Finally got through to British Gas, but what to do now? Advice pls.

JustAnotherSaver

The jist:

* We completed last Friday & picked up the key
* Took meter readings as soon as we got in.
* According to the info provided to us by solicitor, filled out by previous owner, the supplier for both gas & electric is British Gas.

* I call them tonight from here http://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-advice/contactus-personal-details/contact-us.html on 0800 048 0202 with view to setting up payment instruction & giving them the meter readings.

* Not able to speak to another human as i don't know (as don't have) customer reference number or land line number.
* I tried ignoring the request to enter in these numbers as sometimes that just puts you through to a human anyway, but not in this case.

* I've sent them an email tonight from https://www.britishgas.co.uk/Help_Advice/ContactUs/ telling them our situation & what we're wanting to do, so i await their reply, but no doubt this could take anything from 5 minutes to 5 weeks. I'd like to speak to a person.

dude89

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

The jist:

* We completed last Friday & picked up the key
* Took meter readings as soon as we got in.
* According to the info provided to us by solicitor, filled out by previous owner, the supplier for both gas & electric is British Gas.

* I call them tonight from here http://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-advice/contactus-personal-details/contact-us.html on 0800 048 0202 with view to setting up payment instruction & giving them the meter readings.

* Not able to speak to another human as i don't know (as don't have) customer reference number or land line number.
* I tried ignoring the request to enter in these numbers as sometimes that just puts you through to a human anyway, but not in this case.

* I've sent them an email tonight from https://www.britishgas.co.uk/Help_Advice/ContactUs/ telling them our situation & what we're wanting to do, so i await their reply, but no doubt this could take anything from 5 minutes to 5 weeks. I'd like to speak to a person.

I in the past, when stuck on the automated menus have repeatedly pressed *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# to confuse the system into putting me through to a person. Though some companies have gotten wise to this and it doesn't work

JustAnotherSaver

I can't be in a 1 man canoe though surely. Someone else on here must've needed/wanted to get through to British Gas & actually done it.

Or does everyone wait for the bill to land on the doormat, whenever that is supposed to be (within a month? within 3 month?). I personally don't want to wait so long as i want to tie in fixed on something.

JustAnotherSaver

Here's a thought - do i need to wait on a response from BG before i look at switching elsewhere?

Or can i just go onto a price comparison website, find out what it says is cheapest for me - based on the type of house, people living in it, bedrooms etc & then just switch to that? Or do i need to actually know some specific information from British Gas in order to switch?

MK55

I did the same thing when I moved house... listen to the options available their phone line told me to press * if I had no account number. it worked.

JustAnotherSaver

Yeah i did that one. So it then asked me to enter the phone number of the house. I don't know it.

spiro

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Yeah i did that one. So it then asked me to enter the phone number of the house. I don't know it.

Phone a mobile phone from the home phone and the number will displayed. Simplees

JustAnotherSaver

spiro wrote: »

Phone a mobile phone from the home phone and the number will displayed. Simplees

Already beaten you to it.
Even when i press a single number to begin ANY phone number it beeps at me & says, sorry this number is not recognised.

macman

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Here's a thought - do i need to wait on a response from BG before i look at switching elsewhere?

Or can i just go onto a price comparison website, find out what it says is cheapest for me - based on the type of house, people living in it, bedrooms etc & then just switch to that? Or do i need to actually know some specific information from British Gas in order to switch?

You are already in a deemed contract with BG, and were from day one of occupation. You can't commence a switch until you register for an account with them and submit your opening reads. You can of course research your switch in the meantime, but you can't apply for it.
Your comp site comparisons should be based on your estimated annual kWh usage, nothing else. Using other means of comparison (such as monthly DD spend) will give inaccurate results.

JustAnotherSaver

Woohoo i managed to get through to an actual person!!

They kept going on about new price plans coming out on 23rd November. They asked how i'd like to pay & i said direct debit.

When i asked if it makes any difference that we've not actually moved IN to the address yet they advised not to set up a direct debit & to call after the 23rd Nov when we move in with our THEN meter readings & we can go from there.

I said that i'm looking to go on a fixed price plan but not necessarily with British Gas. I said i want to look around & see who is offering the cheapest deal & then fix in with them. If it's British Gas then i'll stay but if not then i'll be moving.

They advised me to go on a [forgot the name - some sort of PAYG plan i think it was, Not fixed anyway] and they took the meter readings that i photo'd on the day we moved in.

They said that i'd get a letter through within 7 days welcoming us to our new home & again said to call after 23rd when we're ready to move in with our new meter reading & they'll bill us for that & we can then move to another provider if that's what we want to do.


Now i don't really know too much about all this (if it isn't obvious already), but i would've thought fixing in NOW before prices rise would be a better idea?
I didn't go through any account set up process (i think, unless this was it??) - nothing by way of account numbers or anything to set up online accounts etc.

When this letter lands, am i likely to THEN be able to switch elsewhere?

I know British Gas are just wanting as much money as they can get out of me so they're not interested in what's best for ME, so i'm asking you guys - what's best from this point onwards? As i want a fixed rate, should i tie into that ASAP (i.e. before we move in)? If so, does this letter that is on its way sound like it's going to be what we need to then pay up & move to another provider?

dude89

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

They advised me to go on a [forgot the name - some sort of PAYG plan i think it was, Not fixed anyway] and they took the meter readings that i photo'd on the day we moved in.

So what type of meter is in the property? A pre-payment meter or a standard credit meter?

If it is a pre-payment meter then your tariff options will be severely limited. Most companies just offer their standard variable tariff on a ppm. This is obviously not what you want if you are looking to fix.

If it is a credit meter, then there is nothing to stop you doing a price comparison now and starting a switch. You will have a 14 day cooling off period anyway. So if the new BG tariffs are any good (there hasn't been a good BG tariff since they reduced the amount of tariffs they offer anyway) you can cancel the switch and change tariff with BG