British Gas Business bill sent two years late and for too much!

TheV5

Hi all,

I’m having a few issues with British Gas Business. I moved into a 1 bed flat in March 2006 and I am still here. Before I moved in, the property was an office or business of some sort.

When I moved in the Letting Agents made arrangements with all the various utility companies. After I was here for a month, I got a bill from BG Business. I called them and stated this was a residential property. They said they would correct this and remove the standing charge. It took them until January 2008 to do this despite my repeated requests to switch it to Residential.

However, for the period I was with BG Business (March 2006 – January 2008 ), I have paid them over £630. Of the 22 months in this period I was away in Spain for 5 months where everything was turned off.

Since February 2008 I have been with British Gas Residential and have paid them a total of £968 up to January 2010. This is based on actual readings.

About three weeks ago I got a bill from BG Business stating that I owe them £1920 as their closing reading on 31/01/08 was 16737 and BG Residential opening reading on the 06/02/08 was 29988. I have disputed this bill with them on the phone and last week sent them a letter stating I was disputing this amount. However, today, I received a letter from EAGR (In-House debt collectors) saying I need to pay them in 10 days or they will issue legal proceedings.

Since February 2008 I have used just over 4000 units per year. The amount of usage I was billed for from March 2006 to January 2008 (bearing in mind nothing was used for 5 months) was 4753 units.

The problem seems to be the meter reading as BG Business are saying that all my bills from them were estimated and that my opening meter reading was 11500. I did not supply this reading (I’m trying to find out who did). I feel that the reading must have been taking incorrectly as they are saying I owe them for 13251 units, which with my average usage is about 3 – 3 ½ years worth of electricity on top of my 4753 units already paid for. Therefore they are saying that I used almost 18,000 units in two years!

I have spoken to EAGR today and they just keep telling to pay the money. I’m unsure of what to do next. As said, I have written to BG Business, who have not replied to me, but just referred my account to their debt collectors!

Many thanks in advance…

follows2006

Do you still have the opening read from when you moved into the property as this will be key for the consumption? Does the closing read tie in with the openening read from BGR?
Dont talk to EAGER, they are just agency staff with tight targets. Dont write either as there is massive backlogs which will take ages for a response (FORMER employee).
Call the call centre all calls are recorded and say i want to raise a low level coplaint, this has to be logged and also a managers call back. new rules state you must be contacted within 24hrs. Do this and post the replies so we might be able to help some more or PM me.

TheV5

I'm afraid I don't have the opening reading. the closing reading from BGB is 13000 units short of the BGR reading. I think the reading that was taken when I moved in was incorrect. I know I should have taken it myself, but it was my first home away from parents house and was told by the letting agent that they were dealing with everything. I'm trying to contact them with regards to the reading.

I've written another letter to BG Business and have also reported the problem to Consumer Direct. I'm also going to raise a complaint with BG Business.

TheV5

Blimey. BGB are really going for it. They send a bill (the first one) 5 weeks ago, I dspute it. They send another bill 3 weeks ago, I dispute it in writing. EAGR send me a letter saying they own the debt & to pay by the 26th Feb (dated the 23rd which was when I got the letter from EAGR). I dispute it, they say their manager will call back (never has). Now on the 26th I have another letter from another debt collector (Experto Credite) saying pay in full or else they'll send someone round, issue a CCJ and then enforce with a warrant of execution.