I'm very cross with British Gas

atolaas

Katykat wrote: »

In January, my MiL received a phone call from BG, asking her for a meter reading. Her meter is at the back of a cupboard, under the stairs She told the call handler that she was 90 yrs old & would not be able to read it, but he told her that it was easy to read and he would guide her through it. She has a fixed line phone which is not near the meter so she had to keep going back & to between the meter & the phone. She eventually gave him the reading but when she told me what happened she became upset about it but wouldn't let me ring & complain " in case they cut the gas off". Now we know that wouldn't happen but that's the way she thinks. Now she has received the bill and it's for £678. She's terribly upset about it, but its obvious that she read the meter wrong. She rang to query it and was told they are looking into it. I want to know, can she refuse to read her own meter? I've told her that the next time they phone for this, to say " No, if you want the meter reading, then send someone to read it". Can she insist on this?

She can't be the only person to have difficulty in doing this! Are yourself, a close relative or friend able to go over and do the reading for her? Logically you'd think BG would be able to send someone out to read the meter, but just in case, a plan B might be a good idea. I hope that you're able to solve this quickly.

[Deleted User]

atolaas wrote: »

She can't be the only person to have difficulty in doing this! Are yourself, a close relative or friend able to go over and do the reading for her? Logically you'd think BG would be able to send someone out to read the meter, but just in case, a plan B might be a good idea. I hope that you're able to solve this quickly.

The plan B is already in place and has been for years.. we knock politely and wait, many know me and shout me in seeing as how for the last 10 years I ve been coming round to the same people. This is a money saving exercise by BG because there s more profit in employing someone to phone them then a man in a car and on foot calling round. Its purely about finances..not about customer services. BG and all the other suppliers would prefer if everyone submitted monthly/quarterly reads like many are. Thats maybe why the annual profit per customer has just gone up to an average of £115 . Online reads, text reads,emails but BG try to hoover up all the people who will never go online or reply to a text..the very elderly

[Deleted User]

Andy_WSM wrote: »

I take exception to being called a liar, when I myself support the charity my family runs and my Dad has dedicated most of his retired life to.

I took more of an exception to being called pathetic, which fortunately for you, you have now edited out, but not before I reported it. There is no need at all for personal attacks.

lol...proove it that your Dads running round India. P.M. me the details, with some proper dates , proof of charity or anything else to back up your claim. If you dont PM me this I l make my own conclusions. You re a WUM because you have the cheek to suggest that my posts are "ageist " and insulting when all I have been saying is in support of the elderly and asking BG to leave them in peace and not risking injury climbing around under stairs and high up .Good afternoon Andy_WUM

Andy_WSM

sacsquacco wrote: »

lol...proove it that your Dads running round India. P.M. me the details, with some proper dates , proof of charity or anything else to back up your claim. If you dont PM me this I l make my own conclusions. You re a WUM because you have the cheek to suggest that my posts are "ageist " and insulting when all I have been saying is in support of the elderly and asking BG to leave them in peace and not risking injury climbing around under stairs and high up .Good afternoon Andy_WUM

Cheeky sod. I'm not "proving" anything to you as I couldn't care less whether you believe me or not, but being called a liar & pathetic by someone that doesn't know me, simply because they disagree with my opinion on an internet forum is somewhat childish, at best.

Another one for the ignore list...

[Deleted User]

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Cheeky sod. I'm not "proving" anything to you as I couldn't care less whether you believe me or not, but being called a liar & pathetic by someone that doesn't know me, simply because they disagree with my opinion on an internet forum is somewhat childish, at best.

Another one for the ignore list...

Sorry if you felt insulted but as a working O.A.P. myself I m a big supporter of the elderly and the raw deals they get. Most of them are stuck on standard tariffs as they dont trust direct debits. They re struggling the most with energy bills and paying top whack as well. they stick with the "Gas Board " and the local electric supplier they ve always had. They re stuck indoors all winter paying a fortune for their bills as well. I m in a fairly unique position to see the sorts of "tricks " like BG are playing . BG should only be phoning them to suggest getting on the cheapest tariffs and talking them into the much lower fixed tariffs deals available by direct debits not hounding them to hurt themselves gathering their meter readings.I dont give a hoot if BG are not happy with me for whistle blowing