BG Direct Debit

paulh2008

I've been with BG using direct debit for donkey's years, but in three months my payment has gone from £38 to £48 to £53, I was only £53 in debit. They say the review point is April i.e. just after the highest usage period, they expect £53 credit then, and they only take 11 payments into account. What gives? I've never had a 'free' month, and what's this requirement to end up in credit? Take 12 payments and a zero balance at the review period and it comes down to £44.

But even then by the end of the summer period I will be a couple of hundred pounds in credit, for which they will be getting the interest (times millions), nice work if you can get it!

dogshome

Hi paulh2008 - I'm afraid that BG like most of the Big6 suppliers are scewing the D/Debit system by trying to enfoce a zero balance at the end of winter

12 monthly D/D's should equal the total your annual fuel costs at annual anniversary of your starting to pay by D/D - Now for those customers who started D/D's in March, this should be the case, but by the law of averages 91% of customers will have started at some other time and it these customers who are hit with a bill in April, who then also hand over lovely free money to their supplier in Summer.

If you are cross enough you can fight it - Look at your bills for the last year, add up the consumption, apply it to the tariff you are on and work out the D/D level to pay it
Send the figures to BG in WRITING saying your figure is what your D/D's should be set at, and if they disagree, they should send you thier figures in writing.

paulh2008

I emailed them my own DD estimate based on their annual charges figures, and politely asked for information on paying for actual consumption if they couldn't agree to that i.e. they would lose the benefit of me being hundreds of pounds in credit over summer, and surprise surprise they have backed down and cancelled this latest increase.

Gerrard_8_lfc

dogshome wrote: »

Hi paulh2008 - I'm afraid that BG like most of the Big6 suppliers are scewing the D/Debit system by trying to enfoce a zero balance at the end of winter
.

Which should be the case.

All suppliers should have had payment for energy used imo. People would complain if they had to pay in advance.

All suppliers give time for payments and are flexible which really they don't have to be.

A zero balance coming into summer is a fair thing to ask for by all suppliers they do not have to give you credit but they do.

Cardew

dogshome wrote: »

Hi paulh2008 - I'm afraid that BG like most of the Big6 suppliers are scewing the D/Debit system by trying to enfoce a zero balance at the end of winter

12 monthly D/D's should equal the total your annual fuel costs at annual anniversary of your starting to pay by D/D - Now for those customers who started D/D's in March, this should be the case, but by the law of averages 91% of customers will have started at some other time and it these customers who are hit with a bill in April, who then also hand over lovely free money to their supplier in Summer.

If you are cross enough you can fight it - Look at your bills for the last year, add up the consumption, apply it to the tariff you are on and work out the D/D level to pay it
Send the figures to BG in WRITING saying your figure is what your D/D's should be set at, and if they disagree, they should send you thier figures in writing.

If a customer wishes they can have quarterly bills and get 3+ months free credit.

Of course they lose the DD discount which dwarfs any interest they might lose by their account actually going in credit.

There are far more complaints on MSE(for all companies) about the DD being set too low and large debit balances build up, than the other way around.

SwanJon

I've not worked with DDs for a while, so if another employee want to correct me, so be it, but I don't think BG have set the same month for everyone's review - mine is in November for example.
As to why they only take into account 11 payments it's usually because by the time they change it you have already made one payment at the old amount. Still doesn't make sense to me though.
Keep giving them readings to make sure that their estimates are as accurate as possible.