Overpayment

Jennyfromtheblock82

I have over paid on my gas and electricity bill. When I enquired about this a few months ago my provider (British Gas) said that it was better to keep my account in credit in case I use more fuel over the winter months. I agreed to this but then realised my direct debits have recently decreased. I rang today and was told that I was paying too much i.e. not using that much gas and electricity and that's why they had reduced my payments. They said the new payments would remain as such until the end of the contract. When I said I wanted back what I was due in overpayments (£200) they said I could only have it I agreed to up the direct debits to what they were before they reduced them. They said this was because it was in case the lower amount didn't meet what I would use. But why would they reduce the payments in the first place if they thought this? I'm confused.

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.


Being pedantic, you haven't 'overpaid' for your gas and electricity; you believe that your Direct Debit(DD) payments have been too high.


The whole point of signing a DD mandate is you authorise the company to set the DD at a level they consider adequate. In the case of gas/electricity it is absolutely normal for there to be a large surplus at this time of year, as by far the heaviest quarter is ahead.


With the exceptionally mild winter so far, many people have used less for heating than predicted; so it seems sensible that BG have reduced your DD as the computer forecasts that the £200 credit balance and the lower DD will cover your payments until the review date(which is normally in Spring) when your balance will be zero.


It is perfectly reasonable for BG to state that you can have back your £200 surplus, but that will entail the DD being increased. It is unreasonable for you to expect both the £200 and the lower DD to remain in place. If the latter action happened you would be in Debit at the review date and BG would be in trouble for allowing this debit balance to build up.


P.S. It goes against the grain for me to defend BG but it seems to me they are acting correctly.