British Gas Electricity meter rip off - help please!

masonic

moosetastic wrote:

maybe the majority of people wont have access to places like this and put up with it, that way BG wins every time.

I think many people will react in the same way you did. As was alluded to above, some people will actually try to stop BG updating their meter so that they can carry on paying old cheaper rates. If people don't go through the drawn out complaints procedure to fight this, I think they will at least be prompted into leaving BG.

moosetastic wrote:

A 5 minute visit to my home when the tariff was changed would not have been a major deal at all.

But a 5 minute visit to every customer with a prepayment meter every time there is a rate change (plus repeat visits for people who are not at home etc.) I think would be a major deal for them. The whole system is fatally flawed. BG are applying their tariffs to peoples meter readings and, apparently, Energywatch will hold them to whatever tariff is set up on the actual meter :rotfl: . Cue large headaches all round at BG, but at least it might prompt them to train their meter readers to keep an eye on people's rates.

danio_2

masonic wrote:

I think many people will react in the same way you did. As was alluded to above, some people will actually try to stop BG updating their meter so that they can carry on paying old cheaper rates. If people don't go through the drawn out complaints procedure to fight this, I think they will at least be prompted into leaving BG.


But a 5 minute visit to every customer with a prepayment meter every time there is a rate change (plus repeat visits for people who are not at home etc.) I think would be a major deal for them. The whole system is fatally flawed. BG are applying their tariffs to peoples meter readings and, apparently, Energywatch will hold them to whatever tariff is set up on the actual meter :rotfl: . Cue large headaches all round at BG, but at least it might prompt them to train their meter readers to keep an eye on people's rates.

I think thats the main reason that BG are changing the meters, With the old type they had to send someone out to reset the meters, with the new "Key" type meters they can reset the meters from their offices.

EasilyAggravated

danio wrote:

I think thats the main reason that BG are changing the meters, With the old type they had to send someone out to reset the meters, with the new "Key" type meters they can reset the meters from their offices.

and thats a big disadvantage to someone like me who has to travel 3 mile to get electricity. my alternative - switch supplier and have the meter replaced

moosetastic

EasilyAggravated wrote:

and thats a big disadvantage to someone like me who has to travel 3 mile to get electricity. my alternative - switch supplier and have the meter replaced

Im exactly the same. My co-op which is literally a 2 minute walk from my house accepts the British Gas key for gas, but not for electricity

Yet the co-op which is a 6 mile round trip for me accpets both!!! I phoned BG and complained when the meter was first installed, but all they said was its a fault with the pay point in your co-op, nothing to do with us whatsoever!!

EasilyAggravated

moosetastic wrote:

Im exactly the same. My co-op which is literally a 2 minute walk from my house accepts the British Gas key for gas, but not for electricity

Yet the co-op which is a 6 mile round trip for me accpets both!!! I phoned BG and complained when the meter was first installed, but all they said was its a fault with the pay point in your co-op, nothing to do with us whatsoever!!

same old excuses. they dont care. id change supplier. not only because of the key fiasco but because there are cheaper ones. theyre changing all their prepayment electricity meters to this key which is a big disadvantage to some people. luckily i have a car but what about those that dont?
plus apart from me having a car i begrudge having to travel 6 miles to top it up when theres a shop spitting distance away that accepts cards. their loss im afraid

springchicken

Same thing has happened to me with the letter , I am fuming :mad: ,considering they owe me £55 in old credit which I have been trying to get them to send me in cheque form for the last 6 months!!!
But they will be fast enough taking this via the meter :mad:
They are the most frustating annoying company to deal with EVER :mad:

CoolieEon

I can so relate to this thread. A man came and changed my meter to the new key one. Instead of putting in my usual £7 a week I was suddenly putting in £12 per week. I decided that this was rediculous and that I would prefer an ordinary credit meter. Oh the problems I had. I eventually had to write to my MP to get said meter changed copy of email below. Lol at the fact it took them 3 months to reply to this email generated on there website.

Dear Carol



Thank you for your recent enquiry to House. We apologise for any inconvenience that you have experienced whilst trying to get in contact with us. We are currently experiencing an unprecedented work load, which is the reason why it has taken so long to respond to your email.



