Can I dispute standing charges for electric

Lucy_in_the_sky

What most of you are advising , albeit more eloquently and verbosely is : Im a numpty & it's all my fault! Standing charges are acceptable and if BG choose to ignore final readings provided on two separate occasions and produce erroneous bills, taking more of my time and money to rectify (and which OFGEM are receiving a record no of complaints about ) I should stop wasting my time on forums and deal with it.

Cardew

Lucy_in_the_sky wrote: »

What most of you are advising , albeit more eloquently and verbosely is : Im a numpty & it's all my fault! Standing charges are acceptable and if BG choose to ignore final readings provided on two separate occasions and produce erroneous bills, taking more of my time and money to rectify (and which OFGEM are receiving a record no of complaints about ) I should stop wasting my time on forums and deal with it.

Standing charges are simply a fact of life. Ofgem themselves made them mandatory because of(misguided) pressure from organisations(including MSE) who thought the 2 Tier system was too complex.

In your original post you intimated that BG should have explained to you about standing charges. You also thought that you would be on the same tariff as the leaving tenant. You then asked:

In these circumstances is their any basis for my disputing my contract with British Gas?

Most posters do not think you can dispute your contract as it is mandated in The Gas Act and Electricity Acts that new occupants will be placed on a Deemed contract.

highet

hi lucy - i have been caught out in exactly the same way as you - have flat i occasionally stay in when on call at work - with BG and use minimal amounts of gas and electricity as really only sleep there - prev bills were a few pounds/quarter - as havent kept up with all this standing charge introduction have been landed with bill for £100 odd of standing charges for last 12 months and £7 for actual fuel used - seems completely out of proportion!!! now in the process of moving to ebico - you have my commiserations

undaunted

Lucy_in_the_sky wrote: »

What most of you are advising , albeit more eloquently and verbosely is : Im a numpty & it's all my fault! Standing charges are acceptable and if BG choose to ignore final readings provided on two separate occasions and produce erroneous bills, taking more of my time and money to rectify (and which OFGEM are receiving a record no of complaints about ) I should stop wasting my time on forums and deal with it.

I don't think anyone has / would necessarily put it quite like that but if that's how you want to see it then yes - once someone has used the supply - that's about the size of it. Had you / your tradespeople not have used the supply you might have had room for argument but having done so, as Cardew suggested above you will now be considered to be under a deemed contract & liable for standing charges I'm afraid.