Who to complain to in British Gas about overcharging?

wasty

On this website:-

https://www.complaintsdepartment.co.uk/british-gas/#

It says that I can email:-

Email Iain Conn (CEO) on  iain.conn@centrica.co.uk

and:-

Email Customer Complaints on  customercomplaints@britishgas.co.uk

It also gives a phone number but I prefer to get things in writing.

I was fairly satisfied when I complained to the directors office of E.on, so I am temped to email British Gas CEO, I just wondered if anyone has complained to British Gas and to whom?  My complaint is about my monthly direct debit, but I do not want to go into details here as it is too complicated.

[Deleted User]

You could try following the supplier’s complaints procedure before escalating it to the CEO which, in truth, will be the same staff. If you get no joy after 8 weeks, you can refer the complaint to The Energy Ombudsman.

What is your complaint about? Bear in mind, if you do decide to escalate your complaint to EOS that it investigates nothing: it just reviews the evidence that you have provided and the supplier’s case file. Often decisions go against complainants because the complaint is based more on consumer anger than fact.

MWT

wasty said:

My complaint is about my monthly direct debit, but I do not want to go into details here as it is too complicated.

If you do go ahead with a complaint be careful how you phrase it as the level of your monthly DD has nothing to do with 'overcharging'...

The money from the DD just accumulates in your account until you get a bill. If the bill is wrong that could lead to overcharging, but setting the DD too high for example is not 'overcharging' ...

dunstonh

I was fairly satisfied when I complained to the directors office of E.on, so I am temped to email British Gas CEO, I just wondered if anyone has complained to British Gas and to whom?  My complaint is about my monthly direct debit, but I do not want to go into details here as it is too complicated.

The amount of your direct debit is not directly linked to the amount you are being charged.

If you are going to complain, it helps to stick to factual information and use real data. (i.e. your meter readings)  Don't mix unconnected things up.

jimjames

wasty said:

 My complaint is about my monthly direct debit, but I do not want to go into details here as it is too complicated.

It might help to put the details here. On previous experience with other posters on occasions it's not been the supplier that's overcharging but the customer not understanding the process. Posting here would help avoid that and clarify if you have a valid complaint or not.

wasty

Ah, you can’t email the CEO or customer services, you have to go to this website and fill in your complaint online, but it says that they will reply by email, text or phone, your choice.

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-support/make-a-complaint-select-energy

They say that the “average time to respond is currently running at 7 days, but in some cases could take up to 21 days.”

wasty

MWT said:

wasty said:

My complaint is about my monthly direct debit, but I do not want to go into details here as it is too complicated.

If you do go ahead with a complaint be careful how you phrase it as the level of your monthly DD has nothing to do with 'overcharging'...

Thanks, I just presented the circumstances and figures to them, and what action I want them to take, I await their reply.

BikingBud

MWT said:

wasty said:

My complaint is about my monthly direct debit, but I do not want to go into details here as it is too complicated.

If you do go ahead with a complaint be careful how you phrase it as the level of your monthly DD has nothing to do with 'overcharging'...

The money from the DD just accumulates in your account until you get a bill. If the bill is wrong that could lead to overcharging, but setting the DD too high for example is not 'overcharging' ...

But persistently charging a DD for far more than consumed and seeing my funds build up as credit is overcharging

They continue with this unacceptable behaviour based upon weak and unsupported arguments about end of period, blah, blah, blah.

Variable DD based upon actual consumption should be the norm in just the same manner that I pay off my CC. Anything else is scamming, unless of course they want to pay me BOE rate +4%!

t0rt0ise

BikingBud said:

MWT said:

wasty said:

My complaint is about my monthly direct debit, but I do not want to go into details here as it is too complicated.

If you do go ahead with a complaint be careful how you phrase it as the level of your monthly DD has nothing to do with 'overcharging'...

The money from the DD just accumulates in your account until you get a bill. If the bill is wrong that could lead to overcharging, but setting the DD too high for example is not 'overcharging' ...

But persistently charging a DD for far more than consumed and seeing my funds build up as credit is overcharging

Strictly it isn't overcharging as it isn't a bill. The bill is what they are charging. Taking the DD is just money on account, in reserve for when they do charge you.

MattMattMattUK

BikingBud said:

MWT said:

wasty said:

My complaint is about my monthly direct debit, but I do not want to go into details here as it is too complicated.

If you do go ahead with a complaint be careful how you phrase it as the level of your monthly DD has nothing to do with 'overcharging'...

The money from the DD just accumulates in your account until you get a bill. If the bill is wrong that could lead to overcharging, but setting the DD too high for example is not 'overcharging' ...

But persistently charging a DD for far more than consumed and seeing my funds build up as credit is overcharging

They continue with this unacceptable behaviour based upon weak and unsupported arguments about end of period, blah, blah, blah.

Variable DD based upon actual consumption should be the norm in just the same manner that I pay off my CC. Anything else is scamming, unless of course they want to pay me BOE rate +4%!

If you look at "the norm" most people who have one do not pay a credit card off in full every month so that is a bad analogy.

Also, why would they pay you BoE +4%, there is nowhere offering a rate anywhere close to 8% interest at the moment. A few suppliers in the past have offered customers interest in balance, but they also practiced monthly billing. The likes of EDF and British Gas who operate six month billing cycles mean that at various points customers will nominally have a large credit balance before the bill is issued, which is then reduced significantly, possibly even going into debt. 

Mstty

Why don't you move away from BG? If I was unhappy with an energy supplier I would be off to another.