British Gas Billing

peteuk

Can someone please shed some light on the curious way BG run my account and confirm if other companies also do or dont do this...

Pay DD 01 each month
BG Credit the amount 5 days before DD takes

Issue - if you phone up within the 5 days prior to your DD leaving the account and ask for a balance they will go from the last bill reading but include your next DD payment.

No one explained this to me! Until I pushed, however as a explained to them my monthly wage is the same so why doesn't my bank show my wage 5 days before I am paid...

Basically I gave them new readings, they produced a bill which was £90 in credit, Im thinking I am already £90 in credit and theres £107 going onto the account in two days, how much am I being over charged, £200 credit December is too much.

I then tried to lower the DD which was when this 5 days issue was brought to light. So as the £90 credit included my next payment I was at that point in debt for £17....

Neil_Jones

Before the reading you've just given them when was the last time you gave them a reading?

If all your previous readings were estimated because you haven't seen fit to provide them, then it's no surprise that your amount on credit has dropped to a debt.

Robin9

BG are not alone.

Some will show your DD credits every month but the energy costs every 3 or 6 months.

The solution is to keep your own records and use a simple spreadsheet.

peteuk

Neil_Jones wrote: »

Before the reading you've just given them when was the last time you gave them a reading?

If all your previous readings were estimated because you haven't seen fit to provide them, then it's no surprise that your amount on credit has dropped to a debt.

Monthly readings...my point is I was £90 in credit Nov 29, after readings given. Dec 01 direct debit stopped and so by 03 Dec was in debt with no new readings taken.

peteuk

Neil_Jones said:

Before the reading you've just given them when was the last time you gave them a reading?

If all your previous readings were estimated because you haven't seen fit to provide them, then it's no surprise that your amount on credit has dropped to a debt.

They get monthly readings.

MWT

There are a variety of different ways the energy companies show this on your bill, but it doesn't change the basic point that all you have to do is look to see which DD payments have been included in the statement.

BG are assuming that the DD will be paid at the point that they create the batch that will claim the money from your bank, most providers I've been with will do it the other way around and only credit the account when the money has actually been received.

I'm not sure you can say that either is 'right' as both can lead to some potential confusion around the actual payment date.

With BG you may see the credit before you make the payment, with others you can make the payment and then not see the credit for a couple of days. 

All that matters is that you understand how your supplier handles it and take that into account when looking at your balance...

peteuk

MWT said:

There are a variety of different ways the energy companies show this on your bill, but it doesn't change the basic point that all you have to do is look to see which DD payments have been included in the statement.

BG are assuming that the DD will be paid at the point that they create the batch that will claim the money from your bank, most providers I've been with will do it the other way around and only credit the account when the money has actually been received.

I'm not sure you can say that either is 'right' as both can lead to some potential confusion around the actual payment date.

With BG you may see the credit before you make the payment, with others you can make the payment and then not see the credit for a couple of days. 

All that matters is that you understand how your supplier handles it and take that into account when looking at your balance...

My point is even when I asked directly (as this was before the bill was available to see on the web) which payments does that include I was informed it didn't include the December payment and at the time I had no reason to believe that it would include the December payment as it was late November.   I know now...