British Gas dispute

pool-hustler

I'll bullet point this for ease of reading...
* Moved in
* within one week I tried to get EoN contract
* couldn't switch because money owing to another supplier, they didn't know who?
* Didn't know who was supplying gas until one month later when a bill arrived (very high bill).
* Was refused to switch due to owing British gas (BG)
* Was given huge bill by BG on their standard/most expensive tarrif.
* BG refused to change tarrif to cheaper one.
* Didn't get BG welcome pack despite them saying i did.
* never agreed to be BG customer
* BG took whole amount out of my bank despite me telling them only to take £100 a month. They admitted error on this one!
* BG advisor admitted to "holding us to ransom" on the phone.
Can BG stop us switching without us agreeing to be their customer?
the Ombudsmen doesn't seem interested and just ordered £50 off the bill owed. We requested the bill be their cheapest tarrif. BG didn't provide this figure to Ombudsman.

What else can i do? I can refer to main Ombudsmen but need further evidence..
What grounds can I take BG to court?

footyguy

pool-hustler wrote: »

I'll bullet point this for ease of reading...
* Moved in
* within one week I tried to get EoN contract
* couldn't switch because money owing to another supplier, they didn't know who?
* Didn't know who was supplying gas until one month later when a bill arrived (very high bill).
* Was refused to switch due to owing British gas (BG)
* Was given huge bill by BG on their standard/most expensive tarrif.
* BG refused to change tarrif to cheaper one.
* Didn't get BG welcome pack despite them saying i did.
* never agreed to be BG customer
* BG took whole amount out of my bank despite me telling them only to take £100 a month. They admitted error on this one!
* BG advisor admitted to "holding us to ransom" on the phone.
Can BG stop us switching without us agreeing to be their customer?
the Ombudsmen doesn't seem interested and just ordered £50 off the bill owed. We requested the bill be their cheapest tarrif. BG didn't provide this figure to Ombudsman.

What else can i do? I can refer to main Ombudsmen but need further evidence..
What grounds can I take BG to court?

Did you accept the ombudsman's offer of £50? If so, that would have been in full & final settlement.

If you feel aggrieved, that would be the grounds to take the supplier to court. (although I would suggest you stick with the ombudsman for now)

You have gone about this all wrong.
You can't switch supplier unless you have a supplier.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
Any evidence the ombudsman is asking for today, you can be sure the judge will want in the future if you decide to go that way. Think on ...

pool-hustler

No I haven't agreed to the £50.
My complaint wasn't about switching really. It was about the tactics BG used and the cost of the Gas. We didn't know or agree to be with BG either. The fact we tried to sort a supplier 3 days after moving in is proof enough we didn't agree to be with BG.
How am I going about it wrong?

lvf

pool-hustler wrote: »

How am I going about it wrong?

Unfortunately you have. When you move into the property, open the door for the first time, you automatically go onto a deemed contract with the current supplier of the property for electricity and/or gas.

Why?

Well if you didn't, you would not have a supply at the start, would not be able to switch on a light or your heating.

The correct procedure is that you contact the supplier, give them your details and as soon as your interim account is set up, you are free to look around for another supplier. You are free to do this on Day 1. The switch itself should take around 17 days.

While you tried to be considerate by bullet pointing your opening post, it has omitted most of the key information. For example:

* Why did BG block your switch?
* When did you move into the property? How long has this been going on for?
* How did BG admit to holding you to ransom? On what grounds?
* You say E.ON couldn't take over the supply on Day 3 of you moving in due to a large balance owed, is this still present on your bills?
* Have you ensured your BG account is now correct with actual opening reads?

Cardew

Agree with the post above.


You really must understand the concept of 'deemed contract'. This is laid down in the Gas and Electricity Acts(of Parliament).


Years ago gas and electricity could be cut off when the outgoing occupant left. You had to contact the sole supplier(s) for your house to get it re-connected unless you had arranged an account in advance.


Since the privatisation of the energy supply industry they must leave the gas/electricity connected, but the new occupant is on a legally binding deemed contract with the existing supplier. The tariff will be their standard tariff as there are no conditions attached to that tariff.


You must take meter readings as soon as you move in and contact the existing supplier with those readings and your details. If you don't contact them you may well find yourself paying for the previous occupants gas/electricity - if they haven't notified the company they were leaving and/or gave incorrect meter readings. The huge bill you got is probably because you are being billed for the previous occupant; how would BG know any different if you hadn't told them you were in occupation and supplied them with meter readings.


You have obviously now given your bank details to BG.


Yes BG can prevent you switching if you owe them money.

pool-hustler

I understand all that but we moved in Oct 4 & applied to EOn to go with them on Oct 7.
BG stopped it. We couldn't find out who our supplier was until the bill arrived.
They put us in the most expensive tariff and refused to change it and let us switch. How is that right?

Nada666

That is the way it works. You contact the current supplier - you did not do this until after a month. You telephone the national database to find current supplier if the information wasn't left by previous supplier (and even then you have to double-check.)

It is right because you want to be able to use the lights and heating when you move in. Better than waiting a few weeks by candlelight and no heating for things to be reconnected.

British Gas, when contacted by Eon, would have no idea that there was a new occupant rather than just the previous occupant trying to switch supplier with a debt.

lvf

It is your responsibility to know who you supplier is and to contact them with your details. Your letting agent/landlord/estate agent should provide you this information. If they don't have this information, you can find out how to find your supplier here:

http://www.ukpower.co.uk/who-supplies-my-gas-and-electricity

Now, BG can block your switch as they did in the beginning if there is a large debt against the live account for the property OR the name on the new supplier's application does not match the name on the old supplier's live account (this is supposed to minimise erroneous transfers, yeah in an ideal world...).

The only fault I see of BG here is them not allowing you to change tariff. Did they state the reason why you could not have a new tariff with them?

You also state that the Ombudsman ruled in your favour, was that over the tariff as well?

spiro

When you move in you will always be on the standard tariff until you contact the existing supplier, set up an account and request to go on a different tariff. They won't do that retrospectively.

macman

I fail to see what BG have done wrong here and on what basis the Ombudsman awarded you even £50?
As explained above, BG blocked the switch because you had not registered with them-you can't switch away from a supplier you do not already have an account with. You were on Standard Variable for a month because that is the default tariff if you fail to register. The cheaper tariffs usually have early exit penalties.
It's not BG's fault that you failed to identify them as the current supplier-how are they supposed to know when a property changes hands?

footyguy

macman wrote: »

I fail to see what BG have done wrong here and on what basis the Ombudsman awarded you even £50?...

Was my initial reaction too.

And the more I read, the more I am convinced you are right.

Roll on Monday