British Gas Direct Debit Increase Warning

November2

Hi, just a warning, British Gas are increasing Direct Debits this month. I'm cancelling mine as it's gone up by £10 a month even though I'm in credit! Had a big argument with them last year over the same thing (I was in credit then too) they insisted they couldn't change it back to the rate I had been on because it was on the computer and couldn't manually be changed!! Eventually they did reduce it but it took a lot of arguing. Please check your new rates as they automatically alter the amount taken.

kevsan

I've just had exactly the same thing with EON...

am in credit, to the tune of £27 which they are refunding, and despite prices going down from march (according to my bill) are raising my DD from £54 to £83...

I think a phone call is coming on...

kevsan

Spoke to a very nice lady called Abbie, who agreed to leave it at current rate and set to review in September.

Easy.

CharlieBilly

Mine hasnt gone up yet and slightly in debt due to horrible Winter, I assume its because of this.

SwanJon

November2 wrote: »

Hi, just a warning, British Gas are increasing Direct Debits this month. I'm cancelling mine

AFAIK British Gas review your DD on your plan anniversary, so roughly 1/12 will be reviewed every month (and another 1/12 will have their half-year review).

You should always be able to argue against any changes with accurate reads. To give the system a hand give them regular readings (easy to do online)

If you cancel your DD you will lose your discount, so do the maths before you make a final decision.

forgotmyname

What a suprise, One of the reasons I left them, The computer knows best.

Well is needs new batteries or winding up, My electric was around the £100 a quarter
when i 1st started paying by direct debit. Yet they sent me DD forms for less than £30
a month, I phoned them to explain but their computer knows best.
I left it & the DD went up and down like a yo-yo.
When i finished work & money got tight i could no longer afford their nonsense. I phoned
them after they took £78 instead of £35 without notifying me. To be told i could goto my
bank and claim it back. SO i need to waste my time & money to claim my money back you
wrongly took?

We were £100 or so in arrears which had accumulated over 14 or 15 months, And the next DD
was taken a couple of days after the bill date so the arrears was even less than that.

They refused to lower the DD until i gave up and told them to cancel the direct debit and send me a bill.
They didnt like that idea & miracles happened they changed the DD to £55 which was still too much but
better than £78.
Within 6 months i was again in credit, enough for my final bill to be less than £20, I went with EDF through sainsburys
and get an 0800 number and so far seem good, Except they kept emailing me on an old address.

BG couldnt even get my final bill right, Got a bill for almost £70 when i checked it i spotted the readings were estimated and
not the figures i had supplied them.

They keep phoning asking me to return with special offers, Seems they have not changed.

Joyful

Your old supplier bills you to readings sent from your new supplier, not the other way around.

forgotmyname

Joyful wrote: »

Your old supplier bills you to readings sent from your new supplier, not the other way around.

???

Not british gas, Despite having the meter readings they send a bill based on estimated readings. Seriously over estimated as well.


Just spotted you work for them, proves my point even more. Don't listen.

Cardew

forgotmyname wrote: »

BG couldnt even get my final bill right, Got a bill for almost £70 when i checked it i spotted the readings were estimated and
not the figures i had supplied them.

The point Joyful was making is that the figures BG(and any losing company) use for the final bill is that supplied by the new supplier(EDF in your case) i.e. when switching you give your final figures to the new company.

I am moving from BG at the moment and the new company have had my final readings not BG.

However some people on here have stated they 'adjust' those final readings to ensure that they pay the old company for less kWh(at a higher cost per kWh) and more to the new company(at a lower cost)

Perhaps that is what BG and EDF had jointly agreed was what had happened(not making an accusation!). All companies use a computer that estimates consumption and will use that if the figures given are wildly out from that estimate.

forgotmyname

I was on the phone to BG whilst actually in front of the meter and gave EDF the same reading.

Still doesnt explain why i got an estimated bill.

I can see the reason for checking the reading, I could have said it was 1 unit more than the previous bill.
And paid EDF instead on a cheaper rate.

Why the estimated bill??? EDF would have given them the same reading.

Anyway EDF work for me, No problem except they didnt update my new email address fully so some
emails were still sent to my old one. Luckily i still had access to it. Only meter reading reminders which
i knew about anyway from the online access.

I love to talk to the BG sales people when i explain why i wont return back to them at ANY PRICE.