Direct DEBITS Credits and other myths

BritishGasWorker

HI guys and gals...

Just a quick myth clear up here...

Myth 1

If you have a credit with ANY energy company...they are NOT permitted NOR will they earn ANY interest on your credit...Under OFGEM rules and regs it is not permitted...So please dont ask for loss of interest.....They dont have too and energywatch cant make them pay it either..

Myth 2

Energywatch CAN NOT force any energy company to give you money, discounts, nor compensation for loss of earnings or time lost.. As per the terms and conditions of supply you are not entitled to this.

Myth 3

If I cancel my direct debit they will contact me....

NO...its automated..the only contact you will usually get is a demand to pay the balance off in full since you have broken the payment scheme...

Myth 4

Changing suppliers will get a energy company to sort out my mess.......Generally changing suppliers will cause more issues and may result in you not being billed for months..

Myth 5

Energy companys can not Bill me back more than 2 years......

WRONG and Right....If it is there fault they cant EG they cant set the account up properly etc...,,, if its your fault, EG they could not get access to the property etc... THEY CAN...

Myth 6

Using Switchin sites will save me hundreds of pounds...when it comes down to the actual figures...you very rarely save as much as they say...and somtimes you get charged more..
Switching companys earn there monies from charging companys to switch you..look for the ones that dont pay them switich fees...you will see they dont appear on a list of companies..

Myth 7

Screaming, shouting, abusing, taking out a bad day at work on somone and swearing etc will get things done for you..

NO

remember these agents that you speak to on the phone are human... they have feelings and get upset or hurt if you are abusive...i myself had someone call me a very rude name even tho it was his fault... so please remeber speak to call centre staff as you would like to be spoken too..you would be suprised what extra help staff will do ontop of whats required of them...

Myth 8

Changing suppliers quickly over a short amount of time will get me off paying my bills....BIG NO.....you will get a fraud flag against ya name....and you dont want that......the energy companys might not seem to talk to each other, however, there are systems in place which will follow your property through all its moves around.. and you will get found out..and have ya supply removed..Yes it has happend and does happen..

Myth 9

Tampering with meters is ok...its not dangerous..

WRONG WRONG WRONG

You will either get blown up....blow ya street up or burn ya house down

Also it only takes a meter reader to see a tampering....they wont tell ya..but they will tell the fraud team..and beleive me you will not want a revenue protection officer knocking on ya door..they can remove a meter in under 5 mins..and you will have nothing..and a summons as you are breaking the law.

Myth 10

If i dont tell them that i live here they will never bill me.....BIG wrong....

Alot of companys know use Experian as a confimation of who lives where, and voteing reg etc..

also if you think that changing over to your otherhalfs name will get ya off paying ya bills this is wrong as well...very few people get away with it


If you have any other myths that I have not included here please feel free to add them, as long as they follow the spirit and the conversation of this forum

Gal

Bad day?

Good to see you back though where you been fella?

BritishGasWorker

Gal wrote: »

Bad day?

Good to see you back though where you been fella?

busy busy lol nice to be back for a short time

Maisie

Okay we see what we can/should do but what about what a British gas worker should or should not do!

We made an appt for an engineer to call last Monday between 1-6 to service the boiler etc under the contract. We were in the house and heard the letter box go at 12.45. I went to the door and before I opened it saw the engineer running away down the path and a piece of paper in letter box saying he had called at 12.45 and no-one was in!

By the time I opened the door he was in his van and gone. All this before the agreed time.

Today we've had a letter from British Gas saying the engineer called and no-one was in and would we make another appointment.

Not the first time this has happened. What compensation can I get for my wasted time?

BritishGasWorker

Maisie wrote: »

Okay we see what we can/should do but what about what a British gas worker should or should not do!

We made an appt for an engineer to call last Monday between 1-6 to service the boiler etc under the contract. We were in the house and heard the letter box go at 12.45. I went to the door and before I opened it saw the engineer running away down the path and a piece of paper in letter box saying he had called at 12.45 and no-one was in!

By the time I opened the door he was in his van and gone. All this before the agreed time.

Today we've had a letter from British Gas saying the engineer called and no-one was in and would we make another appointment.

Not the first time this has happened. What compensation can I get for my wasted time?

Okey i would first suggest you have a cuppa..since you are sounding a little narked...

I would suggest you call the servicing department and ask them what they can do for you however, you are saying that the engineer was running down you path when you opened your door...surley you would have asked him to return..or I would suggest that he knocked on the door adn that you may not have heard him, because in this time, he managed to write you a no answer card, post it in your letter box and then walk to his van...I have never seen an engineer run to his van even when they are leaving the office

I am sure they will make a new appointment for you, but as for compensation you are not entitled to any.

