British Gas - Advance Payment coming to end end ??

Funkyfreddy

Although they don't appear to have been promoted as an option for recent WebSaver Tariffs the option to pay for Gas in (yearly) advance has remained. It's usually been a worthwhile discount over monthly DD rates.

As our current Websaver Tariff expires at the end of the month I choose to change to the current Websaver 8 Tariff - still on Advance Payment. No apparent problems and the details showed instantly on my BG online account.

Later that day we received a phone call from BG saying that Advance Payment was being stopped - I doubt the call was connected with my earlier arrangements as the agent was not aware we had changed to a new Tariff but keen to inform me that as Advance Payment was being stopped at the end of the month just at the same time as our existing WB tariff ended !

I suggested I'd wait to for something in writing.

Just wondering if anybody else in a similar situation has received such news or perhaps anybody with inside BG knowledge could confirm ?

I'm wondering if it was nothing more than a coincidental sales call with somebody wanting to rack up a new Monthly DD sale to their target ?

Thanks in advance.

FF

krypto123

Very few people opt to pay their bills in this way which is why they are taking the method away.

Your rates will increase if you go on to the monthly direct debit but i am assuming this will be counter acted by a direct debit discount???

Funkyfreddy

krypto123 wrote: »

Very few people opt to pay their bills in this way which is why they are taking the method away.

Yep, it seems to be case that from August both Advance Payment and Standing Orders are to be removed as a payment option.

Nothing in writing has been received here though.

From what I could make out off the Online team at BG though the internal e-mail that was sent around of these changes suggested that Advance Payment option is being withdrawn for New Customers - it wasn't clear from the quote read out to me as to where existing customers stood !

Both the two ladies I spoke to recently, whilst being aware that Advance Payment was an option in the past were not initially aware it was available on Websavers - on my most recent case she was adamant it was not compatable with WS. I left it at that despite the fact my I have had an Advance Payment Rate on WS3 since early '09 !

krypto123 wrote: »

Your rates will increase if you go on to the monthly direct debit but i am assuming this will be counter acted by a direct debit discount???

Admittedly the difference isn't quite as great as it was, and arguably not worth too much worrying about as using my last two bills for useage calculations (which would include the main 09/10 Winter months) I would save around £3/£4 each bill on WS8 Advance Payment against WS8 Direct Debit including the DD discount to a maximum of £5.47/mth.



FF