British Gas, again!

Ricco

I find myself amazed typing this, but there you go.

I'm on the 'People's Tariff' with BG. They sent me a communication regarding new pricing from April. Prices for cheque/ cash and lower ones for payment by DD. The higher price for units of electricity was 10% above the price cap. Standing charge was 18% above the price cap.

I called them to request a switch to DD. They said this would be fine but the lower DD prices would not apply to this tariff. They tried to explain this away by the fact that those paying by cheque/ cash would not have to pay more than those paying by DD. They seem surprised that I'd received an offer with lower prices for DD, this had been a mistake. I then requested to be switched to the standard variable tariff (which would have the price cap applied) but they refused. They can't do any tariff changes due to the war in Ukraine, they said. Finding this difficult to believe I hung up, rang again and spoke to another employee. She gave me exactly the same story. I explained that the prices were significantly higher than the price cap and therefore illegal. The employee tried to deflect away from unit and standing charge rates on to monthly direct debit amounts, which she suggested would be affordable to me. Like she know my personal finances

I'll be on to this again in the morning, it's plain ridiculous...    

bagand96

People's Tariff is variable and capped at the Ofgem SVT.  The People's Tariff doesn't have cheaper rates for DD over non-DD payment.  This is fairly unusual, but BG applied this to the SoLR tariffs.  Any communication from BG stating it's cheaper to pay by DD is a generic statement, but not applicable to your tariff as you're already getting the DD rate.

Ultrasonic

If you aren't on the SVT then the cap doesn't apply and nothing you've written about is 'illegal'.

Ricco

The rate quoted is 31.162 per unit of electricity, 53.518 daily electricity standing charge. 10% and 18% above the price cap, respectively. 

Ultrasonic

Actually, the tariff you're on was for people moved to it via SOLR from People's Energy wasn't it? I would have thought that was treated the same as the SVT. I was moved from Pure Planet to Shell and that was.

Ultrasonic

Where do you live what are you being charged?

Ricco

North Wales. I've detailed the unit rates and standing charges higher up the thread. Their direct debit rates they quoted are in line with the price cap but as I said earlier British Gas said these lower rates are a mistake, and not available to me.

Gerry1

Ricco said:

The rate quoted is 31.162 per unit of electricity, 53.518 daily electricity standing charge. 10% and 18% above the price cap, respectively. 

I think you are misinformed about the capped charges: they vary regionally.

For example in the South West EDF's standing charges for electricity and gas paid by cheque are 57.79p and 32.03p respectively.

EDF Deemed Tariff

bagand96

bagand96 said:

People's Tariff is variable and capped at the Ofgem SVT.  The People's Tariff doesn't have cheaper rates for DD over non-DD payment.  This is fairly unusual, but BG applied this to the SoLR tariffs.  Any communication from BG stating it's cheaper to pay by DD is a generic statement, but not applicable to your tariff as you're already getting the DD rate.

Scrap that.  Having looked at British Gas tariff information pages it seems they have changed the tariff and it does now have separate DD and non-DD rates with the new Ofgem cap rates (not sure when the change is effected, might be when the new cap rates come in).

Indeed for North Wales, The People's Tariff:

DD
29.585 p/kWh
47.581 p/day SC


Non-DD
31.162 p/kWh
53.518 p/day SC

Do you have an online BG account?  A direct debit can usually be set up in the account without having to involve customer services.  If that doesn't work try online chat, don't muddy the waters complaining about the rates etc just say "hi I'd like to set up a DD please"

Ricco

Gerry1 said:

Ricco said:

The rate quoted is 31.162 per unit of electricity, 53.518 daily electricity standing charge. 10% and 18% above the price cap, respectively. 

I think you are misinformed about the capped charges: they vary regionally.

For example in the South West EDF's standing charges for electricity and gas paid by cheque are 57.79p and 32.03p respectively.

EDF Deemed Tariff

I started another thread, I now realise that the price cap levels vary across the country. The DD rate offered is the price cap, exactly, but I'm being denied this, having to pay a much higher rate, even with direct debit payments.

QrizB

Ricco said:

The rate quoted is 31.162 per unit of electricity, 53.518 daily electricity standing charge. 10% and 18% above the price cap, respectively. 

Those are the correct prices for cash/cheque payment in North Wales.