British gas defraudEs customers-READ THIS NOW!

benefitquery_2

Hi "ic",

I've just looked the webpage you mention (unable to post web link here).

It says "The big six supplier is introducing one standing charge for gas and another for electricity...British Gas is yet to announce how much the new standing charge will be."

So it appears they are not stopping standing charges. They want to, in future, apply the same standing charge to everyone.

Where do I stand legally if they install a meter which charges me and then they send debt letters to me and mess up my credit file?

I have kept the emails saying I never aksed for a new tarrif and only wanted batteries changed. British Gas also don't reply to my emails.

Any legal expert, please help me!!

macman

Why do you think you should have either a credit meter or a PPM without charge? PPM's are already heavily subsidised by credit meter accounts.
Whether you use gas or not, there is still a cost of billing/network maintenance/metering/emergency call outs etc, which the standing charge contributes to.
If you don't ever intend to use gas, then simply have the supply disconnected.

Nada666

The change of physical meter is irrelevant. If the tariff is not for a fixed period of time then it is variable. And fixes are only for a year or three at most. Not changing your meter does not mean you are not liable to a standing charge. If you do not provide access to a reader/editor or do not use your top-up card to reset tariff then the tariff still accumulates debt from the date the tariff was changed. If British Gas introduced a standing charge to your tariff then you are accumulating that balance from day one.

You need to choose what to do - switch to a supplier without a standing charge or switch to a cheaper tariff from British Gas or pay to have your supply totally cut off.

Sticking your fingers in your ears is not making the standing charge disappear. As this may well be 86p per day you ought to do something more sensible.

datlex

You don't pay a different tariff based on your type of meter for prepayment. There will be other reasons for a different tariff. If you are with BG and want to stick to prepaid then if you don't already have the get the online payment devices.
Of course you can try a different supplier and see what they have to say.....

Wywth

benefitquery wrote: »

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.

What exactly are you complaining about?
A change of meter due to a defunct battery will not change the tariff you are on.
How are they defrauding you??? :huh:

datlex

Please tell me you don't think that because it is British GAS you are getting charged for gas you don't use.....

benefitquery_2

I read this comment from one of the contributors: "What exactly are you complaining about? A change of meter due to a defunct battery will not change the tariff you are on. How are they defrauding you??? :huh: W.

Let me explain: a change of the meter will automatically cause a change of tariff. ALL of British Gas' current pre-paid meter (on their website) have a standing charge. I was never told this when BG said I need to change the meter. I also found their explanation for a change of the meter very lame. Why change a meter (hassle, engineers etc) when a battery pack is all that's needed. BG said they couldn't categorize the "job" so would need to (quite wrongly) categorize it as a "fault". Then, when I complain after the change of meter (and subsequent daily charge) they could say "look, we have it down as a fault". You even agreed for a meter change".

benefitquery_2

"defrauding you??? :huh: ".

Well, yes it does amout to defrauding a customer when BG impose a tariff on customer without their consent and without informing them about these new charges beforehand.

How can a billion pound plus company not "categorize" a simple change of batteries? I almost feel like (but won't) getting someone to replace the batteries so this problem will disappear.

I am waiting for the ombudsman to get back to me.

Customers shouldn't have to go through this.

I would like the administrators of this website to alert Martin Lewis about this.

It seems shocking that this type of behaviour is allowed.

Other people need to know about this behaviour.

Thanks.

SwanJon

As above, a change of meter will not change your tariff.
The tariffs available on the website are the only ones available for new customers - if you are already on a no standing charge tariff you will stay on that, regardless of the meter change.

If/when British Gas want to change their tariff, they will write to you (as they have done each time they have raised prices), giving you the chance to leave before the change kicks in.

datlex

I would love to see the looks on a judge's face if you tried to take this to court....