BG increasing direct debit but in credit

knellerhall

Just got latest bill from BG and they are putting up my DD. Nothing strange in that - they will be doing to that everyone I guess. Thing is I reckon it's very cynical.
I am a dual fuel on line account customer. I pay £27 a month for gas and they now want £45 - thats plus 75% To make matters worse I am £135 in credit! I had the same episode with them last year - what a pain to get it reduced initially, then 6 months later they reduced it to the £27.
So here I go again.
Oh - I'm in credit with the leccy as well but they've only put that up by £3.00
I think they are taking the you-know-what

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

There have been lots of similar posts making the same point as you with all the companies.

The computer algorithm is written so that you should not be in debit or credit by the Spring.

In your case it presumably 'thinks' that £135 credit at the end of the summer is not enough; especially with the large increase in prices just announced.

It is ironic that a couple of years ago this forum was full of posts from people complaining that their Utility company had allowed them to run up a large Debit balance because they hadn't upped their DD sufficiently. The theory was that the companies did this deliberately because with a large debit balance you couldn't switch companies; so customers wishing to switch couldn't do so without stumping up the full amount owing.

knellerhall

Following your reasoning then it thinks my next 2 bills are going to be £405 in total (£45 x 6 + £135), they had better think again!

Is it just coincidence that £45 is a third of £135?

Anyway they are going to get an irate (but polite) phone call later.

Cardew

knellerhall wrote: »

Following your reasoning then it thinks

Not my reasoning! - I didn't write the algorithm;)

Albeit a total of £405 for two winter quarters(£200 each) is possibly about average.

soothyerboots

knellerhall wrote: »

Following your reasoning then it thinks my next 2 bills are going to be £405 in total (£45 x 6 + £135), they had better think again!

Is it just coincidence that £45 is a third of £135?

Anyway they are going to get an irate (but polite) phone call later.

Instead of planning on being 'irate' later, why don't you first start by calling up calmly and nicely - you will probably find that whoever you speak to is more willing to help you if you are 'nice' than if you phone up and start being agressive straight away... Just a point :up:

knellerhall

I was polite and you were right - reduced to £30.00 !!!

Reason - the amount in credit was not taken into account

Thanks soothyerboots