British gas electric DD from £40 to £5 now £195

MILLYMOLLY

I was told I had to reduce my DD debit payments in April to £5 obviously thought how stupid this was and contacted BG(Brit Gas) who said it was because i was in credit. Tried to argue but girl wouldn't lsten and had to admit defeat. Just had bill withh revised DD and they want £195 per month. Phoned them and they admit it is mostly their mistake because I wasn't in credit in April or in Dec when I got an automatic refund of £400. they also admitted some incorrect reading on account tat they were having deleted. They have readjusted amount to £120 a mth(killer amount). Is there anything I can do Thanks

Alias_Omega

We immediately cancelled our Direct Debit. We dont like this, as they can take as much as they like each month without you really knowing about it until its too late.

They tried to increase ours from £30 per month to £120. I laughed and paid them online with my switch / maestro card each month.

spiro

Dont cancel the DD before you speak to the company otherwise they will treat this as none payment and expect you to bring the account up to date. If you want to go to quarterly billing which 9 times out ofm 10 will cost more money phone them first and say so. I would also write to their complaints department because it was their staff that got you into this situation.

Cardew

Alias_Omega wrote: »

We immediately cancelled our Direct Debit. We dont like this, as they can take as much as they like each month without you really knowing about it until its too late.

They tried to increase ours from £30 per month to £120. I laughed and paid them online with my switch / maestro card each month.

They cannot "take as much as they like each month without you really knowing about it until its too late."

They have to notify you in advance, and if they don't you claim the money back from your bank.

By cancelling your DD you lose a your DD discount.

Cardew

MILLYMOLLY wrote: »

I was told I had to reduce my DD debit payments in April to £5 obviously thought how stupid this was and contacted BG(Brit Gas) who said it was because i was in credit. Tried to argue but girl wouldn't lsten and had to admit defeat. Just had bill withh revised DD and they want £195 per month. Phoned them and they admit it is mostly their mistake because I wasn't in credit in April or in Dec when I got an automatic refund of £400. they also admitted some incorrect reading on account tat they were having deleted. They have readjusted amount to £120 a mth(killer amount). Is there anything I can do Thanks

This really boils down to you not checking your account.

If you knew it was 'stupid' to reduce your DD to £5 and then for you to spend(presumably) what you should have been paying each month, as well as the incorrect £400 rebate, you have to take some of the blame yourself.

BG will possibly give you some goodwill reduction if you make enough fuss.

However a mistake by any firm does not mean that they have to write off any sum at all, similarly if they make a mistake and overcharge, they have to pay a refund. Works both ways.

neas

I agree the 600-700 quid difference you say could've been put away in a savings account until they come asking for more. It is silly to think 5 quid can cover gas/elec.. Minimum is about 30-40 quid these days... and if its winter you use more gas etc.

Somniac

30 to 40? You are joking. I pay 58 a month for a two bedroom flat and that is all elect with a 6% discount. That is with Southern. I have just changed to BG. I hope it will be cheaper.

zzzLazyDaisy

I had to cancel my DD with BG when they put it up from £25 per month to £60. I was slightly in credit and my normal quarterly bill is around £65, so the £25 a month was about right. They would not listen to reason, so I cancelled and just paid the bill when I got it.

That was over a year ago, so this week I phoned and asked what the DD would be if I went back to monthly. Wait for it.... £25 ....

So now I've gone back to monthly DD. What was that about?

Alias_Omega

Today, submitted meter readings to British Gas online and telephoned them to get an up to date bill.

The gas was £42 in credit, we owed £62 in electric, but we had not paid octobers payment yet. We cleared the £62 there and then. Usual payment we pay is £50 per month. She checked what the direct debit would be for the electric. They wanted to increase it too £85 per month, so we said no.

We then checked the bill for the Gas again, and it had now risen from £33 to £47 for the direct debit. We told her to reduce it back to £33 or i would cancel the direct debit with them, then she said she could do £44, i again said no, £33, she said £37, then she said ok, its back to £33.

They wanted to put them up for the winter, but id would rather be behind and clear it up afterwards, as they dont know what we plan to use.

I could imagine novembers payment being taken, and us being in shock due to the un-informed increase.

MILLYMOLLY

Cardew wrote: »

, you have to take some of the blame yourself.

BG will possibly give you some goodwill reduction if you make enough fuss.

However a mistake by any firm does not mean that they have to write off any sum at all, similarly if they make a mistake and overcharge, they have to pay a refund. Works both ways.

Iknow I am partly to blame and am not trying to gt out of paying bill just can't afford amount they want, DH recently had heart attack and I've just come out of hospital, so don't have much money and just wondered if I can find some reason to ask them to spread the payments further so I don't have as much to pay.

SwanJon

Alias_Omega wrote: »

They wanted to put them up for the winter, but id would rather be behind and clear it up afterwards, as they dont know what we plan to use.

I'm sure you do, but they'd rather the other way around. If you use more than you are paying they'll put the DD's up even more next time.

Alias_Omega wrote: »

I could imagine novembers payment being taken, and us being in shock due to the un-informed increase.

But they did inform you, so what's your point?