BG Direct Debit Warning to all

ncarnall

Hi, This is my first post here so please excuse me if you already know about this.

British Gas has just informed me of a change they made a few days ago to the way in which they manage the 12 month direct debit plans. Instead of the usual revue each 12 monthy period, they are now going to do this every 3 months. Therefore you'll be paying more during the winter than the summer! Wasn't this the reason for the plan in the first place i.e. to spead the cost of winter over the whole year!

I received a bill dated 22 Feb that said after a recent revue my payments would stay the same (even though it said I was £296 in debit) at £40 per month. Then a two days ago I received a letter saying the after a recent revue my payments would increase to £114 per month. The was accompanied by a leaflet explaining how the work out the monthly amounts for any under-payment over a twelve month period.

Well I just got off the phone to them and feel completely hacked off. They say that the computer has worked it out and they cannot change it. I have calculated that the payment that I need to make should be no more than £90 per month over the year, but they will not have it.
I have explained that we are on an IVA and are living to a very tight budget and that we can NOT mafford this level of month increase.

Their only offer was for me to have a pre-payment meter and that this would be set up to collect the underpayment over a similar period.

My issues here are not one of disuted bill but concern that everyone else is going to be affected the same way. How will all the pensioners manage through the winter?


Sorry for the Rant !

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

I have spoken to BG and I think you may have misunderstood what is happening to their system for the majority of customers*.

If you look through this forum there are scores of posts complaining that their accounts are massively in debit, and, less often in credit.(this is not just BG but all Utility companies)

This is usually because of estimated meter readings and sometimes 2 or more prices rises in the 12 month period. With a review every 12 months this potential credit/debit balance situation is not picked up.

By the computer reviewing your account every 3 months it will detect if it is predicted that you are running into a debit/credit situation and adjust your DD to stop this happening. It does not mean that your payments will increase in the winter as you suggest. That would defeat the object of the DD system for BG and the customer.

It is pertinent to point out that for the last several years there have always been price rises, which inevitably contribute to a debit balance. Now we have entered a price cut era, without a review, many more customers would have a credit balance. So this step should see DDs being reduced.

* For those like yourself who have a large debit balance, then they are taking steps to recover the debt and that will lead to higher payments until the debt is cleared.

Stormy

Its a pity it doesnt work both ways, BG seem very reluctant to lower my DD even though I have prooven with detailed caculations that I am paying too much. My account is currently (~£135) in credit after a bill at the beginning of february, I am only taking Electricity from BG.

It looks like for now this credit will just keep growing and growing until prices go up again....

In the last quarter my DDs totalled £66 yet I only used £45 worth of Electricity.



Mike

Cardew

Stormy wrote:

Its a pity it doesnt work both ways, BG seem very reluctant to lower my DD
Mike

The whole point of reviewing more often is that it will enable them to lower or raise a DD if the forecast indicates you will over or underpay.

space_rider

Stormy, at the end of the day that is your money and they cant refuse to give you back your money. I would give them an up to date meter reading and then ask them to refund the credit to you.

Kantankrus_Mare

They DO give you the money back.

I got a refund for my electric being in credit early february which seems rediculous when my gas account with them is pretty much the same amount in debit and they could have just kept the money and lowered my direct debits perhaps. Too easy though that!!!

Stormy

space_rider wrote:

Stormy, at the end of the day that is your money and they cant refuse to give you back your money. I would give them an up to date meter reading and then ask them to refund the credit to you.

I give them upto date meter readings each month. I am going to call them again today I think. With it being on Click Energy its easy to keep updated.

Cardew wrote:

The whole point of reviewing more often is that it will enable them to lower or raise a DD if the forecast indicates you will over or underpay.

This is it though, I have been in credit for just short of a year now, they constantly TRY and RAISE(*) my DD every 2 months, yet they seem more than reluctant to LOWER it. Maybe their system only deals with raising the DD levels.

(*)I have contacted them 3 times in the last year to ask them to lower my DD back down when their system has mysteriously upped it for no reason.

Cheers,

Mike

Cardew

Stormy wrote:

I give them upto date meter readings each month. I am going to call them again today I think. With it being on Click Energy its easy to keep updated.



This is it though, I have been in credit for just short of a year now, they constantly TRY and RAISE(*) my DD every 2 months, yet they seem more than reluctant to LOWER it. Maybe their system only deals with raising the DD levels.

(*)I have contacted them 3 times in the last year to ask them to lower my DD back down when their system has mysteriously upped it for no reason

Cheers,

Mike

Why keep phoning? Why not write?

The operators on the end of the phone line will not investigate any 'unusual' problem with your account; they have to deal quickly with customers.

If you write you will get a answer(eventually) and if they don't reply you have some proof to send to Energywatch.

moofo

I once got a refund of £378.00 that I was in credit for.
Its shocking that they are allowed to do this and use your money to gain interest in their accounts.

tripled

Stormy wrote:

I have contacted them 3 times in the last year to ask them to lower my DD back down when their system has mysteriously upped it for no reason.

It'd not that mysterious - if the computer thinks you should be paying more, even if it's wrong, every time you cut your payment it's going to put it back again next time it reasesses.

Stormy

tripled wrote: »

It'd not that mysterious - if the computer thinks you should be paying more, even if it's wrong, every time you cut your payment it's going to put it back again next time it reasesses.

Me thinks they need to reprogram it then, as I fail to see how when I am already paying more than enough to cover my usage it thinks it should be upping it.

Saying that for the past 3 months they have not raised it. So maybe the computer has said "yes" for once..