Help with British Gas!!

peterthedad

Hi,

British Gas keep saying we owe them around £800 for a month's worth of electricity (in July) from back in 2011.

We managed to find the meter readings and have sent these to them repeatedly which show that they have clearly made an error with their stored readings.
Something you'd think they would work out anyway since the amount of energy they reckon we used in our small two-bed flat is about the same as a one-day festival!!

They keep saying that makes more sense and they'll look into it. But we still keep getting letters from bailiffs threatening to come round if we don't pay immediately, plus it'll affect our credit rating.

We've spoken to these and British Gas and both say this shouldn't be the case and they're looking into it, but we still keep getting the letters. And now British Gas have changed their bailiffs company too to further confuse the issue!

Anyone else had this issue? How do we resolve it?

peterthedad

ps, there's only two of us living in the flat.

bob_bank_spanker

Have your interactions been over the telephone or have you written to them? If you haven't already, write a letter headed "Complaint", if the matter isn't resolved to your satisfaction within 8 weeks then take it up with OFGEM. It seems with most companies these days verbal conversations achieve very little unfortunately.

pooch

peterthedad wrote: »

Hi,

British Gas keep saying we owe them around £800 for a month's worth of electricity (in July) from back in 2011.

We managed to find the meter readings and have sent these to them repeatedly which show that they have clearly made an error with their stored readings.
Something you'd think they would work out anyway since the amount of energy they reckon we used in our small two-bed flat is about the same as a one-day festival!!

They keep saying that makes more sense and they'll look into it. But we still keep getting letters from bailiffs threatening to come round if we don't pay immediately, plus it'll affect our credit rating.

We've spoken to these and British Gas and both say this shouldn't be the case and they're looking into it, but we still keep getting the letters. And now British Gas have changed their bailiffs company too to further confuse the issue!

Anyone else had this issue? How do we resolve it?

http://www.britishgas.co.uk/complaints

but if this has already gone to debt collectors, your credit history could already be hit.

MickyJ

Hi there, peterthedad

If an outstanding balance remains unpaid for a length of time, they would effectively 'sell' this debt to a third-part collection agency. However, this debt can be 'recalled' if it isn't correct.

It's really important to establish the reasons for the discrepancy, as there are a few common circumstances whereby situations like this can arise; here are a few of them: if British Gas have the wrong meter details for your property; if the bill has been addressed to 'the occupier'; if the meter readings in question are the initial meter readings, or British Gas are billing you according to estimated meter readings.

If you get a good complaints handler -- who can identify the cause of the discrepancy, confirm that the bill is inaccurate, and rectify the problem -- the debt should be recalled from the collection agency, and the correct balance (if any) settled.

Normally, if the bill is disputed before it's sold on, the account will be placed 'on hold' until it's been investigated, and an outcome determined; however, this won't influence any debt that's already been accepted by a collection agency. To this end, British Gas should have made several attempts to contact you prior to selling the debt (unless they didn't have your information on file, which means that it's the collection agency, and not British Gas, that's 'traced' the debt to yourself. Did you receive any prior contact from them?