British Gas/BW Legal

throughtheblue

I'm writing this on behalf of a friend. 

Friend moved and has received lots of letters and emails from British Gas saying she owes an incorrect amount. When she's phoned them, they often say she doesn't owe anything and will send a letter out but they never do.  I spoke to them with her via an online chat, and the amount they were asking for looked completely made up - I questioned them on this, giving them factual meter readings, and they reduced the amount, but it was still incorrect. In the end, they stated that we don't owe anything and they will get a letter sent out confirming this. 

This never happened and they continued to pester. In the end, my friend decided to phone them and pay an amount they were asking for as she was stressed and couldn't cope them anymore. Again, they never sent a confirmation of this payment, or the 'debt' being cleared. They continued to send emails, which she didn't notice, but now the 'debt' has been passed on to BW Legal. BW Legal want proof, but because they have never sent letters, no proof has been sent. 

What is the best way to deal with this now, if we cant get physical proof of paying, or even owing the debt. Is it best just to take this to the ombudsman service?

Robin9

Does your friend have an online account  ?  

Can she download copies of the bills ?

pochase

When your friend moved did she get a final bill? What did the bill say?

tripled

Your friend needs to raise a formal complaint. If they do not resolve it within 8 weeks, or they issue a final response and she does not agree, then she can take it to the ombudsman.

You say your friend has received lots of letters and emails, but what she should have is a final bill showing the meter readings on the date her tenancy ended, or the property sale completed, and the balance owing. She can request an updated statement that shows the payment she made.

It might be helpful for your friend to make a request under GDPR to get a copy of all information BG hold.

throughtheblue

Robin9 said:

Does your friend have an online account  ?  

Can she download copies of the bills ?

She does, I will have a look at it with her. 
Part of the problem is that there was an old debt unpaid on her new property. 
Just for more context, she got the keys for a new rental, but didn't move in for a few days, she took photos of both the gas and electric meter, then swapped to Octopus. 
I calculated what she owed British Gas and it was a very small amount, so we have no idea how they come up with the random numbers. 

Piecing together what's happened, she has wrongly paid them more than she owed to get them off her back. They closed the account, but continued sending emails, and never confirmed that she paid. 

Essentially,  she got the keys, then moved into the property a few days later and switched the energy, but unfortunately, it's all been dealt with in a confusing way. 

I just don't know how we reset, and show them when she moved in, what she owed when switching and confirm that she's paid too much and also doesn't owe any more. 

throughtheblue

pochase said:

When your friend moved did she get a final bill? What did the bill say?

Sorry for the confusion - so she got the keys to the property, didn't move in for a few days, then switched supplier, so owed a small amount, like £14, but BG were asking for much more. 

throughtheblue

tripled said:

Your friend needs to raise a formal complaint. If they do not resolve it within 8 weeks, or they issue a final response and she does not agree, then she can take it to the ombudsman.

You say your friend has received lots of letters and emails, but what she should have is a final bill showing the meter readings on the date her tenancy ended, or the property sale completed, and the balance owing. She can request an updated statement that shows the payment she made.

It might be helpful for your friend to make a request under GDPR to get a copy of all information BG hold.

Thanks, in the meantime, what do we say to BG legal, to hold them off whilst we try and resolve this for what seems like the 6th time. 

She actually raised a formal complaint a few months ago which was never responded to. 

[Deleted User]

Hi,

so is she being chased for debt from old address or new address before switch?

throughtheblue

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

so is she being chased for debt from old address or new address before switch?

sorry for the confusion - new address, got keys to it, moved in a week later and switched the energy, supplied them with the accurate meter readings and they've just been generating completely random amounts to owe. 

pochase

SO when she moved in did she open an account with BG and submitted the meter readings?

The question if she received a final bill is still valid, she should have gotten it, even if she was only with them a few days.

Did she submit the meter readings at the switch to Octopus? Were htis emter readings been used by Octopus and BG, or if they were different, were the same meter readings used?

throughtheblue

pochase said:

SO when she moved in did she open an account with BG and submitted the meter readings?

The question if she received a final bill is still valid, she should have gotten it, even if she was only with them a few days.

Did she submit the meter readings at the switch to Octopus? Were htis emter readings been used by Octopus and BG, or if they were different, were the same meter readings used?

I think she did, and also to Octopus who took over and said they deal with the final meter readings, which it seemed a payment was taken for this. We are trying to get that info from octopus to provide to BW legal to prove to them. 

The problem is, she has paid random amounts to attempt to get them to clear off, and asked them on the phone 'will you stop sending them if I pay this', but somehow never ends. 

As it's become confusing, I'm just wondering the best approach of how to go back and deal with this.