Got a British Gas problem? Let me sort it for you

wendywootalia

Hello Martin,
I wonder if you could help me with a problem that is causing me and my young daughter a lot of stress? I am a single parent who has diabetes coping with a special needs child and I can frankly do without the aggravation British Gas are currently giving me.
Last October 2006 I was charged for a new gas meter that I never had. Britsh Gas say they installed a new gas meter at my request and are demanding payment for it ,when in fact I had never made such a request and the meter installed in my property is labelled June 1994 and is clearly not new. I have photographed this and offered to send these to BG.
I have repeatedly contacted BG to try and get this matter sorted, and have repeatedly been told that the relevant paper work will be sent to Transco for the meter cost to be removed from my bill. In spite of that promise I have received numerous letters to say BG are going to cut me off and that someone will also be coming to put me a prepaid meter in.
I have always paid my bill by direct debit and have never missed a payment. The constant demands to pay a bill of @ £1300 with threats to cut me off are starting to wear me down.
All I want is to pay my gas consumption bills since October (totalling @ £40) and for British Gas to stop the threats and remove the bogus charge for the phantom meter from off my bill.
Can you help and restore my faith in humankind?

Wendy

tripled

dc wrote: »

National grid IS part of Centrica (ie BG,) interesting discrepancy in cost.

Fascinating. Could you explain where you got that information from, and why they are seperatly listed companies on the stock exchange?

david29dpo

Still waiting for an answer. ( like BG )

gotnobread

BBB wrote: »

I’m not going to lie to you, the customer service has been abysmal at times and it’s a shame as every agent gets the same training and the amount of customers that I speak to who say “If only every agent was the same as you”, Phil Bentley is 100% focused on customer service and having conversed with him this is obvious.

Martin, the fact that you are up for change is good because BG are going to need a lot more people like you.

This is not just a problem with CS in isolation. CS are only the customer's interface with BG processes... in other words, it doesn't matter if you have the best-trained, best-engaged, most customer focussed Customer Service Advisors in the world if your back office processes, computer systems, and organisation structure are all way up the Swanee (which they are).

Take for example some of the complaints about metering appointments: This is going to take a lot more than training for CS staff; it will have to encompass an "end-to-end" sorting-out of all processes, from the customer's call to delivery - that includes offshore operations and links with partner organisations (e.g. meter readers, meter operators).

And then there are the companies that you're in competition with - sorting out the acquisition/withdrawal processes will be entertaining...

Cheers,
Gotnobread.

BBB

apologies for the non reply.

I've just had laser eye surgery and will be back in thursday

BBB

!!!!!!_turpin wrote: »

Martin
Can you advise on this....
Today I was supposed to have a visit from contractors on your behalf to change my gas meter, an appointment that was predetermined in a letter that I received about a week ago.
So, after your representatives generously allowed themselves a twelve hour window to arrive and complete the thirty minute task, my family waited for the arrival. Unfortunately your systems were 'down' at 18.00hrs so no update was available.
At 19.55 I called again and your staff took details of an alternative appointment and I was then cut off as 20.00hrs arrived. An immediate subsequent call revealed that only an emergency service was available after 8pm!
I was offered £20 for the wasted day, the maximum compensation I was definitively assured.
So, next time I require one of your engineers can I be assured that you will charge me £20 maximum for the day or do we agree a realistic level of compensation for a complete day wasted!
Your main contractors are United Utilities and McAlpines are its sub-contractor doing the works.
I look forward to your considered comments.

DC

The standard compensation is £20, however should it happen again, I will look into it for you and see what we can do.

In terms of a gas supply/meter being fitted, I'll try and speak to a colleague in new supplies and find an answer for you.

aquamarina_2

Hello there!

Last year I changed suppliers (before British Gas started lowering their rates) without any problems or hiccups. However, after paying what was supposed to be the final balance (as given over the phone by customer services) I have today received a bill for an aoutstanding amount called - Your final gas bill. Nothing wrong there perhaps you might think but this amount is £137.56 and covers the period 6 SEP 06 - 18 OCT 06 - nearly a year ago. Can they really charge me out of the blue like this?

It's not even the amount so much that has annoyed me as the delay and the non-communication. Any suggestions gratefully received with much appreciation.

Thanks in anticipation!

dc

tripled wrote: »

Fascinating. Could you explain where you got that information from, and why they are seperatly listed companies on the stock exchange?

AFAIK it used to be called National Grid Transco till about 18 months ago, when it dropped the Transco bit. Perhaps they separated?

Iain1987_2

Hi BBB and I hope this doesn't put you off helping others.
I've received this periods statement telling me I owe £3,838.08...It's getting lower. I had a twisted meter read going back to 2002, this was fixed in Oct 2006 and I received a refund, but since this happened my account has been migrated to the new computer system and none of my payments I made between 2002 and March 2006 have been credited to my account in the new system. I have so far made 73 calls to CS and each one logged with the names of each CS, Manager ets that I've spoken to....which hasn't managed to get this fixed.
I hope you like a challenge but if you're to busy I would appreciate even my reference number passed to somebody who you know is able to help. If you don't mind I'll PM you my reference number
thanks again

Gordon

tripled

dc wrote: »

AFAIK it used to be called National Grid Transco till about 18 months ago, when it dropped the Transco bit. Perhaps they separated?

Transco was split into a seperate entity in 1997 (when it became BG Transco) then it was demerged from BG in 2000, when it became part of the Lattice Group, so it is 7 years now since they were the same group.

What happened last year was the network was split into regions (8 I think) and some regions sold off. I think Southern Electric actually owns one of them, but BG don't own any.

BG did have their own 'independent' pipeline company (BG Connections) but this was sold off a couple of years ago to one of the other pipeline co's.