Debt added to gas meter when there is no debt?

mwian

Hi.
I expect some of the detail is more than needed, but it shows how I got to where I am.....

I wasith Utility Warehouse. I had a debt with them on my gas meter, but it was paid up last year October. I got a money saving email and applied to 3 people to take on my account. I needed to apply to get the rates. Ovo took over my gas but would not take on the electric because it still had debt on the meter. Soon after that EDF phoned and their prices were better than Ovo, so EDF took the gas over. (EDF also took the electric with the debt)

One of the 3 I applied to on the money saving website was British gas. They took the Gas and electric. I tried to cancle the process but British gas said that I needed to re-apply to EDF....which I did.

British gas took the Gas over again and EDF advised that I contact British Gas and say that the transfer was eronious. British gas woudl then send the Gas back to EDF. I did that and EDF got the gas back.

Now...the problem....

I topped up this afternoon.....a tenner. I was in emergency gas. I put the emergency on, on Sunday morning. Standing charge is 32p per day....so about £1.50 for the last few days standing charge. I used £4 odd gas, which came off the tenner....so I should be out of emergency gas and have about £4.50 credit on the gas.....except, I got £560 for debt and £3 for emergency gas payback and £1.63 for credit. The gas meter said I am still on emergency gas and I still owe 87p.

I phoned EDF to ask about the "debt". The lady got me reading number 27 screen. I apparently own £187.60 and paying at £5 a week.

EDF tell me that they did not load the debt and it must be a previous supplier. EDF suggested that I contact british gas and ask them.

I phoned British gas. After a very long wait, I got to talk to a lady. I asked if British gas had loaded debt to my prepay meter. She can't tell me. I asked if I had paid any costs towards debt as I want that refunded. She can't tell me.....she keeps telling me that I need to speak to EDF and that the british gas account is closed.

EDF tell me that they need to contact a DAP department to see if I agreed for EDF to tak over a debt. I know I did not because there was no debt. OVO would not have taken on the gas if there was a debt.

EDF spent nearly an hour looking back over the times they had my account and they tell me that they did not load the debt.

I doubt it was OVO because they wern't interested in taking an account where there was debt. The loading of this debt must be British gas.

The lady at British Gas (who can't tell me anything because the account is closed) did say that British gas would not add a debt to the meter as they have to comply with strict guidence. But she would not confirm (or deny) that British Gas added this debt to my gas meter. I asked if British Gas took money for this added debt....could not answer.

It seems that all my queries need to go to EDF who supply my gas.

I am quiet anoyed that British Gas want to tell me nothing, not even give me information for the time they had the gas. It would be so much easier if they just said that they added x amount of debt on x date because of ???, they they confirm that there is a mistake (or at least them starting a query into the process....etc). I know where I stand then.

Just to be clear, I have not agreed for anyone to take on a debt because there was no debt for the gas for anyone to take over.

I am not a fan of complaining. It might help, but it's time consuming and in my opinion, not really the best way to go about getting to a resolution....but I am that annoyed, I am thinking of complaining and possibly asking them to pay for my inconvenience.

The here and now problem is, my gas meter tells me I am in emergency electric and I have £2.60 odd left. I expect I will be without gas in two to 3 days. The £10 should last 7 days. The cold snap caused the heating to be on a bit more....so I am already down a bit. I could have limped through till next week on the £4.50 credit and emergency, but being in emergency gas and only having £2.60 odd. There is a problem.

EDF tell me that they need to send someone out to reset the gas meter. This will wipe the debt off....They said they will refund the money I paid as they did not accept a debt on the gas. They apparently need confirmation from their DAP department.

What should I be doing to resolve this issue regarding the added debt and any idea about getting gas credit added to the gas meter?

Thanks

Alter_ego

Sorry you lost me in paragraph 3

mwian

Hi.
Sorry you lost me. I shoud have reread before posting.

I applied to 3 energy suppliers to take the gas and electric. I needed to see their unit costs. British gas was one of the three. Ovo was the another. I can't remember the third. EDF phoned me a few days after OVO took over my gas. EDF had better rates so I asked EDF to take over my gas. As they were willing to take the electric with the debt, I asked them to take the electric as well.
Hopefully that helps.

Wolf3

You will need the engineer appointment to come and remove the debt setting on the meter, EDF will need to check the Debt Assignment Process to see if they agreed to transfer a debt across originally. If there wasn't any debt it would appear to be a message sent through the pay point network in error. It can be easily traced and can be caused by a admin error or using an old key that had the message sent on originally and not cancelled by an old supplier. From what you have said I would advise you to ask EDF to raise a complaint and not close it until they have resolved the issue, this helps you in terms of setting timescales and the earliest opportunity to raise issue with the ombudsman if it isnt resolved