British gas defraudEs customers-READ THIS NOW!

benefitquery_2

Beware if BRITISH GAS tell you you need a new meter when you only need a battery replacement pack! You may end up paying up to nearly £320 a year. And they won't tell you this at the time. It's scary. Copy of the latest email sent to them today:

Premises Supplied: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Your Gas Customer Reference Number:XXXXXXXXX

Dear BBC Watchdog, Energy OMBUDSMAN, Chris Weston of Bitish Gas, Which?, and british gas customer services email the Board of Centrica (who owns British Gas),

Despite several emails to your complaints department, You have not addressed my complaint.

I would like to invite BBC Watchdog to interview you (enclosure shows who is on Cenrica's Board) on their programme about your criminal practices of fraudulently imposing new tariffs on customers. I may also email the local police because the installation of a unnecessary new meter (which would have a daily standing charge somewhere between 26p and 86pa day) could cause a breach of the peace.

I remind you that I presently pay no standing charge and that the gas, through my choice, is physically cut off by MEARS. I also remind you that the person who called me from British Gas lied to me about being unable to categorise a simple change of batteries and insisted a new meter was needed.

I re-iterate that I DEMAND THE CANCELLATION of the fraudulent appointment he made for 6 sept 2013 between 9am-2pm. Email me to confirm you have cancelled it.

To BBC WATCHDOG, British Gas lie to defraud customers. I have not used the gas for ages now and when a simple battery pack needs changing they deceive the customer into thinking a new meter is required. The SOLE reason they lie to the customers is so that they can then impose a daily standing charge (according to their website this could be from 26p/day to 86p/day). The new mater would have a daily standing charge! They don't tell you this at the time. They say "I cannot categorise (as a job) a battery change so I have no option but to install a new meter. Is that OK if I put it as a "default" on the system?" Then once they install the meter they would say "NO. You requested a change of meter. It has on on our records it's a fault. You agreed!"

Customers need to know NOW about their criminal behaviour.

The british gas caller lied to me. He said a new meter was needed. He didn't mention any change of tariff that it would subsequently create. Imagine suddenly finding out you have to pay up to almost £320 year for gas supply which you never agreed to (and don't even use.)

TO BRITISH GAS, please arrange for REPLACEMENT BATTERIES TO BE PUT IN MY METER IMMEDIATELY and stop lying about me needing a new meter so you can commit fraud. You've been on Watchdog many times.

Email an appointment immediately for 23 August onwards so I can see your engineer replace the batteries and I can give him my gas card so that the £1.04 credit on it re-appears.

Yes, I had £1.04 on it before the batteries went flat. Incidentally, you should check the batteries on the machine of your customers.

I had a recurrent annoying beeping sound which I couldn't pinpoint. I only recently realised it was you battery pack indicator. It disturbed people's sleep (probably something you don't care about as you don't mind lying to customers to create new charges so they can't sleep at night). By the way, the battery pack has an expiry date of 2011 !

If I have not heard from you within a week I am informing you that I will warning the police about your fraud.

(REDACTED NAME ADDRESS ETC)

I have proof I have sent this to the board (emails below and pictures in attachment for BBC Watchdog):

Wywth

benefitquery wrote: »

Beware if BRITISH GAS tell you you need a new meter when you only need a battery replacement pack! You may end up paying up to nearly £320 a year. And they won't tell you this at the time. It's scary. Copy of the latest email sent to them today:

Premises Supplied: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Your Gas Customer Reference Number:XXXXXXXXX

Dear BBC Watchdog, Energy OMBUDSMAN, Chris Weston of Bitish Gas, Which?, and british gas customer services email the Board of Centrica (who owns British Gas),

Despite several emails to your complaints department, You have not addressed my complaint.

I would like to invite BBC Watchdog to interview you (enclosure shows who is on Cenrica's Board) on their programme about your criminal practices of fraudulently imposing new tariffs on customers. I may also email the local police because the installation of a unnecessary new meter (which would have a daily standing charge somewhere between 26p and 86pa day) could cause a breach of the peace.

