British Gas Refusing my Switch

Mumtothree82

SAC2334 said:

Aside from any debt repayments on the meter its exactly the same kwh rate now with any other supplier . Most people now are on the standard variable capped rate .you pay a little more because you don t pay by direct debit .
Many suppliers will not even allow a switch to them anyway as there is no difference in price .
They will just be taking on the added complications of prepayment meters which cause more call outs than any other meter. I know as a former meter reader they had me going out often late to deal with prepayment meter problems 
British Gas themselves and others just say "stay with your current supplier " if you try and initiate a switch 

I don’t want to be with British Gas. My gas has already gone over, and it is costing me a fortune as they keep telling me to top up when I currently have £70 on there. I do not wish to have two different suppliers, and after being harassed by BG’s complaint handler who sent me several text messages and called continuously, I wouldn’t use them if they were the last company in the world. 

My current supplier is not British Gas - I simply acquired them through the move for electricity and hence my problem. Since 2 weeks before my move, ‘my supplier’ have been trying to take over which BG keep blocking. 

pochase

Mumtothree82 said:

pochase said:

Do you know how much the outstanding debt is? A supplier can block a switch if it over £500.

They advised yesterday that it is over £1,000 but it’s not my debt!! I moved in on prepayment and have only been here a month. It’s unfair if I am being prevented switching because someone else has a debt with them…

That will be the problem. As long as the debt is on the account they will not allow you to switch.

I understand that it is not your debt, but I think you need to get the debt removed from the account before you can switch it.

Problem is with using the key the former occupant left behind you are paying against his debt. If you move into a property with prepaid meters you should always use a new key to avoid this problem.

I understand you still don't have a new key?

Edit
No idea why they would have told you to wait for a key they will send.

You should be able to collect one immediately at their Payzone shops

How do I get a replacement key for my meter?

The quickest is to get a replacement from a local PayPoint or Payzone location. Before you go, you'll need to contact your energy supplier to let them know you want a new key. They'll give you a reference number, which you can then take to the store.