Paying a British Gas 'Occupier' account

-monky-

When I moved house a few months ago I did an online energy comparison soon after and switched from the existing supplier (BG) to nPower. BG keep sending me mail saying they want my details, and I keep ignoring these letters because I don't see any reason why they should have my details - I don't want to be their customer.

[aside: I have had a bad experience with them in the past when I moved to a house where they were supplying the gas, and after taking details they then 'acquired' the electricity account without any authorisation :mad: (it was extremely difficult [and unnecessarily stressful] to get this reversed, as there was some rule about minimum length of time with supplier etc). I know this is unlikely to happen again, but (1) I dont need the hassle or risk of it (or following it up) and (2) I don't want to go with BG ever again on principle.]

Since I don't want anything to do with BG, and I don't even want them to have my details on their database, I don't want to give them my name. However, they have recently sent me a 'final bill' for the short period between moving in and when nPower took over the supply, and the final reading is estimated (and is incorrect by a significant amount). I went onto house.co.uk the other day to submit a revised reading and today I got an email saying they need my details before they can send me a revised bill because it is currently an 'Occupier' account (ie 'To the Occupier').

Does anybody know if I am under any obligation to provide them with my personal details? All I want to do is pay the final bill (obviously a correct bill, not an overestimated one) and close the account. I don't want them to have any of my details on file - I didn't choose to be their customer after all, they simply assumed the account off the back of the last occupier.

Any advice would be much appreciated. thanks.

tripled

Legally you are obliged to pay the existing provider until the transfer goes through, even if you did not agree a contract with them and whether you agree to it or not. Regarding not having the correct reading, did you give Npower a reading on the changeover date? If not, that is why you have an estimate. If you did give Npower a reading, did they pass it on to BG? If either of the above are the case, then you would contact nPower to have the reading amended anyway not BG. However if BG did get the final reading and have rejected or ognored it you would need to sort it out with them directly, and without knowing who they're dealing with they won't sort it out I'm afraid.

kat21

I would have thought, they meant occupier as in Landlord? if you have proof of the day in which you moved into the property and you have proof that it correlates with your new supplier then I wouldnt worry as its the previous tenant or landlords problem, that is provided you can prove the date of moving in! seek advice from citizens advice or energy watch.
kat21

magyar

If I've got the point correct, then you don't dispute the bill - you just don't want to give them your name. I have to say that whilst I agree in principle with your stand (what right do they have etc....) it really is a small point here - they can't legally DO anything with your name. You may have had a bad experience in the past, but it's unusual.

And out of interest, how do you intend paying them? Cash? If you use cheque or credit card, then they get your name. Even a bank transfer comes with some personal details.

-monky-

tripled wrote:

Regarding not having the correct reading, did you give Npower a reading on the changeover date?

Yes, and they opened the a/c correctly.

tripled wrote:

If you did give Npower a reading, did they pass it on to BG?

hmm not sure about this one. I don't know.

kat21 wrote:

I would have thought, they meant occupier as in Landlord? if you have proof of the day in which you moved into the property and you have proof that it correlates with your new supplier then I wouldnt worry as its the previous tenant or landlords problem, that is provided you can prove the date of moving in! seek advice from citizens advice or energy watch.
kat21

...unfotunately I *bought* the house :rolleyes:

magyar wrote:

If I've got the point correct, then you don't dispute the bill - you just don't want to give them your name.

I don't dispute a bill, I just dispute this one - its estimated incorrectly. And I resent having to effectively open an account with them before they will give me a correct bill and take payment from me.

magyar wrote:

I have to say that whilst I agree in principle with your stand (what right do they have etc....) it really is a small point here - they can't legally DO anything with your name.

unfortunately when you give them your name under these circumstances, they apply it to the account in question. by doing so you accept their t&c etc and end up on their database/mailing list/previous customer list/etc. I don't want any of that. I agree they can't pass it on to anyone (ie DO anything with it) but they can use it themselves and mail me junk, try and get me to return to BG, etc. I could do without that.

magyar wrote:

You may have had a bad experience in the past, but it's unusual.

hmm I take your point, but I disagree that it's unusual. Take a quick scan down this forum - it's littered with BG incompetence threads (ok, it's not always BG). And a lot of them are current threads, not old ones!

magyar wrote:

And out of interest, how do you intend paying them? Cash? If you use cheque or credit card, then they get your name. Even a bank transfer comes with some personal details.

true but again, if they get a name via this means they can't assume it's the a/c holder who is paying the account. I mean, that is a logical assumption, but they cannot legally make it. They cannot tie a cheque from 'Mr A. Person' to an 'Occupier account' at Some Address. 'Mr A. Person' may not live there at all. However, if I give them my details over the phone, I become their customer on record. Ie I confirm that "I live at the address and I am the account holder."

Anyway, if I was being pedantic, there's always a postal order...

roger56

From the day you move in, gas and elec is owed to the previous owners supplier unless you have arranged prior to your move for transfer to occur on the move date. It is a pain and I had exactly the same issue 4 years ago with BG. The problem with BG is they tend not to listen to facts - I found even letters went missing. I resolved the matter ultimately with a Subject Access Request - that got their attention and resolved the matter.
http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/practical_application/subject_access_-_guide_for_data_subjects.pdf

However, first check the dates on your NP billing and the readings. If they tie in with your move date, copy it to BG with a covering letter and really it doesn't matter about giving your name, after all you do want to resolve this with minimal stress.
You should also have some proof of the meter readings when you moved in - this is normal whether you buy the property, or move in as a tenant. Refer to these in your letter to BG as proof of erroneous readings.

Hope that helps


Incidently, the data protection act allows for you to stop BG automatically processing data about you. You can also require them to not send junk mail.
These can be part of the Subject Access Request.

magyar

Monky - I totally take your point about not linking the person who made the payment to the account, and you're quite right.