BG Direct debits

Kybosh

After taking several weeks to pluck up the courage to change my gas supplier, I thought I would firstly take a look at my last bill to see if I was in credit or debit. After close inspection I noticed that my monthly direct debit is taken out of my account on the 1st of the month but does not get credited to my gas account until 27-28 of the month. This means that BG has my money in their account for approx 19 working days every month aquiring interest. If this is happening to all their direct debit customers they must be making a nice sum in interest during this period.
On the other hand my Southern Electric direct debit is taken out of my bank account on the 28th and credited to my electricity account the next day.
Is this common practice for BG and is it legal???

Cardew

Are you sure you are not a month out?

i.e. the payment they credit to your account on, say, 27/28th of the month appears on on your statement on 1st of next month?

I have just checked mine(I have 4 accounts with BG) and all are credited to my account and appear on my bank statement normally 2 or 3 days later.

Kybosh

I suppose that is possible, it is difficult to tell as all my payments are the same amount. I will check with them when I change supplier.

Thanks for your response

Cardew

Another point on this.

Your BG electricity/gas account does not earn any interest.

So what pecuniary advantage is it to BG(or disadvantage to you) even if BG credited all 3 month's payments to your account on the last day of the quarter.

As long as they don't take your payments before the date they state they will, it simply doesn't matter when the credits appears on your account.