Extremely worried about British Gas problem (no money taken from account in a year!)

Coakley

I have all my bills, rent and utilities set up to go out as a direct debit after the 1st of the month and have never had a single issue in years.

Anyway....

An investigations company has written a letter addressed to the occupier of the flat asking who lives there and saying it is on behalf of their client British Gas.

I've double checked my online banking and have realised that no money has been going out to pay for my gas bill....for a YEAR.

I know that sounds a bit funny, but genuinely I believed I had a direct debit set up with British Gas and I did not feel need to check on it, after an initial payment had gone out, after I set up the debit.

I have been sick with anxiety about this and phoned British Gas to resolve the matter and ask how much damage....half expecting to be taken to court for fuel theft.

I give them my account number (the one THEY sent me originally welcoming me as a customer) and address (again the address i've always had and that THEY have written to me on).

It turns out they seems to be under the impression I live at two completely different addressess in the block, numbers 7 and 9. I've never lived there and my address has always been 9!

So they tell me not to worry about those addresses as any account on them is inactive anyway.

I say "Well nevertheless I still owe you for about a years worth of gas and frankly i'm really anxious about it and how i'm going to pay you, as I had it in my mind that this was all being handled by direct debit".

It's now been left unresolved as i'm in London and can't access the serial number for the gas metre. I think theres a problem with them having the wrong serial number or something.

I'm dreading getting this resolved to be honest as the bill is going to be unreal. A few mates have said "Well if they insist your account is inactive then dobn't pay them! Their mistake and loss".

I just can't do that i'm too honest.

Anyone been in this situation?

Cardew

It seems that the fault is down to BG, but even so they can back-bill you for 12 months.

However they will have to give you a year to pay off the arrears. Where they are at fault BG often will reduce the bill by 10% or so as a gesture of goodwill.

If you can pay off the whole bill as a lump sum, they might even reduce it more.

spiro

There is another lesson to learn from this - Make sure you DD payments are being taken, failure to do so is not in your favour when things like this happen.
Did you not query why you had not received a bill?

jalexa

Coakley wrote: »

I'm dreading getting this resolved to be honest as the bill is going to be unreal. A few mates have said "Well if they insist your account is inactive then dobn't pay them! Their mistake and loss".

You would be stupid, not dishonest, to listen to that advice.

Now that you "know" it is up to you to engage with your supplier in relation to the account admin. Keep meticulous records of every contact and make sure the Adviser repeats back to your satisfaction the main elements of the call. Then it is up to British Gas to propose a remedy, in writing to the correct address. Then it is up to you to consider whether the remedy is reasonable.

It has not been "clever" not to realise you were not paying, but the supplier (and the industry) has specific responsibility to maintain and use accurate records seperate from any personal responsibility you have to be more alert.

DVardysShadow

Coakley wrote: »

It's now been left unresolved as i'm in London and can't access the serial number for the gas metre. I think theres a problem with them having the wrong serial number or something.

Always make sure you have access to your meter. Kick up a hell of a fuss if necessary until you get it.

As for the current situation, write a letter - don't phone or text - outlining thta you have not had a bill and would like the situation resolved. Keep a copy - it may help later to show that you have tried to resolve the situation.

londonTiger

Sorry, i have a hard time accepting your story, you went on for a year without checking your dd payments, if not just to check that they were taking the right amount?

Well you should have known better and checked the aounts from time to time. Since theyve passed on the bill to a third party who undoubtedlyndoesnt give a toss about customer service, they'll try and get their money asap and slap on fees.

Maybe if the arrears were still with british gas you could have got a repayment plan to pay back the debt in installments without interest

undaunted

I wouldn't worry about being taken to court as long as you acknowledge the debt and make reasonable efforts to repay it at whatever rate you agree between you (as already suggested this would probably be the time it accrued over if you don't still have the untaken DD money & can't clear it in a lump sum).

I also agree that any contact should be made (or confirmed) in writing rather than relying on the phones in case you do need a record of events & actions you took to resolve the matter in the future.

I read your comment in London differently - as in that you were away from home at present - so if this is the case & you will be away for any length of time / the meter is accessible without you being home I suggest that you ask them to send their meter reader around & check the serial numbers for themselves rather than leave it unresolved. If they then don't do so that's upto them but they could hardly complain if the issue remained outstanding having done so.