Brittish gas taking 90% for debt on PAYG

xx_lucy_xx

My mum has a card meter, her boiler hasn't worked for 3 years so she hasn't used the gas. In that time it appears she has accrued a standing charge just for the meter.


We have just fit a new boiler for her and want to use the gas to heat the house but British Gas are taking 90% of everything that we put on the top up card to pay these charges which seems crazy. She is on Statutory sick pack at the moment living on next to nothing.


Does anyone have any advice?

[Deleted User]

That is the standard procedure. Your Mum is not exempt from standing charges. BG is usually around 28p a day so in three years she owes them around £300 .Nearly all suppliers charge a daily standing charge
Once your Mum starts to credit the meter it will keep on deducting a weekly charge until the debt is repaid.
How much is the meter taking per week ? for true debt, not standing charge debt, prepays will deduct anything from a minimum of £3.50 a week up to a max of £16 a week.
Possibly BG could move the standing charge debt onto screens 25 and 26 on the gas meter. These screens are usually reserved for debt owed from a previous credit meter. with a debit as low as £300 I would expect BG to charge the weekly payment of between £3.50 and £5.

PennineAcute

This is where energy companies are their own enemies. After 3 years of no topping up, I am sure they must be wondering what is going on?

C_Mababejive

The situation is this. BG just sell you gas,thats it. For three years there has been no throughput of gas due to non useage so they have not made any money from you.

What they have done though is spend money to maintain your supply.

How?

Well the meter is very likely not owned by BG. That asset is owned by someone else and BG lease it. In effect they hire it from the owner who is responsible for maintaining it.

They also have to pay for the billing and PAYG card infrastructure.

They also have to pay a public gas transporter for the useage and ongoing maintenance of the gas main and service that brings gas to that meter.

That is simply how it is.