British Gas Prepayment Nightmare

jelliedeel

Unfortunately I am moving into a rented property that has a BG prepayment meter and a normal electric meter. Anyway I rang BG to arrange to get a new smartcard by the time I move in 18/04/2011 this was the 12/04/2011. Rang today just to double check all was well and found out that BG hasn't even done anything so I am still 3-5 days away from getting a new card, but they say I can use the old card why would I do that it is someone elses account.


Further to this the meter display says about emergency credit and a small sum owing but it also says 'closed' prepayment department can't help me about this because they don't know what a closed errror means, does it mean anything. It seems I can't go through the meter to read any details do I have a problem will I need an engineer.

So didn't want this to happen typical of BG I am on my own with a small child how will I manage till I get a new card and what if the meter is 'closed'. Anyone help please?

SwanJon

I work in that department for British Gas, so may be able to offer some generic advice.
There is nothing wrong with using the previous tenant's card - so long as the meter isn't recovering a debt. All payments get sent to the open account.
When did you become responsible for the property? For example, the lease may start 11/04, and you move in 18/04 - your accout should open from 11/04.
If you do need a new card, they are sent 1st class post.

I've never heard of 'closed' being on a meter screen. The best idea is to give them a call from in front of the meter and talk through the screens with them (0800 048 0303/0330 100 0303). You'll need to be a bit more specific as there are a couple of different messages about emergency credit, and they mean different things.

You can find out a fair bit about the setting on the meter yourself.
If the meter screen is on, and with the card out, pressing the red button A will take you to a screen that says OWED - ideally this will be £0.00. From here pressing it again will either take you back, or onto a screen that says METER INDEX (the reading). Take a note of both these screens (if you have them both).

Once back on the FOR GAS screen, press and hold the red button until the screen changes (let go). It will now have a number in the corner of the screen - either 00 for older models or 27 for newer ones. (the order is different on the newer modiels but the numbers always mean the same thing). Pressing the red button will now scroll through these numbered screens. The important ones are 27, 26, 25, 31, 30, 29, 00, 01, 02, 03, 09 & 10. (the older meter will ask for the card to be put in for the higher screens)
If you can't call from the meter make a note of all these screens before you call - it'll help the agent decide what the next step needs to be.

(Whoops, just saw 'it seems you can't go through the screens' - why can't you? It's important that you are able to do this to help understand what the meter is doing. I'll leave what I've typed anyway, just in case)

mattcanary

I'd have thought British gas should be coming out pronto to deal with the closed message on the screen if you can;t access the information from your meter

jelliedeel

Thanks for the messages the problem is I have very limited access to the property until 18/04/11. My LL is a really busy man and isn't always available to help. The thing is when I rang BG they said the account was in the name of my LL not the previous tenant so I don't know if he may have closed the account down and no sorry i didn't ask him that.

All I recall from looking at the meter is the 'closed' message on the right hand corner of the screen, I tried to enter the card to scroll through the screens but it kept taking me back to the first screen showing balance and a message about emergency credit, distinctly remember the word closed. I have used pp's before and this one just didn't seem to do anything at all.

Could it be that the meter needs topping up and won't perform as it where until I do that. And yes I should have had an account open on the 12/04/11 but useless BG didn't do anything not even log the call knew I would have problems thanks BG for nothing and the other joy is the are suppose to be the suppliers for electric too, oh happy days.

SwanJon

OK, next steps.
get the keys - if your lease has started you should be given them! Then call on one of the above numbers either from the meter, or with all the above info (open 24 hours each day).
While they may not be able to reprogram the meter remotely they can ensure that you get all the gas you pay for whichever card you use (although it may take a day or 3 to get the meter to understand this).

Sounds like you're on the ball enough to get through this - just don't let them off the hook.

eurmalian

jelliedeel wrote: »

All I recall from looking at the meter is the 'closed' message on the right hand corner of the screen, I tried to enter the card to scroll through the screens but it kept taking me back to the first screen showing balance and a message about emergency credit, distinctly remember the word closed. I have used pp's before and this one just didn't seem to do anything at all.

The problem here is that there are only a very limited number of messages that standard gas prepayment meters can come up with and 'closed' is not one of them. Unfortunately I think that the error must either be more than just that or you may be mis-remembering it. Either that or there is an unusual make of meter there rather than a normal prepayment one. Until they know the actual error then they can't tell if an engineer is needed, a new card would sort it or just a couple of buttons on the meter need pressed...

As for the meter constantly flipping back to the front screen, they're designed to do that. If you're scrolling through the information screens then stop, after a few seconds it will switch back to displaying the balance automatically.

I'd definitely second SwanJons suggestion of call in when you can actually be at the meter, or, if you can't do that, take a note of everything that shows on the front screen of it as that should be most of the necessary information.