I remind you that I presently pay no standing charge and that the gas, through my choice, is physically cut off by MEARS. I also remind you that the person who called me from British Gas lied to me about being unable to categorise a simple change of batteries and insisted a new meter was needed.

I re-iterate that I DEMAND THE CANCELLATION of the fraudulent appointment he made for 6 sept 2013 between 9am-2pm. Email me to confirm you have cancelled it.

To BBC WATCHDOG, British Gas lie to defraud customers. I have not used the gas for ages now and when a simple battery pack needs changing they deceive the customer into thinking a new meter is required. The SOLE reason they lie to the customers is so that they can then impose a daily standing charge (according to their website this could be from 26p/day to 86p/day). The new mater would have a daily standing charge! They don't tell you this at the time. They say "I cannot categorise (as a job) a battery change so I have no option but to install a new meter. Is that OK if I put it as a "default" on the system?" Then once they install the meter they would say "NO. You requested a change of meter. It has on on our records it's a fault. You agreed!"

Customers need to know NOW about their criminal behaviour.

The british gas caller lied to me. He said a new meter was needed. He didn't mention any change of tariff that it would subsequently create. Imagine suddenly finding out you have to pay up to almost £320 year for gas supply which you never agreed to (and don't even use.)

TO BRITISH GAS, please arrange for REPLACEMENT BATTERIES TO BE PUT IN MY METER IMMEDIATELY and stop lying about me needing a new meter so you can commit fraud. You've been on Watchdog many times.

Email an appointment immediately for 23 August onwards so I can see your engineer replace the batteries and I can give him my gas card so that the £1.04 credit on it re-appears.

Yes, I had £1.04 on it before the batteries went flat. Incidentally, you should check the batteries on the machine of your customers.

I had a recurrent annoying beeping sound which I couldn't pinpoint. I only recently realised it was you battery pack indicator. It disturbed people's sleep (probably something you don't care about as you don't mind lying to customers to create new charges so they can't sleep at night). By the way, the battery pack has an expiry date of 2011 !

If I have not heard from you within a week I am informing you that I will warning the police about your fraud.

(REDACTED NAME ADDRESS ETC)

I have proof I have sent this to the board (emails below and pictures in attachment for BBC Watchdog):

What exactly are you complaining about?
You shouldn't be charged anything for a replacement meter in this situation.
How are they defrauding you??? :huh:

mixedwrestling

benefitquery wrote: »

Beware if BRITISH GAS tell you you need a new meter when you only need a battery replacement pack! You may end up paying up to nearly £320 a year. And they won't tell you this at the time. It's scary. Copy of the latest email sent to them today:

Premises Supplied: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Your Gas Customer Reference Number:XXXXXXXXX

Dear BBC Watchdog, Energy OMBUDSMAN, Chris Weston of Bitish Gas, Which?, and british gas customer services email the Board of Centrica (who owns British Gas),

Despite several emails to your complaints department, You have not addressed my complaint.

I would like to invite BBC Watchdog to interview you (enclosure shows who is on Cenrica's Board) on their programme about your criminal practices of fraudulently imposing new tariffs on customers. I may also email the local police because the installation of a unnecessary new meter (which would have a daily standing charge somewhere between 26p and 86pa day) could cause a breach of the peace.

I remind you that I presently pay no standing charge and that the gas, through my choice, is physically cut off by MEARS. I also remind you that the person who called me from British Gas lied to me about being unable to categorise a simple change of batteries and insisted a new meter was needed.

I re-iterate that I DEMAND THE CANCELLATION of the fraudulent appointment he made for 6 sept 2013 between 9am-2pm. Email me to confirm you have cancelled it.

To BBC WATCHDOG, British Gas lie to defraud customers. I have not used the gas for ages now and when a simple battery pack needs changing they deceive the customer into thinking a new meter is required. The SOLE reason they lie to the customers is so that they can then impose a daily standing charge (according to their website this could be from 26p/day to 86p/day). The new mater would have a daily standing charge! They don't tell you this at the time. They say "I cannot categorise (as a job) a battery change so I have no option but to install a new meter. Is that OK if I put it as a "default" on the system?" Then once they install the meter they would say "NO. You requested a change of meter. It has on on our records it's a fault. You agreed!"

