Direct Debit Overpayment Refund

NufNufNicky

I'm with British Gas and my ex-partner (whilst were were together, after being apart for 12 years) had been paying some of the gas bills via Direct Debit (through his bank), though I am the BG acc holder.

We have now split up again (AND I WILL NOT BE GIVING HIM ANY FURTHER CHANCES!!) but it doesn't look as though he has stopped the DD. since he has gone our (son and I) energy consumption is considerably lower; as he would just sit indoors all day watching TV with heating on, etc!

I know that this means that when I stop the DD - and give an accurate meter reading - I will be in credit.

My questions are as follows:

• When I ask BG for the refund will the credit have to go into his bank account?

• I am actually going to tell them that the account has been closed! - Will I then be able to have it credited to my bank account?

• Or will I be able to get a cheque sent out (to me, the BG acc holder). I know that they do send cheques; I have been refunded for overpayment of Standing Orders and Fuel Direct payments (straight from my benefits); though these were being paid in my name, so the cheques were for me.

I am worried that they will issue the cheque in his name (which will be pointless as we have no way of contacting him); besides which, he should not have this money; he has never paid his way - I have had to pay all the bills, food, EVERYTHING!

In fact the reason he ended up leaving is because I finally grew a backbone and put my foot down, demanding that he contribute at least something - hence the gas bill! Though he had only started doing this a few months ago - then walked out immediately afterward, cutting all contact with our son and I.

So in a nutshell would the cheque be issued for the DD bank acc holder - or the British Gas acc holder??

Please somebody advise!

Also, I am not greedy, he has left me in a lot of debt and severely messed with our son's head; he is now on antidepressants and has suicidal ideations all the time. I could really do without stressing about the financial s*** that he has put us in - and concentrate on getting my boy through his mental illness.

spiro

This is complex. Normally any DD refund would go to the account it came from. DD tariffs are the cheapest so you need to remain on a DD tariff. I would phone the supplier and say you are taking over the account because you have know idea where your husdand is. If you are lucky even if they close the old account, the money will come back to your account so DON'T cancel the DD. They tend to avoid using cheques these days. The above is my view of what is likely to happen based on how suppliers operate and is not guaranteed.

brewerdave

As you are the account holder -DON'T close the account,just switch the DD to your bank account,you don't cancel the old DD -then any credits will be paid back to your account in the future. I have just swiched all my DDs from one bank to another and the utility supplier just changed the payment details.