Wits end with British Gas. Bill due tomorrow, trying to sort and worried about credit history

Malkytheheed

So I was with peoples energy, they went bust, we got moved to British Gas, we were told to keep our monthly direct debit going which we did. So from August to December we kept paying £160 a month as before. We have now been billed £600 for energy by British Gas. Nowhere on my account can I see any of the previous payments we have been paying. I expected my bills to increase somewhat but £600 lump sum seems a bit much. The main problem is calling British gas. I'm on hold for an hour each time, and then I get through to someone who can hardly speak English, doesn't understand my issue, and then when they see it's not a simple thing, they just disconnect me so they don't have to deal with it. 

I notice British Gas shoe-horned themselves onto my credit report (without any say so or agreement from me what so ever). And if I don't pay by tomorrow, it's going to go down as a late payment. Urgh what a mess. 

Malkytheheed

They don't understand that my previous supplier went bust, they don't understand that there were continuing direct debit payments going out. They don't even seem to have a clue about the energy situation in the UK? It's painfully frustrating. 

QrizB

Malkytheheed said:

We have now been billed £600 for energy by British Gas. Nowhere on my account can I see any of the previous payments we have been paying. I expected my bills to increase somewhat but £600 lump sum seems a bit much.

What exactly does the bill say? There should be an opening reading, a closing reading, a price per kWh and a unit rate.

Verdigris

Have you supplied BG with monthly meter readings? Without those you won't get an accurate bill.

Malkytheheed

Im trying to give them a new reading and they are saying my bill is coming up as £10,000+ (clearly wrong). They have a "start" meter reading from somewhere. But I never gave it to them, they have never been to the property to check the meter and it is clearly massively wrong. 

Verdigris

Malkytheheed said:

Im trying to give them a new reading and they are saying my bill is coming up as £10,000+ (clearly wrong). They have a "start" meter reading from somewhere. But I never gave it to them, they have never been to the property to check the meter and it is clearly massively wrong. 

They will have got the start reading from the previous supplier. Did you give an end reading to the previous supplier? If not, it will have been estimated.

MWT

Malkytheheed said:

Im trying to give them a new reading and they are saying my bill is coming up as £10,000+ (clearly wrong). They have a "start" meter reading from somewhere. But I never gave it to them, they have never been to the property to check the meter and it is clearly massively wrong. 

Are you able to take a photo of your meter so we can see the reading and also determine if it is metric(cubic metres)  or older imperial meter (cubic feet) ?

If you tell us the start reading they have we can also see if it is possible for it to be right or not...

Do also look at the most recent bill you have from People's Energy and see what the last reading they used was, and if it was an estimate?

emmajones1976

They dont need your permission to report to the CRAs, btw.

Malkytheheed

emmajones1976 said:

They dont need your permission to report to the CRAs, btw.

Even if I have signed no agreement or contract with them? or read any terms & conditions to be their customer? I'd be suprised at that. I have made no contractual agreement with them what so ever. That would be like me reporting to your CRA without your knowledge or permission. 

Verdigris

Even if I have signed no agreement or contract with them?

You have a deemed contract, under the SoLR system, in the same way you do, with an existing supplier, when you move into a new house.

MWT

Malkytheheed said:

emmajones1976 said:

They dont need your permission to report to the CRAs, btw.

Even if I have signed no agreement or contract with them? or read any terms & conditions to be their customer? I'd be suprised at that. I have made no contractual agreement with them what so ever. That would be like me reporting to your CRA without your knowledge or permission. 

You entered into a credit agreement with them the moment you used energy after the failure of your previous supplier caused you to be transferred to them.

No need to sign or read anything, but the contractual agreement is real.