Afetr PFP fail, 'adopted' by BG, getting threatening letters but I haven't agreed a contract.

n3phi1im

BG are shady as kcuf - they sent threatening emails insisting that adopted customers move to a smart meter, now they are sending bills and threatening emails. I have never liked them, overpreiced tat peddlars. I would never have chosen them as a utility provided.

But after PFP failed, I wasn't given a choice, I just got transferred to them.  The thing is I never asked BG to supply my gas and I certainly never signed a contract, so as far as I am concerned, the gas they pump to my house is 'unsolicited'.

It would be interesting to hear a legal perspective on this situation. Am I right? Can they demand payment for a service I did not ask them to provide?

Or is it worth the fight?  Are there any better options than their price promise tariff (that ends in April)?

I have been preoccupied with illness in the family for several months, otherwise I would have looked into this earlier - it just didn't seem that important, untill I got the bill.

QrizB

n3phi1im said:

But after PFP failed, I wasn't given a choice, I just got transferred to them.  The thing is I never asked BG to supply my gas and I certainly never signed a contract, so as far as I am concerned, the gas they pump to my house is 'unsolicited'.

It would be interesting to hear a legal perspective on this situation. Am I right? Can they demand payment for a service I did not ask them to provide?

You have a deemed contract witth BG. Your account was transferred to them in accordance with the Energy Acts. You are liable to pay them, in accordance with that contract, for the energy you have used.

Fred2712

You have used the energy so pay for it, change supplier if you don’t like BGas.
The only other option for the regulator if a supplier goes bust would be to turn off your supply, what would you prefer ? 

n3phi1im

QrizB said:

n3phi1im said:

But after PFP failed, I wasn't given a choice, I just got transferred to them.  The thing is I never asked BG to supply my gas and I certainly never signed a contract, so as far as I am concerned, the gas they pump to my house is 'unsolicited'.

It would be interesting to hear a legal perspective on this situation. Am I right? Can they demand payment for a service I did not ask them to provide?

You have a deemed contract witth BG. Your account was transferred to them in accordance with the Energy Acts. You are liable to pay them, in accordance with that contract, for the energy you have used.

Shouldn't there be some sort of opt out period?

Gerry1

If you switch as soon as an energy company goes bust it's possible to avoid ending up with the SoLR.

QrizB

n3phi1im said:

QrizB said:

n3phi1im said:

But after PFP failed, I wasn't given a choice, I just got transferred to them.  The thing is I never asked BG to supply my gas and I certainly never signed a contract, so as far as I am concerned, the gas they pump to my house is 'unsolicited'.

It would be interesting to hear a legal perspective on this situation. Am I right? Can they demand payment for a service I did not ask them to provide?

You have a deemed contract witth BG. Your account was transferred to them in accordance with the Energy Acts. You are liable to pay them, in accordance with that contract, for the energy you have used.

Shouldn't there be some sort of opt out period?

No.

The other option (as Fred2712 said above) was for the law to be written so that you automatically get disconnected from gas and electricity if your supplier fails, and don't get reconnected until you choose a new supplier. Government decided this was a bad idea.

Verdigris

Gerry1 said:

If you switch as soon as an energy company goes bust it's possible to avoid ending up with the SoLR.

Yes. I went from PfP to Green and escaped BG's grip. Sadly, Green promptly went bust and I was SoLRd to Shell. But at least I'm not with BG.

However, I'm paying exactly the same as I would be with BG because of the price cap and being automatically put on the SVT, which is the cheapest deal available from anyone.

bagand96

Did you really think the Gas you've enjoyed since 10th September was gratis because you didn't choose a contract?

Would you have preferred someone to turn up and remove the supply to your house on September 11th?

The smart meter emails were an error on BG part.  However they can expect payment for gas you've used. 

MidlandsGlory

BG are pretty horrid. Got switched from PFP. I got a bill for the period since being taken on saying please pay by 7th Feb. I paid it in full on the 1st Feb (early enough!) but also on the 1st Feb. I got a weird RISE platform email from some company called AFS. It looks incredibly dodgy.
After some checks it appear AFS are some sort of shady debt collection agency! I finally opened the RISE thing and got through to a letter on behalf of British Gas saying I had ignored requests, if I don't pay someone could be sent round to collect, they might break in and install pre-payment meters blah, blah!! 
For gods sake! week before its actual final due date they are straight into threatening the heavy mob..

Who runs British Gas these days? the Mafia?