British Gas Default

Nemesis436

Hi

I was wondering where I stand from a legal pov with British Gas. Here's the story.

In May 2013 I moved into a new home (I am UK armed Forces so I move a lot) and decided to stick with the current property fuel provider which happened to be British Gas. (I did not set a payment plan up at this point)
A couple month later in August 2013 I moved again into a larger property next door and again was provided fuel by British Gas. I set up a direct debit for my dual fuel which is still set up to this day. After a month or so I received a bill from British Gas stating that I owed them £109 which I semi-ignored presuming it was for the fuel I had used before setting the direct debit up.

I received another letter or 2 stating I owed them money and after looking at them in detail I realised that they were for the previous properties fuel.
I rung BG and paid £40 there and then and asked if they could add the remaining debit to my new account which they agreed to do.

Being in the military I am away quite a lot and a few months down the line whilst home I received another letter stating I still owed them money. Many months had passed by this point so I rung up and spoke to them about it, they apologised, I paid the remaining debt and I thought that was the end of it, until I looked at my credit report today and noted that I now have a default registered from BG because of that debt I asked them to add to my new account for £69.

Although the debt is showing as satisfied it does show as a default and has put my score into the 'poor' section.
Is there anything I can do about this as I was planning to buy my first home at the end of this year and they have completely destroyed any hope of me doing so now! Do I have any legal options if they refuse to change it? Can I ask for a transcript of all recordings relevant to the 2 fuel accounts In order that I can prove they didn't do as I asked? Can it even be removed now that it is there?

I understand that it was my responsibility to ensure they had actually done what I had asked but surely this is besides the point?

On a side note (and I will ask this in another section if need be) I have only just come across this on my credit report even though the default is from 2014, this is due to a lack of current information showing on my credit report. Experian told me there was an error on my file that they needed to fix, after the fix I noticed a lot of accounts that should have been on there at least 6 months ago. Since this was their error and I have been paying Experian monthly for the last 2 years am I entitled to ask Experian for a refund for the whole time my credit report has been incorrect? I mean, what am I paying for if the information is incomplete?

I appreciate your time
Regards
Craig

spiro

You failing to pay the bill in the first place may well have created the default and the amount may be wrong. Speak to BG and see what they say. I think You can also ask for a note to be added were you could say it was their fault.
The one thing you should have learnt from this is that you should contact the incumbent supplier the day you move into a property and provide a meter reading and the same when you move out.

Cardew

If the two properties were on a Married Quarter 'patch' an 'official' phone call or letter from the admin officer of your unit might help.

Nemesis436

Hi Spiro

Thanks for your comments. I have checked my report to double check and i was right in thinking that the account defaulted a long time 'after' i asked them to add the 2 accounts together.

With regard to your 2nd comment, that's all done through the military landlords, they take the readings on move out day and pass them on, this is because they are responsible for all fuel whilst there is nobody living in the property. It was them giving them the closing and opening meter readings that generated the final bill, which as I say I assumed was for the fuel used in the 'new' property up until I had set the direct debit up. I should have been clearer with that earlier, sorry.

I hope that made sense?

Craig

Nemesis436

Hi Cardew.

Unfortunately Admin Offices do not help with this sort of thing. It is possible they could provide proof that I had been away for extended periods however so thank you

Craig