gas meter

hilla_2

Hi My 20 year old daughter is on IS and child tax credits and CB. She has 2 children and about a year ago her partner left her. He was a lazy so and so who didn't want to work but just spent all day smoking pot. There were constant rows. We all breathed a sigh of relief when he actually went. However he left her in quite a bit of debt.

I'm pretty savy with money and persuaded her to let me take control of her accounts. She didn't have a computer at the time and couldn't do internet banking etc. The agreement was that I would manage her accounts and just tell her each day/week how much money she could draw out of the account.

A year on and she is out of debt (paid off her TV, Creditcard, provident loan) and has 2 savings account (one for Christmas, another for rainy day money.

I have also moved her water rates to a meter and moved her electricty to a DD from a prepayment meter and am trying to get her gas meter moved to DD too. But here's the problem.

She is with British Gas for both electricity and gas. When I asked them to swap to a DD they said that they would have to do a credit check first. She passed this with flying colours. They came and did a survey and then arranged to come and change the meters.

We were notified that the electricity meter had changed and I set up a DD for that. When I asked about the gas meter I have been told on 4 if not 5 occassions that they cannot set up a DD as the prepayment meter has yet to be changed to an ordinary meter. That's very strange as she has been using gas now for about 4 months and she hasn't put any money in the meter. I have rung on 4 maybe 5 separate occassions to let them know that they have changed the meter. Each person tells me they will sort it and ring me back but they don't. What should I do? Just say nothing ( if they can't get it right after 5 times of being told) or do you think this will catch up with her and one day she will have a big bill? I am putting away £25 a month in a separate account just in case they demand a big amount one day. Any chance of free gas for life do you think?

spiro

I would phone them up and get the email address of the person who speak to. Then photograph the new meter and also the exchange card that is attached which gives the date of exchange, final readings from old meter etc and email this information to them. Also while you are on the phone give them the install reading from the new credit meter and the current reading. They should be able to tell you how much you currently owe. Make it very clear to them that you have take time to clear you debts and the last thing you want to do is incur another debt because of their inaction.

If this gets you knowhere write a letter to the Complaints Department.

hilla_2

spiro wrote: »

I would phone them up and get the email address of the person who speak to. Then photograph the new meter and also the exchange card that is attached which gives the date of exchange, final readings from old meter etc and email this information to them. Also while you are on the phone give them the install reading from the new credit meter and the current reading. They should be able to tell you how much you currently owe. Make it very clear to them that you have take time to clear you debts and the last thing you want to do is incur another debt because of their inaction.

If this gets you knowhere write a letter to the Complaints Department.

So you don't think she will get free gas for life then? It will catch up with her eventually

Andy_WSM

hilla wrote: »

So you don't think she will get free gas for life then? It will catch up with her eventually

Of course it will catch up with her - even years after she has moved out of her current place, but it WILL catch up with her.

I've read stories on here of people getting "final bills" for hundreds of £s several years after leaving a property. British Gas are perfectly entitled to do this - it's unprofessional and incompetent yes, but that's often how these big companies operate!

p.s. No such things as "Free Gas" - If she doesn't pay for it, then everyone else that is a BG customer on this forum will be paying a bit towards it - not sure some of the fuel savvy would appreciate paying towards your daughters bill too

hilla_2

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Of course it will catch up with her - even years after she has moved out of her current place, but it WILL catch up with her.

I've read stories on here of people getting "final bills" for hundreds of £s several years after leaving a property. British Gas are perfectly entitled to do this - it's unprofessional and incompetent yes, but that's often how these big companies operate!

p.s. No such things as "Free Gas" - If she doesn't pay for it, then everyone else that is a BG customer on this forum will be paying a bit towards it - not sure some of the fuel savvy would appreciate paying towards your daughters bill too

Fair point. I'll give them another ring today