Customers need to know NOW about their criminal behaviour.

The british gas caller lied to me. He said a new meter was needed. He didn't mention any change of tariff that it would subsequently create. Imagine suddenly finding out you have to pay up to almost £320 year for gas supply which you never agreed to (and don't even use.)

TO BRITISH GAS, please arrange for REPLACEMENT BATTERIES TO BE PUT IN MY METER IMMEDIATELY and stop lying about me needing a new meter so you can commit fraud. You've been on Watchdog many times.

Email an appointment immediately for 23 August onwards so I can see your engineer replace the batteries and I can give him my gas card so that the £1.04 credit on it re-appears.

Yes, I had £1.04 on it before the batteries went flat. Incidentally, you should check the batteries on the machine of your customers.

I had a recurrent annoying beeping sound which I couldn't pinpoint. I only recently realised it was you battery pack indicator. It disturbed people's sleep (probably something you don't care about as you don't mind lying to customers to create new charges so they can't sleep at night). By the way, the battery pack has an expiry date of 2011 !

If I have not heard from you within a week I am informing you that I will warning the police about your fraud.

(REDACTED NAME ADDRESS ETC)

I have proof I have sent this to the board (emails below and pictures in attachment for BBC Watchdog):

What utter nonsense.

ic

As he says, he hasn't slept for weeks, its no wonder he's so irritated.

Anyway, I think the OP is confusing the meter replacement with changes to his tariff - BG are in the process of withdrawing standing charges - http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/utilities/2013/07/british-gas-standing-charges-cut-from-eight-to-one.

OP, if you want to keep a no-standing charge tariff look at Ebico.

Nada666

British Gas are free to restructure their tariffs whenever they like.

vuvuzela

ic wrote: »

As he says, he hasn't slept for weeks, its no wonder he's so irritated.

Anyway, I think the OP is confusing the meter replacement with changes to his tariff - BG are in the process of withdrawing standing charges - http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/utilities/2013/07/british-gas-standing-charges-cut-from-eight-to-one.

OP, if you want to keep a no-standing charge tariff look at Ebico.

Exactly. A long, rambling, confused original post that doesn't really make sense and threatens ridiculous things, with a sensationalist and libellous headline. Brilliant work, OP.

bob_bank_spanker

My word. You get the occasional sensationalist rant on here, but this is just superb.

Matron!

chanz4

op they have the option to change the meter or battery, makes no diff stop been an idiot

macman

I'm just intrigued by the 'new mater having a daily standing charge'. How much does she charge?

lemontart

I am confused about being cut off by Mears?

Either way the meter belongs to bg, there is no charge for changing meters from the circumstances stated, bg are rolling out smart meters to all at present.

Standing charges are there for a lot of folk and has absolutely nothing to do with meter type etc,

No case to answer. except perhaps has the op got a manual for the meter to read so he knows about batteries before it becomes or became a problem if not they should ensure bg supply one and that it read.

benefitquery_2

Thanks for the all feedback. I would like to elaborate more about my concerns.

I went onto British gas website. I asked it for a quote (saying i want a pay-as-you go meter and my gas usage -i.e none-and my address).

The reply: a standing charge of 86p/day!

Then i checked a different way: i found their webpage about pay-as-you-go meters.

It states that all pay-as-you-go meters have a standing charge!

The lowest standing charge on the website is 25.99p/day!

My concern is that I will get a new meter and then get chased for debt when I don't even use gas.

As I mentioned earlier, when BG called about a week+half ago they said a new meter was needed even though it's just flat batteries needing replacement.

What was weird was that they said "we can't categorize a change of a batteries, so is it ok if I put it down as a "fault". I (stupidly in hindsight) said yes, thinking nothing would be wrong. Now, having looked at their website, it's clear they just wanted a new meter so they can charge me up to almost £320/yr with a mandatory standing charge.