After looking over your account I can see that you enquiry has already been dealt with, we apologise for any inconvenience that our late reply may have caused you.



If there is anything else we can do to assist you with your enquiry, please do not hesitate to call or email British Gas



Kind Regards



Karenza Vaughan-East



prepayments@house.co.uk - the online home of British Gas and Scottish Gas prepayments



Your enquiry received: 14/04/06 16:01



Your enquiry:



Please find below a copy of the email I sent to my MP Steve Webb dated 13/4/2006 Dear Mr Webb I wonder if you are able to help me. I currently buy my electricity from British Gas using a pre paid meter. As this is an expensive way to pay I contacted British Gas on 31. 12. 2005 requesting to have my meter changed to a normal credit meter. They agreed to this and a date was set for the 6th of January. They did not keep this appointment and since then have failed to keep a further 6 appointments, 7 in total. The latest one being today 13.4.2006 I did get in touch with Energy Watch who have been very helpful in ensuring that I recieved compensation payments for the first five missed appointments and then arranged two further dates on which the work was supposed to be carried out. As I stated earlier, they failed to keep these appointments even though they assured myself and Energy Watch that they would. I really feel as if I am banging my head against a brick. Also very annoyed that for the last 4 months I have still been paying the very high price instead of the cheaper rate a normal meter offers. Is there anyway that you can help to ensure the work is carried out as soon as possible.


finally the work was carried out. I now pay £20 dd per month. Six weeks after the meter was installed I got a bill saying I was £137 in credit!!!! Only one payment of £20 made so far. So, that credit came from my pre payment meter, so why the price hike!!! Anyways, it's sorted now and I could not believe it after I phoned BG this week asking for a refund I actually got a cheque for £100 pounds today!!! My advise after a really long post is forget Energy Watch and get on to your MP.

mrphil_2

Hi.
I lost my BG electricity prepayment key last week. It's a long story, but I spent almost 8 hours and, I calculate, about £19, on phone calls to their entertainingly- called Helpline. I'm deeply p****d off with their service and am now looking to change supplier. Must say, I haven't looked too deeply at energy prices before this wake- up call. But I've now discovered that I can save around 20% buying "green" leccy- which is what I want to do.
The question I want to ask is- are BG really as incompetent as I've come to believe over the past week, or do you think they could change over my meter without too much hassle? Would it be easier to start to buy electricity from BG and then change?
Thanks for enlightening me
Phil

bumble3130

im so glad to find something so similar to my situation on here.
ive been going mad all day!
i too had a new prepayment meter fitted for my electric - they gave me 2 days notice altho the letters were dated the end of june!
anyways i had 5 pound in yesterday afternoon and its now down to 2.50 and if anything ive used less electric than i usually do! my credit is going down so fast!
i ring bg this am - got put thro to 5 people!! all i wanted to know was if they had changed my rates! one woman said no another man said yes and decided to tell me all about a keymeter which i didnt want to know
i was angry and asked him why exactly wasnt i informed of the change in rates to which he replied - it was in the press in march!!! now im sorry but isnt the best way to contact a customer by letter! i seldom watch the news and never buy newspapers!
i know wont be surprised if i also get a letter saying i owe them money!because that seems to be the way its going.
i have sent an email complaining about this, doubt they will do very much but say sorry. i am looking into changing my supplier now over this because ive had nothing but trouble with them! this new price rise is pathetic and i can see myself having to spend over a tenner a week on electric! for a 2 bedroom house for me and my 3yr old son!
angryyyyy as so really feel for you all!
Kirsty x

Kinnairdy

No response from B.G. to request for itemised bill detailing how & when this 'debt' arose, gave them 10 day's to respond, nothing, nada, zilch, deafening silence so have sent complaint to Energywatch. Email from EnergyW. this morning saying complaint will be investigated shortly so now a matter of waiting to see what they think.
'Debt' not being taken via Key Meter so far, perhaps letter was enough to stall that for the moment?.
Am in process of switching supplier to Equipower (Ebico). B.G. appalling, come 2nd in Energywatch table of bad providers.