British Gas - Took the credit I built up?!?!

GabsBlackpool

Hi There - can any please help with my query (have you experienced the same and what was the outcome?) We had accumulated a little credit in our British Gas Electricity supply (we pay via direct debit) as this helps us in the winter months when bills are higher.

British Gas (in their wisdom) used this credit and didn't take a direct debit payment one month - thus putting us into arrears!?!?! At no time did British Gas contact us about this decision - it was only because I look through bank account regularly that I noticed and called them to ask why they had not taken the direct debit?

British Gas's solution to being in arrears was to increase my direct debit!!! No - we pay a fixed direct debit to gain a little credit to cover the higher bills in winter - because British Gas took this credit they now want me to increase my direct debit - which we cannot afford to do.

Anyone know of any advice - surely it is illegal for them to use our credit without out knowledge??!? Many thanks for any help/advice

Mojisola

GabsBlackpool wrote: »

Hi There - can any please help with my query (have you experienced the same and what was the outcome?) We had accumulated a little credit in our British Gas Electricity supply (we pay via direct debit) as this helps us in the winter months when bills are higher.

British Gas (in their wisdom) used this credit and didn't take a direct debit payment one month - thus putting us into arrears!?!?! At no time did British Gas contact us about this decision - it was only because I look through bank account regularly that I noticed and called them to ask why they had not taken the direct debit?

British Gas's solution to being in arrears was to increase my direct debit!!! No - we pay a fixed direct debit to gain a little credit to cover the higher bills in winter - because British Gas took this credit they now want me to increase my direct debit - which we cannot afford to do.

Anyone know of any advice - surely it is illegal for them to use our credit without out knowledge??!? Many thanks for any help/advice

Don't you have still have the money that would have gone to BG in the month they didn't collect it?

We're not with BG now but when we were customers we always had letters from them if our credit up saying that they would pay it back into our account if we didn't contact them. Never had them not take a DD.

GabsBlackpool

Thanks Mo - we still have the money, our bank account was in credit - they just decided to use our credit and didn't take the DD.

This has happened three times this year with our Gas (again supplied by British Gas) and each time I have called they have just said it was a "computer clitch" It didn't really affect our Gas credit (as we have so much) and this will see us through winter.

But this has now put us in arrears with our electric - never have we had a phone call, letter, email - nothing - informing us that this would be done.

Their customer services professionals also have told me allsorts of different reasons from "computer clitch" to "its what we do now" - yet another customer service person calling me on Monday *sigh*

Mojisola

GabsBlackpool wrote: »

This has happened three times this year with our Gas (again supplied by British Gas) and each time I have called they have just said it was a "computer clitch" It didn't really affect our Gas credit (as we have so much) and this will see us through winter.

But this has now put us in arrears with our electric - never have we had a phone call, letter, email - nothing - informing us that this would be done.

Sort out the arrears and switch to another company.

DaveTheMus

Mojisola wrote: »

Sort out the arrears and switch to another company.

I second this, I've been with CO-OP for two years and they're excellent. You need to pay ddeb and update your readings online, but I've never had any hassle (he said while touching a wooden door frame)....

Andy_WSM

GabsBlackpool wrote: »

Thanks Mo - we still have the money, our bank account was in credit

Very simple solution...Make a one off payment to the same amount as the DD they didn't take and continue with your DD payments as before.

DaveTheMus

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Very simple solution...Make a one off payment to the same amount as the DD they didn't take and continue with your DD payments as before.

It should be simple but I wouldn't trust it to be.... I know someone that works for BG and they have a new computer system that is apparently causing many problems, especially around payments.

spiro

My understanding is that when suppliers review you DD OFGEM's view now is that they should return any credit rather than lowering your DD going forward. I think BGs limit for is about £5-£10.

bloss0m

You can pay BG online with a debt/credit card as a on off payment at least you could do last year. I can do this with coop as well and have done so to make sure I am in credit when first bill comes