British Gas Woes

Katie1980_2

I have been a long term customer with BG have opted for Fuel Direct in the past when lived at previous property
Cutting to the chase I moved house in Feb and there was a prepay meter in the property which BG changed to a credit meter but for 3 months despite me taking monthly readings and calling and emailing and writing they refused to acknowledge this and without such information I could not set up a direct debit, Cue 14th Aug I had an estimated bill of £400!! with grossly exaggerated meter readings so inputted new readings in and bill reduced but not without BG calling me accusing me of lying about the readings and saying my direct debit as I did not want fuel direct would be £179 a month the new revised bill was £214.00 or I had to have a pre pay meter fitted or go back on fuel Direct at a cost of £35 a week!! I live in the middle of nowhere with a crap internet connection so prepay not an option so I was forced into taking fuel direct.
I am not in a position to have over half my benefits taken at that rate I only get £97 a fortnight.
I have tried to speak to people but either get passed to the wrong department or I cannot understand them. I did speak to one person as she rang me and tried to chase the bill and realised there was an error but could not sort it and would get someone to call me back call never materialised

Help as I am going to be left in extreme sh*t if this fuel direct goes through when I know that there are other options but BG seem to be script reading or certain call centres do

macman

But if you have paid nothing for 3 months then your DD would initially have to be much higher to pay the arrears, once that's recovered it should reduce.
Surely you put money aside during the 3 months it took to set up the DD, since you knew a bill would be due-or you could just have made direct payments to the account in the meantime?

Wywth

Katie1980 wrote: »

I have been a long term customer with BG have opted for Fuel Direct in the past when lived at previous property
Cutting to the chase I moved house in Feb and there was a prepay meter in the property which BG changed to a credit meter but for 3 months despite me taking monthly readings and calling and emailing and writing they refused to acknowledge this and without such information I could not set up a direct debit, Cue 14th Aug I had an estimated bill of £400!! with grossly exaggerated meter readings so inputted new readings in and bill reduced but not without BG calling me accusing me of lying about the readings and saying my direct debit as I did not want fuel direct would be £179 a month the new revised bill was £214.00 or I had to have a pre pay meter fitted or go back on fuel Direct at a cost of £35 a week!! I live in the middle of nowhere with a crap internet connection so prepay not an option so I was forced into taking fuel direct.
I am not in a position to have over half my benefits taken at that rate I only get £97 a fortnight.
I have tried to speak to people but either get passed to the wrong department or I cannot understand them. I did speak to one person as she rang me and tried to chase the bill and realised there was an error but could not sort it and would get someone to call me back call never materialised

Help as I am going to be left in extreme sh*t if this fuel direct goes through when I know that there are other options but BG seem to be script reading or certain call centres do

So BG accused you of lying over the meter readings you gave? Really??

You sure they didn't simply suggest they may have been mis-read?

Nice to see your internet connection is good enough to post on MSE, even if its not good enough for pre-pay.

If you can't speak to them, why not write to them?

Terrylw1

Have they now updated your bill to show the new meter?

Are the closing readings off the old meter correct?

Are the opening readings off the new meter correct?

Providing all of the above is correct, if the supplier doesn't like your reading...they can send out a meter reader to check so let them do that.

Katie1980_2

In past experience of prepay I pay twice as much and this is not to discuss my internet connection.

My old meter was prepay so no opening readings and was a new install to credit I took readings each month and gave them to BG even when they were denying that I had a meter and yes I understand the DD was going to be higher but I have been trying to sort this out since install in april..
But hey you all see low income person and think we are out to skank the system... I was budgeting towards the electric and I would have paid some of the account if I had of actually had an account number and facilities to pay online.. Until July I had no account number so hands were tied the amount I have saved was not enough to even reduce direct debit due to their high estimates of electric usage..
oh well best get back to Jezza K

spiro

Katie1980 wrote: »

In past experience of prepay I pay twice as much and this is not to discuss my internet connection.

My old meter was prepay so no opening readings and was a new install to credit I took readings each month and gave them to BG even when they were denying that I had a meter and yes I understand the DD was going to be higher but I have been trying to sort this out since install in april..
But hey you all see low income person and think we are out to skank the system... I was budgeting towards the electric and I would have paid some of the account if I had of actually had an account number and facilities to pay online.. Until July I had no account number so hands were tied the amount I have saved was not enough to even reduce direct debit due to their high estimates of electric usage..
oh well best get back to Jezza K

PPMs have meter readings the same as any other meter so did you read the meter on the day you moved in and give this reading to the current supplier?
When the meter was exchanged they should have left a card with the date, final reading on old meter and initial reading on new meter. It may be than BG have not been advised of the meter exchange. Speak to them and give them all the details as this will allow them to track down the exchange.
In terms of putting money aside this does not have to mean 'payment on account' in can just be you putting £x in a tin every week based on meter readings taken by your self until such time as the DD is set up or a bill sent.

macman

PPM's cost the same as the supplier's Standard tariff, so about 6% more than a good online discount one-not twice as much.

Katie1980_2

Does not matter now all sorted and apology and bill reduced due to error... when team leader looked at it they realised that it had not been put on systems properly at their end..
But outstanding bill will be paid off later today when I have been to bank and pay so no we are not all out to skank the system. I was there when meter was exchanged from prepay to credit as meter is in my understairs cupboard. To get the accurate electric usage I have to take monthly readings until January.
My internet connection on an aside is poor due to my localtion and prepay dongle so harder to establish secure connections

jalexa

Katie1980 wrote: »

But hey you all see low income person and think we are out to skank the system...

Not all.

Two points...

Regarding "in past experience of prepay I pay twice as much" that is not conclusive in isolation. A meter reading, unless successfully challenged for inaccuracy, is proof positive of consumption. You need to spend more time establishing your consumption by taking regular meter readings than looking at the £££s in isolation.

Secondly, you are entitled to raise a Complaint on the first occasion you are not 100% satisfied with the outcome of a supplier customer service contact. That starts an 8 week clock, at the conclusion of which, if you remain dissatisfied, you are entitled to refer the issue to the Energy Ombudsman. That process is free to you but not cost free to the supplier. A no-brainer really.