Emergency: BG don't want me to pay them for electric.

Help98765

BG whom I pay for electric (I don't have gas) refunded me 67 pounds unasked and have sent me a letter stating it is cheaper to have a prepayment meter.  Meantime I sent them a registered letter before Christmas.  I duplicated the content in an e-mail.  In addition to the automated receipt another, and signed, e-mail followed about New Year stating that they are not answering e-mails.

I was requesting an increase in my budget payments.  I note the price per unit is more than doubling in the spring.  I shall have to attempt to arrange another increase in payment soon, I stated too low a figure.

The on screen account doesn't work because my BG account number has changed.  I do not consent to all the politicised bullying by commerce and the ever worsening standard of re-re-computerisation.

Are there honest electric providers and I'm not inter ested in fly-by-nights.

Neil_Jones

Are you sure the £67 isn't what you should be getting from the government anyway?

If your unit prices are doubling it sounds like you're coming off what ultimately ended up being a dirt cheap fix arranged about two years ago?  If that's the case then well that's the boat everybody is in..

With regard go "BG don't want me to pay them", well if you're giving them regular meter readings (or a smart meter is sending them) and BG aren't doing anything with them (by accident or otherwise), in due course it will probably be resolved once somebody notices.  If that's been the case for more than a year then providing you've done everything you can to get BG to give you a bill or take some money, then back billing regulations/protection may apply.

EssexHebridean

Can you not use the new account number to set up a new online account with them? I imagine there would be a way to increase payments via an online account - most suppliers seem to have this these days. 

As for the refund - this is BG's standard method of dealing with it isn't it? Take the DD as usual then refund the EBSS payment to the same bank account? 

By the way, I don't think this really classifies as an "emergency" if I'm honest. You are presumably setting aside the additional money that you have worked out you should be paying for your electricity? If so, then it will be there when needed, so not really any need to panic about it - more of an annoyance than an emergency perhaps?

dunstonh

Are there honest electric providers and I'm not inter ested in fly-by-nights.

What is the alleged dishonesty that you are referring to?

The on screen account doesn't work because my BG account number has changed.  I do not consent to all the politicised bullying by commerce and the ever worsening standard of re-re-computerisation.

How are you being bullied?
 
What has the £67 Government support payment got to do with any of this?

Gerry1

EssexHebridean said:

As for the refund - this is BG's standard method of dealing with it isn't it? Take the DD as usual then refund the EBSS payment to the same bank account?

Not sure there is a standard method: my £66/£67 EBSS payments are credited to my BG account and reduce the DD amount collected, but are not refunded to my bank account.  However, that may be because I pay by Monthly Variable Direct Debit.  AFAIK I'm still on BG's old billing system.

EssexHebridean

Gerry1 said:

EssexHebridean said:

As for the refund - this is BG's standard method of dealing with it isn't it? Take the DD as usual then refund the EBSS payment to the same bank account?

Not sure there is a standard method: my £66/£67 EBSS payments are credited to my BG account and reduce the DD amount collected, but are not refunded to my bank account.  However, that may be because I pay by Monthly Variable Direct Debit.  AFAIK I'm still on BG's old billing system.

I'm purely going based on what the MSE main site says about how BG work it - that includes the standard monthly DD option but nothing about variable, so you could well be right that it's different.

Help98765

- They should have credited it.

- Is there a way to force them to accept money (amount chosen by me)

- They don't bill for payment (and the only way I can pay is by DD) and I requested a budget scheme.  Every summer they refunded unasked and my home help (who doesn't come any more) used to spend a whole hour phoning them to get payments put right.

- This is not a "dirt cheap deal".  I requested a budget scheme.

- I have been charged per unit and I have been informed I am going to be charged per unit.

- I presume some of you replying so far,  are from BG or politics?

- Are BG forcing all leaseholders to go onto prepayment and why have they stated that is cheaper when it isn't?

- Why won't BG let my account be in credit for part of the budget year cycle?

- Why don't they answer letters and e-mails?

- Why doesn't their web site work wi th my new electric account number?

- It's my prerogrative to describe my emergency because if I am beingwrongf ully deprived of my agency to run my own affairs now, I'll be deprived of it more.

- I know the forum says "money saving" well for a start prepayment won't be money saving

- and secondly I am asking whether there are honest electric providers and I'm not interested in fly by nights.

- do any of you think it is wrongof an essntial utility to not r espond to a customer?

Gerry, I was not aware there is "monthly variable direct d ebit", but there is NO reason why they should refuse the budget scheme

I was not given the opportunity to request it be cr edited.  Obviously they are going to put me on prepayment while the balance is low against my wishes.

Essex, as they are not responding now they obviously aren't going to respond later.

I have requested to be placed on the priorty register because I need dealing with straightforwardly honestly and c onveniently. 

Doe s anyone know of an honest electric provider to whom I can input information, requests and money.

Help98765

Help98765 said:

 input information, requests and money.

Effectively, my means of payment has been interfered with on claimed political grounds when the web site is down and they are short staffed.  Re-re-computerisation has been to a disastrous ly low standard everywhere (as you all know).

If they would be responsive and if they would stop threatening me with a prepayment meter - like I said I'll have to keep requesting an increase in payments anyway.

Doesn't anyone have an opinion on false adverstising of prepayment meters?

I will not stand for any accusation that I am underpaying them just so they can have a fal

se excuse.

Help98765

Help98765 said:

Furthermore, they sent a signed e-mail not the automatic receipt but in addition to it and about ten days later, stating they are not going to answer my e-mail.

CanNeverThinkOfAUsername

Just a heads-up, comments like "I presume some of you replying so far,  are from BG or politics?" don't come across very well. No one here gets paid to reply to posts, we all do it for free as we enjoy helping people and helping fix issues.

EssexHebridean

⬆️⬆️⬆️ Yes - this. 

OP, nobody is accusing you of anything, so please extend the same courtesy to us. 

Prepayment would not necessarily be more expensive - have you checked what the rates would be on this, compared to the standard DD rates? Some suppliers also offer no additional charges for paying on receipt of bill, whereas others have higher rates for this. 

What reason did they give for not responding to your email? I ask because if you took the same accusatory tone with them that you have taken with us, then perhaps they feel that your approach has been rude - and they will not expect their agents to engage with customers who it is felt are being rude. Hopefully this is not the case, though.