT should only be charged at 5% not 17.5% that a business tariff would attract.

Tomarse_2

Thanks Premier.

I think you're right. We weren't actually on Dual Fuel, just both fuels supplied by BG.

They dropped the standing charge (£284.90+VAT!) and the climate change levy appears to be 0 too. The VAT was charged at only 5% anyway. I figured this was a business rate and that I should have paid even more VAT.

Do you know if there's any way/where I can find out what the domestic tariff definitely was during the period of time in question? I've asked BG to hold off legal proceedings etc whilst I review the bills - to which they've agreed - but it's now a few weeks later and I'm not much closer to understanding what I should pay.

TIA.

Premier_2

Unless you can find the old tariffs archived somewhere, you'll struggle to know the exact unit prices.
(unless there's a MSE'er on the BG standard tariff who could look at their old bills and post the prices)

I can't even find the current unit prices on the BG site - I used a comparison site.

As a guide, if I remember correctly, BG reduced the price of their gas by 10% on 07 May 2009. I think the previous price change became effective aboout the beginning of October 2008 where I think they increased prices by about 35%

Joyful

See if this link helps. It is for previous fixed tariffs so may give you something to go on.

http://www.britishgas.co.uk/products-and-services/energy/our-products/previous-energy-tariffs.html

Tomarse_2

Thanks everyone.

I've written back questioning why my entire bill is charged at a single (high) rate where as the tariffs such as those Joyful posted, have 2 tiers. I've made my own calculations based on roughly what the tiers would have been on the time and offered a proposed figure to settle the account.

We'll see what comes back...

Tomarse_2

So, despite telling British Gas my new address (phone and e-mail), I've received another letter forwarded onto me threatening legal action (dated 13/06/09). Called BG and they say they have my new address on the system...

Anyway, I've not received a response to my proposal above so I called them again. They are basically saying that they cannot back date a bill to calculate what should have been paying and that I should have told them I was a domestic customer at the time.

With regards to the account type; It was set up as a Business account my landlady (I presume) and she transferred it to us upon moving in (the only agreement of this is the generic wording in our tenancy agreement to pay all utility bills). At no point have I told them I was a business customer. IMO, my proposed settlement is generous as I'm not even trying to claim back what I've overpaid to date.

Regardless of who told who what (or not), the fact remains that we know exactly how much gas was used, and I want to pay them the correct amount as the domestic settlement we were. I'm not trying to get one over on them.

Currently, we're at a stale mate. After 25 mins or so of going around in circles, I told them I would seek advice and get back to them...

If I'm right, I have no problems with pursuing the legal action they are proposing against me - assuming I'd come out of it ok (never been through it before).

HELP! (please)

prudryden

BG Standard Tariffs

18 Jan 08 - 29 July 08 6.151 and 2.580 pence
30 July 08 - 19 Feb 09 7.259 and 3.688 pence
20 Feb 09 - current 6.914 and 3.343 pence

Tomarse_2

Thanks Prudryden, that should be useful - however they are not agreeing to re-calculating our bill at the moment. Are they allowed to do that?

My girlfriend suggests going to the Citizen Advice Bureau but I'm not sure that would make any difference. What do you think?

jackieglasgow

Go to your nearest BG office - if it's an Energy Office, not a Service Centre, and take all your paperwork. refuse to leave until someone from Customer Relations comes to speak to you, they have someone at each office whose job it is to deal with doorsteppers. Don't leave until you get help. Write to the MD, they usually get thinks sorted quicksmart.

Tomarse_2

Well we've had another letter forwarded on to us from our old landlady - it seems BG STILL can't get our address right. BG are saying that the debt has been passed to a debt collection agency (though the letter does still say to make payment through the usual BG number).

We're going to try to speak to CAB about where we stand.