British Gas

ollie06

Hi I'm really hoping someone can please help me.I moved into my new address July 1st last year.Before moving I changed over gas electic ECT gave final metre readings.
August I got my final bill £388.09 called them up as I pay by direct payments told not to worry as I'm staying with them account and payments will just transfer to new address.Nov Bill from dept collectors £286 call them they say direct payments not recieved.I know they had recieved them as I get monthly statement,anyway payment found. Letter to apologize .Thought all sorted as payments by direct payments was £1162 00.So now in credit by £770.00.

Two weeks ago letter from same dept collector for £1300 for British Gas,call dept company its my Gas bill for old address from July till mid Jan told them I hadn't lived there since last July.told to call British gas.
I Called British gas told very sorry someone forgot to shut account down.It was shut straight down but with £1300 still on it.British Gas then removed all the £770 credit from my account and sent me a bill for £486 call them up they now say account was shut in July and I have to pay this money
I've spoken to them so many times over past two weeks made a complaint but they just don't get it that this bill is not mine
I have the final bill I front of me the metre was read 2 days before I moved out by British gas its impossible for me to owe that money
What do I do they keep telling me they are looking into it but then I get emails saying we have resolved your problem but they haven't,they still removed my £770 credit and want nearly another £500
Please please can someone help,I've never ever had a bill like that it would be bad enough if I did owe that but they just won't listen.
Sorry its so long im just so worried.

Fire_Fox

Don't deal with this by e-mail or telephone, write and invoke the formal complaints procedure. Copy all letters to the debt collectors, keep copies of every letter and proof of posting/ recorded delivery receipts.
http://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-advice/contactus-personal-details/complaints.html
If you exhaust that bring in the ombudsman.

SwanJon

They have 8 weeks from when you first raised the complaint to resolve it before you can go to the ombudsman.
If you can remember when this was, mention it when you write to them, and when the 8 weeks is up. (A deadline focuses the mind nicely.)
When you write, list everything succinctly in date order (meter reading, phone to moeve out etc).

State what you want to happen (i.e. only be charged for what you have used)
If you have incurred other costs (phonecalls) briefly itemise these.

Have you got copies of the bills with the amounts they are talking about? If not ask for copies of them.

Good luck.

dogshome

As already advised Complain in writing and head the letter with that word

However, reading your post there is something that worries me - You say you appointed BG to supply your new address, before you moved in

If BG were the suppliers to that dwelling before you moved in, that's OK, but it can give account swap-over problems as you have found
Where it's not OK is, if that house had a different supplier whom you did not notify when you moved in, it's likely you now have two suppliers and the encumbant one will eventually start billing you for supplies for which you have already paid BG

If BG weren't the original supplier, ask them from whom they took over the account

ollie06

Hi the problem isn't with this new address its my old address which I moved out of last July.I gave final metre reading day before I moved out and recieved final bill a few weeks later.£388.09 .Had two normal bills for useage at this house.Then suddenly recieve bill from morecroft dept collectors for £1300.
I called them and they said it was for my old address from July 1st till Jan.Told them I hadn't lived there since July 1st.
Called British gas who apologized and said some one forgot to close account,was closed straight away but with £1300 still on account.
I've called emailed spoke to people in this country,India and god knows where else.
I'm so fed up and worried luckily I do have final bill and dept letters.Will get a print out of my mobile bill as well
As one poster said do everything in writing I will from now on

ollie06

All sorted at last,its surprising how quick its been sorted when I complained.
Someone from complaints dept called me last Saturday I explained the situation.He has spent the last week going through my account checking payments against bills ECT.
He called today to apologise for their mistake,im in credit for this new address,and owe nothing for old address.Im so glad I kept all my previous bills as they couldn't find payment for previous address to begin with.(now found).
Thanks for your help.

Fire_Fox

That is great news, thank you for updating it helps us give the right guidance to others in the future.