Moved home and British Gas refused me a credit meter

tori276

I've recently bought a new property.  When I moved in, there was a prepayment meter installed, which I intended to get swapped over ASAP.  I usually paid £66 a month at my old home, and my bills on the meter were around £200! And I wasn't using any more, or any different appliances. It also used to show high usage, often, during the day, when nothing was on in the house.

I called British Gas and asked them to switch me over to a 'normal' credit meter.  They told me that it would be subject to a credit check and that if I failed it, I would have to stay on the pre-payment meter.  I said fine!  I've never been refused credit for anything, in my lifetime.

They did the credit check and it came back as a fail.  I asked why (I have an 'excellect' credit rating with both Equifax and Experian), and they told me that they weren't at liberty to tell me.  When I checked my credit reports a week later, they showed 2  failed credit checks for CENTRICA on my report, but done in the WRONG NAME! IT was my name but with a few characters before it.  I have previously been a victim of fraud, so my account is monitored very carefully for inconsistencies in my name. So I assume I was rejected based on this.

I called British Gas and told them this, but they said they were only dealing with emergencies because of a storm.  Then COVID 19 happened, and again they were only dealing with emergencies.  I explained that to me this WAS an emergency, as I am paying far too much money out and shouldn't be. They passed me around 4 different departments and I eventually got hung up on when the last department I reached just played me a recorded message stating that they were closed as BG was only dealing with emergencies due to Covid19. They also refused to check out the reason why my smart meter kept spiking despite nothing being on in the house.

I wrote to the Ombudsman who upheld my multiple complaints, but told me that British Gas didn't have to offer me a credit account, as they are a company and can do what they like!  But that, if I changed supplier and got accepted for a credit meter, they would have to put my meter into credit mode so the exchange could go ahead.

I just thought I would share this, in case anyone else was in a similar situation, and also to see if anyone else had a credit check failed because it was done with extra letters before their name / wrong name.

Neil_Jones

When you moved in did you phone British Gas and open a new account with them?

Did you give them a meter reading?  Did they send you a new key or are you using the one that was already there?

If you're using the one that's already there, there's your problem.  You may be paying off previous debt.

Also what you paid at your old house doesn't mean anything.  You might have lived before in a property that had triple-glazed windows, wall/cavity insulation and every insulation method under the sun and now you've moved to a late Victorian house that struggles to get warm.

And yes, they don't have to offer credit meters and they are in their right not to swap your meter.  No guarantee that you changing companies will get you a credit meter either.

tori276

Yes I called them on the way to the new property as I was told by the estate agent there would be no electricity until I did so. Luckily we moved on a Friday and not a Saturday as they are closed! They were fully aware we weree the new owners of the property, and kept repeating this on their call, saying "Oh you've just bought the property, so no previous debt etc.").

They never gave us a key - it was a card, but until then they just gave us a number and we had to drive around for hours to find a shop that would do a top up with the number only.  A nightmare!  As when our removal men got there, they had to unload in the dark, because we didn't have anything switched on until we could find a shop that would actually let us do the top up just using the number.

We lived in a draughty, always cold, concrete bunker before!  But still paid less, and the new house is warm and we have most rads turned off. Nothing new, highly efficient, modern, heating system etc. 

Ombudsman ruled in our favour at the end of the day. And we are told that they have to do this, if we have been accepted for a credit account with another supplier.  We've done nothing wrong and owe nothing.

tori276

Also gave them a meter reading.

Hasbeen

I know someone that moved into a house with prepay meter.
The house was ex rental and renter would not pay bills so BG put in a prepay.

Buyer had excellent credit rating but BG would not change meter. As property had history??


As your now a customer with BG on probably an expensive tariff? I would advice comparison site and switch to a better provider.

Gerry1

Switch to EDF (who don't do a credit check) on a tariff without exit fees, then BG will have to switch the meter to credit.  You can then switch to the cheapest supplier(s).

Also make sure you are on the Electoral Roll.

Talldave

What model are the meters? There have been reports on this forum of gas meters going into phantom consumption mode when their batteries are going flat.

tori276

Yep... I put in the electoral roll change a couple of month as before we moved, so it was all good.   I found another supplier and tried switching to them, assume went through ok, as I have been given a switch date and my direct debit has been set up.  I genuinely believe BG deliberately entered the wrong details so I would fail the credit check. As my credit rating both now and at the time was 'excellent' - and I know this because I subscribe to both Equifax and Experian monthly.

tori276

Talldave said:

What model are the meters? There have been reports on this forum of gas meters going into phantom consumption mode when their batteries are going flat.

I'm not sure.. do you mean the display or the actual meters themselves?  The boxes in the meter cupboard say: Landis+Gyr and Trilliant?

Talldave

Is it a Landis+Gyr gas meter? Hopefully someone can remind me of the relevant thread.

Talldave

Is it a Landis+Gyr gas meter? Hopefully someone can remind me of the relevant thread.