Who to complain to in British Gas about overcharging?

MorningcoffeeIV

BikingBud said:

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%!

Scamming also doesn't mean what you think it does, along with overcharging.

[Deleted User]

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 are unhappy with your supplier then why not ‘ditch and switch’ to one that has a reputation for allowing consumers to adjust the monthly DD payment?

 I am with Octopus: a year or so ago I deployed the argument that provided I made sure that my credit balance was enough to cover the next month’s bill in full,  I should be able to adjust my monthly DD as required. Octopus did not argue with my logic. Clearly, the onus is on me to monitor my energy costs closely but that isn’t difficult with a smart meter.

If you want to pay a monthly bill then all the suppliers that I know will happily agree. You may have to pay more for doing so.

EssexHebridean

I budget monthly for my following year’s car insurance. Sometimes, when I renew, the premium has dropped and I have budgeted too much. The logic being used here means presumably I am scamming myself?

if the money you have in credit was lost to you when in fact it turns out that over a year, you have overpaid, that would be a scam. As it is, it can be returned, or can roll over to the following year’s budget plan, with an associated drop in DD if this is appropriate. No scam. 

But yes - I agree, the path of least resistance here would be to change to a supplier which offers variable or “whole amount” DD. Problem solved.