British Gas and Experian...

karatedragon

I have been told that British Gas are now reporting account performance to CRA Experian. I do not know if this is true or not. I have sent off for my £2 file to find out.

Can anyone confirm if this is true and what they think about it?

Personally I do not think this is right. Utilities may well be viewed as a line of credit but in my opinion it is vastly different from loans and cards. You choose to take out a loan or a card whereby a utility is necessity to live.

Further, I do not recall EVER being informed by British Gas by letter that they will be reporting my payment history giving me a chance to change should I disagree.

If it is true then there must be a lot of late payment data being pushed to Experian because I know of a lot of elderly customers who cannot for various reasons pay on time.

I totally disagree with it. People NEED gas and electric to survive unlike Catalogues and Cards.

I will change to an alternative supplier should I discover they are reporting on me. If necessary I will ask for a pre payment meter to be installed by an alternate company.

Joyful

This is correct. The other way of looking at it is it will built up a credit rating for those who pay on time.

karatedragon

I dont care about a credit rating as I don't want or need credit. There is too much of this "reporting" to these abhorent Credit Reference Agencies going on. I prefer privacy.

I will wait and see what is on this £2 report but if British Gas are on it they will be looking in the face of an ex-customer.

AND woe betide British Gas if they have negatively reported my November bill of my "online tariff" which was strictly due on 16th November but paid 23 November late as I was unable to log onto their "online" tariff to pay it. If their "support" team had shifted their bums in resolving my log on issue I would not have paid late.

I wonder who will be reporting on my credit file next??? The Local Authority for council tax... The Coal Board for my Coal supply... The Water Board for my H2O.... The people in the Chip Shop.....

The list could go on and on.

SwanJon

It was always in the T&Cs, and they always shared this data, just now it's in more detail, and includes the times you pay on time, which it didn't before.

You say that you don't want or need credit, but are happy to pay for your gas/electricity after you have used it. There is an option if you don't want credit - prepayment.

AFAIK paying your bill 1 week late doesn't get reported, but don't quote me on that as I don't work in that department.

(I work for BG)

karatedragon

SwanJon wrote: »

You say that you don't want or need credit, but are happy to pay for your gas/electricity after you have used it. There is an option if you don't want credit - prepayment.

That's precisely the route I will go down if I find BG on my credit file. But not with British Gas. I will leave them totally. Possibly including my Home Care Agreement.

Plus I was with British Gas from 1987 and I don't recall them EVER writing to me saying they will be reporting my data to those CRA Shysters.

Gerrard_8_lfc

It helps me get a mortgage and should teach those to pay on time.

all in all good result for all people who pay on time.

karatedragon

Gerrard_8_lfc wrote: »

It helps me get a mortgage and should teach those to pay on time.

all in all good result for all people who pay on time.

But from my perspective I do not need a Mortgage/Loan/Card/Catalogue. I am strictly a cash man! I do not believe in all this Agency reporting.

I choose not to have credit. I know Gas and Electric is a form of credit but until now none of the utilities reported payment history. I like avoid companies that use these CRA's. It is not right that BG simply start reporting on me without at least writing to me to tell me so I can either agree to let them do it or leave them to go onto Prepayment.

jd87

karatedragon wrote: »

But from my perspective I do not need a Mortgage/Loan/Card/Catalogue. I am strictly a cash man! I do not believe in all this Agency reporting.

Then you have no reason to worry about what information a CRA has about you.

Gerrard_8_lfc

As above if you pay on time it will actually benefit you.

smidgey

This is happening so if you don't want this then you do need to move suppliers...

Personally I think it is a good thing if it makes people pay up on time. So many people don't pay because there are no repercussions.

A_fiend_for_life

If it results in a bad credit rating and requires a deposit to switch then it should be seen as a cause for concern as it could keep people in fuel poverty. It won't be limited to BG though.

Another way might be to find out whether these elderly people have received free energy efficiency improvements.