British Gas claim I owe them £487

woakesd

This whole changing energy suplier malarkey falls down so easily under the weight of the beaurocracy created to maintain it.

I got a letter this morning from a debt collection agency who want me to pay money British Gas claim I owe them. I phoned British Gas as you do, and told them I changed supplier last year to Scottish Hydro. They checked their records and looked me up on some system and said no, they were the suppliers for my address and gave me a meter serial number. I also point out they haven't been sending me bills since the previous year either. I go look at the meter and it doesn't have that serial number. Hmm. I go back to the phone but the nice BG man has gone away. Suprise, suprise.

I make a note of the actual serial number and phone transco to see what they think. After some hassle where she cannot find the serial number from the front of the meter, I give her my Meter Point reference (obtained from Scottish Hydro) and she tells me my address (which is also wrong, joy!). I give her the actual meter serial number and the one BG told me was mine and she couldn't find either.

Oh and she thinks my supplier is someone else (Severn Trent I think).

All of which stops me working and is probably going to cost more than I will ever save by changing suppliers.

David

PS If anyone know a really good point of contact to sort this out I would be eternally grateful to hear it.

Froglet

Hi David.What a mess!! I bet there is steam coming out of your ears.:mad:

https://www.energywatch.org.uk are there for this very cause.I am sure they will be able to advise you.

woakesd

I have just spent two hours to find out that the whole thing is a cockup. It's about a electricity supply to another flat in my tenament. Yes the debt collection agency letter is addressed to my flat.

I've spent two hours chasing nothing.

What a load of ....

But energywatch were helpful (thought could do little because I hadn't at that point fully discussed it with BG). They did give me a good number for Scottish Gas and that's when the matter was resolved. They wont however compensate me for two lost hours. It's not just coming out of my ears I can tell you!

David