Paul_J

BritishGasWorker wrote: »

.....if you think that changing over to your otherhalfs name will get ya off paying ya bills this is wrong as well...very few people get away with it

Which means some do.......still worth a try then that one

olly300

Interesting points BritishGasworker.

Servicemen
========
I have personally watched from my front window a BG service man write the card in the van, walk up to the door, bang the letter box instead of ringing the bell and put the card through. I then ran after him when I realised it was not a leaflet delivery person.

They do not run as this would draw attention to their behaviour.

Complaints
========
If the matter involves the utility company owing you money then you are better of:
1. Phoning customer services ONCE and making a note of the time and date you phoned.
2. Writing to customer services and sending the letter via recorded delivery asking for a reply in the companies standard response time. (see their website) i
3. If you don't receive a reply either:
a. use the direct debit guarantee and get the money back from your bank (remember to send a copy of the letter to the utility company via recorded delivery.)
b. writing a letter before action giving the utility company 14 days to pay you back with otherwise you will take them to court.
4. Follow through with the actions you put in your letters

If it doesn't involve money:
1. Phone customer services ONCE
2. Write to customer services and ask for a reply within the standard response time
3. Inform energy watch

Customer services people read from scripts and do not have the power to do anything without the permission of managers. The managers that deal with your particular issue will not come on the phone as they are normally based in a different office location. (I've worked in call centres and so have many of my friends')

Tampering
========
Tampering with a utility meter is a criminal offence.

Not putting your name on a bill
=======================
I lived in a house where no one put there name on the gas bill for over 2 years, yet when the bill arrived it was paid in full, the correct readings where given to BG via the automated telephone service and meter readers where let into the house. BG didn't chase anyone up to put their name on the bill at all.

Maisie

BritishGasWorker wrote: »

Okey i would first suggest you have a cuppa..since you are sounding a little narked...

I would suggest you call the servicing department and ask them what they can do for you however, you are saying that the engineer was running down you path when you opened your door...surley you would have asked him to return..or I would suggest that he knocked on the door adn that you may not have heard him, because in this time, he managed to write you a no answer card, post it in your letter box and then walk to his van...I have never seen an engineer run to his van even when they are leaving the office

I am sure they will make a new appointment for you, but as for compensation you are not entitled to any.

Ok he may have rattled the letter box more than once but the point is that it was before the time he should have arrived and when I saw him leaving I did call after him. He either didn't hear or ignored me (more like it) and I thought he was going to the van and would return as he was early.

It even said on the form he left that the appt was for after 1pm and he called at 12.45 and no-one in. 15 mins before time.
He was in the wrong.

I know I can make another appt but it's the cost of hanging on with another phone call and time and waiting in for another appt and might happen again.
My time is just as precious as theirs.

Like when they call to read the meter and put a card in door when you're in because they are too impatient and don't give you time to get to the door.

Don't make excuses for the incompetence of British gas workers when they are in the wrong.

olly300

Maisie wrote: »

My time is just as precious as theirs.

I completely believe you.

Unfortunately utility and other service companies seem to live in the dark ages where they don't expect people to live in households where all the adults work full-time.

SuiDreams

Maisie wrote: »

I know I can make another appt but it's the cost of hanging on with another phone call and time and waiting in for another appt and might happen again.
My time is just as precious as theirs.

Like when they call to read the meter and put a card in door when you're in because they are too impatient and don't give you time to get to the door.

Don't make excuses for the incompetence of British gas workers when they are in the wrong.

I've had £20 from them before for them not turning up and for them turning up with wrong equipment to do the job. e.g. They needed to go in the loft and didn't bring a ladder.

BritishGasWorker

Maisie wrote: »

Ok he may have rattled the letter box more than once but the point is that it was before the time he should have arrived and when I saw him leaving I did call after him. He either didn't hear or ignored me (more like it) and I thought he was going to the van and would return as he was early.

It even said on the form he left that the appt was for after 1pm and he called at 12.45 and no-one in. 15 mins before time.
He was in the wrong.

I know I can make another appt but it's the cost of hanging on with another phone call and time and waiting in for another appt and might happen again.
My time is just as precious as theirs.

Like when they call to read the meter and put a card in door when you're in because they are too impatient and don't give you time to get to the door.

Don't make excuses for the incompetence of British gas workers when they are in the wrong.

Well as i said in the apparent time it took you to responde to the door, he wrote the card, pushed it through the letter box and walk to his van..and he would have sat in there for alittle while updating his handheld computer...i suggest you rebook however, as said before you are not entitled to any money for this type of missed appointment..if it was a meter exchange etc then once investigated you may have done.