British Gas credit amount vastly incorrect

pochase

That is not how a variable direct debit works. Dividing you estimated usage by 12 is a fixed direct debit.

For a variable dirrect debit you submit monthly readings (either manually or smart) and you are billed for this usage only. If you have an exsiting credit you pay nothing or less than the billed amount. So latest after a few months of variable direct debit your credit is gone and you pay what the bill says. Only exception is if they would have to change the bill and you end up in credit, but that is been used up quickly again by being deducted from your bill and reducing the payment.

This is why people are a bit surprised, BG does not do monthly billing to our knowledge for fixed direct debits, only for pay on receipt of a bill and variable direct debit there are monthly or three monthly bills.

[Deleted User]

When was your DD payment last reviewed?

brewerdave

Just been sent a survey by BG. Have taken great delight in rating them 1* for everything. 

Re Dolor's last post - fine in theory but  it  DOESN'T work in practice !!!

BooJewels

I'd concur @brewerdave - I think we've discussed this before - my BG forecast annual usage has always been about half of what it actually is - despite giving monthly readings for many years.  They'd set my DD way too low, then refund me as soon as I went over £200 in credit, saying I was over-paying.

Although I've now received a DD increase email (+75%) which has the estimate way over what I actually use - I have a feeling that it's including this estate account I'm managing too, as the total seems about right for both added together.  I need to log in today and check the numbers.

Uitlander

pochase said:

That is not how a variable direct debit works. Dividing you estimated usage by 12 is a fixed direct debit.

I never said I had a variable DD. My contract is for a fixed DD with monthly billing. BG said they would reduce the fixed amount once they had assessed my actual usage against their estimates. They have never done this, which is why my account continues to be in credit. They do have contracts with fixed rate DDs and Monthly billing - I am on a tariff that has precisely that.

As this is getting increasingly frustrating below is a screenshot from my BG account showing current balance, DD figure and monthly billing.