British Gas - not giving option to reduce monthly payment

bettydaviseyes

I want to reduce my direct debit as I am £339 in credit.  I was paying £134 a month but increased my direct debit to £200 a month because of getting the £66 back - so effectively still paying £134 a month.  Now we no longer get the refund each month I want to reduce my payment back to £134 but British Gas are only giving the option to increase.  Can they do this?  I will struggle if I have to continue paying £200 a month

pochase

When did you receive the last bill from BG? They bill only every 6 months, so a £339 credit does not mean anything if there is no up to date bill.

MalMonroe

Hi, you might have to send them an email or phone them. 

I'm with Octopus and that's what they do, too. In my experience, anyway. I've recently returned to paying by direct debit and as recently as this Monday, tried to lower my direct debit amount via my online account but wasn't able to. I could have increased it, no problem - but I wanted to lower it. Not allowed (in red! Rude.).

I ended up phoning them, as that was the quickest method for me. If your account is in credit and you are going to be struggling to pay going forward, BG should definitely lower the payment for you. It doesn't seem like an unreasonable request, from what you have said.

Contact them and ask. Octopus complied with my request and lowered my payment soon after I'd phoned. I'll now just keep monitoring my account to make sure I'm not underpaying too much but hopefully with the warmer weather (hopefully) coming, bills should be a bit lower? All being well that is . . . . 

PS sorry, I have assumed that you tried to amend the DD amount yourself? But in any case, I would contact BG and discuss with them. 

bettydaviseyes

pochase said:

When did you receive the last bill from BG? They bill only every 6 months, so a £339 credit does not mean anything if there is no up to date bill.

Everything is up to date. Sent my meter reading almost 2 weeks ago and the bill was produced a couple of days later -  £339 in credit.  

poppy12345

MalMonroe said:

I'm with Octopus and that's what they do, too. In my experience, anyway. I've recently returned to paying by direct debit and as recently as this Monday, tried to lower my direct debit amount via my online account but wasn't able to. I could have increased it, no problem - but I wanted to lower it. Not allowed (in red! Rude.).

I'm with Octopus and have never had an issue reducing my DD. When the rebate from the Government started last year i kept my DD's at their usual amount rather than reducing it. A couple of weeks ago i was contacted by Octopus to say the rebate had ended so my payments were being increased to £190. I'm already in credit by more than £300 so i reduced the DD back to the usual amount without any issues.

bettydaviseyes

MalMonroe said:

Hi, you might have to send them an email or phone them. 

I'm with Octopus and that's what they do, too. In my experience, anyway. I've recently returned to paying by direct debit and as recently as this Monday, tried to lower my direct debit amount via my online account but wasn't able to. I could have increased it, no problem - but I wanted to lower it. Not allowed (in red! Rude.).

I ended up phoning them, as that was the quickest method for me. If your account is in credit and you are going to be struggling to pay going forward, BG should definitely lower the payment for you. It doesn't seem like an unreasonable request, from what you have said.

Contact them and ask. Octopus complied with my request and lowered my payment soon after I'd phoned. I'll now just keep monitoring my account to make sure I'm not underpaying too much but hopefully with the warmer weather (hopefully) coming, bills should be a bit lower? All being well that is . . . . 

PS sorry, I have assumed that you tried to amend the DD amount yourself? But in any case, I would contact BG and discuss with them. 

Thank you.  Yes, I have been trying to do it online.  I do need to lower the payments now and monitor etc as hoping bills will be a little lower. Just seems wrong they are only allowing increases online, especially when in credit.  

wrf12345

BG do let you decrease DD via chat online but may try to say that they don't want to do it in case you get into debt but point out reduced usage in summer, etc. They will also give you back any excess credit if you ask. Bear in mind standing charges have gone up a bit from April, sheer greed and stupidity from Ofgem in face of general outrage from the public but welcome to cartel city. May take up to an hour to get through to chat and sort it out.

Scot_39

wrf12345 said:

BG do let you decrease DD via chat online but may try to say that they don't want to do it in case you get into debt but point out reduced usage in summer, etc. They will also give you back any excess credit if you ask. Bear in mind standing charges have gone up a bit from April, sheer greed and stupidity from Ofgem in face of general outrage from the public but welcome to cartel city. May take up to an hour to get through to chat and sort it out.

General outrage from those who don't understand what it is actually paying for.
Read the article pinned at top of thread.


The electricity grid in next four years has to integrate c17GW of renewables - from last 2 auctions - and likely far more in future - these often being brought ashore in remote places.

Both new sections of grid - and the existing grid needs upgrading in places too, for greater power delivery - its not all one voltage level and one power capacity.

To distribute that power to population centres often 100s of miles away.

Like the newly authorised EGL2 - secomd Eastern hvdc link - actually involving a chain of other links and pylon upgrades etc - a chain of links from Shetlands to Mainland, NE to Aberdeenshire, Aberdeenshire all the way to Drax site Yorksire iirc.

The final HVDC link from Peterhead - 300-400 miles long - under sea and land to feed into AC grid..

If it stays as was the link provides c2GW of power.

springer5

Scot_39 said:

General outrage from those who don't understand what it is actually paying for.

Actually... General outrage from overcharged customers who know only to well that they are being squeezed more than necessary simply because for decades energy companiy's (very healthy) profits have been skimmed off to pay multi-million pound fat cat bonuses unstead of being put back into the business in order to achieve all the things you've listed without needing to increase charges.

Just as they've successfully done in most European countries.

"I bought a new helicopter with last years profits so there's no profit left which means I'm going to have to charge you more to get new works done" 

dunstonh

Care: old thread revived - don't go replying to earlier posts by mistake.

Actually... General outrage from overcharged customers who know only to well that they are being squeezed more than necessary simply because for decades energy companiy's (very healthy) profits have been skimmed off to pay multi-million pound fat cat bonuses unstead of being put back into the business in order to achieve all the things you've listed without needing to increase charges.

And what profit do you think they are making vs what they are actually making?  (or not making)