British Gas Peak Save Summer Sundays

Estepona

British Gas Peak Save Summer Sundays is a con. I received email invite, registered for it on 26 July, received acknowledgment, but after 13 days have not had the confirmation email. Sent 3 DMs to @BritishGasHelpwhich have been ignored, very strange as in the past their social media team has responded promptly. Web chat adviser unable to tell me what the criteria for customer eligibility is. Seems to me that British Gas are promoting this scheme but then decide if they’re going to let you take part or not! After posting a public complaint finally got a reply from @BritishGasHelp and they’ve now changed my smart meter to send half hour readings which apparently will generate a confirmation email, inexcusable that I had to complain in order for this to happen. Will wait to see if email arrives before the scheme ends next month! Any similar experiences??

SarahSea1968

I have twice now registered my interest in joining the summer Peak Save scheme with British Gas (once 4 weeks ago, then one week ago). On both occasions I've been sent an acknowledgement, saying that they'll check my eligibility and get back to me. I've heard nothing since. I've also contacted their chat bot service but this just referred me to the FAQs page. Very frustrating. 

Mstty

What do the terms and conditions say.

Similar thing with Eon on the previous savings events they did not include everyone.

Jyana

It could be that they have the scheduled amount of customers signed up at the moment. I signed up, and was accepted a couple of days later, at the start of July. I imagine it was a popular thing and not everyone would be able to take part unfortunately.

One important thing you make sure you have in place when registering your interest is that your smart meter is taking half hour readings. Without that, BG are not able to accept you as they won't be able to break down the usage properly, so do check that is what your meter is doing on your account. But like I say, with the promotion around halfway through now, it's probably more likely that it is just now full.

Mstty said:

What do the terms and conditions say.

Similar thing with Eon on the previous savings events they did not include everyone.

Details are on this page, FAQs at the bottom and there's a link to the full T&Cs which is a PDF you need to download too.

lucevdw

I registered for BG Peak Save on 26 June.  Got acknowledgement email but nothing further.  Yesterday I called to find out why and to file complaint for lack of promised communication.  I was astonished to be told that: 1. They are only offering this discount to 'specially pre-selected customers' despite their website info advertising this as an open option for everyone.  2. Their 'eligibility criteria' are not published nor will they discuss how they select these special few for and advantageous price discount.  3. If they offered this to everyone, they might lose money despite posting record profits for the past two years! 
Naturally, I am outraged by this deceptive, secretive, discriminatory and cynical advertising ploy by BG.  I requested to file a formal complaint against these practices and was told they are not accepting complaints on this policy.  I got a complaint number and now still have to get a Deadlock Letter and wait 8 weeks before proceeding with a formal complaint with OfGem against these villians and their shoddy practices.
Has anyone else had this experience and how did you proceed?  Would Martin Lewis care to take up this issue either in the weekly email update or the podcast?  I would be very interested to know about other pov's on BG's Peak Save.

CSI_Yorkshire

1. They say that everyone can register interest on the website.  This is true.  They do not say that everyone is guaranteed to be accepted into the scheme or when.

2. They don't need to publish internal business policies or commercial decisions.

3. If it is true that putting everyone on a scheme that could save a small amount of money would turn the company loss-making, then it seems the 'record profits' weren't that big after all.  Also, not becoming loss-making seems like a sensible approach for a business.

ML hasn't had anything to do with this forum for years, since he sold MSE for a tidy sum.

Good luck with your complaint, but I think you will continue to be disappointed.

lucevdw

Estepona said:

British Gas Peak Save Summer Sundays is a con. I received email invite, registered for it on 26 July, received acknowledgment, but after 13 days have not had the confirmation email. Sent 3 DMs to @BritishGasHelpwhich have been ignored, very strange as in the past their social media team has responded promptly. Web chat adviser unable to tell me what the criteria for customer eligibility is. Seems to me that British Gas are promoting this scheme but then decide if they’re going to let you take part or not! After posting a public complaint finally got a reply from @BritishGasHelp and they’ve now changed my smart meter to send half hour readings which apparently will generate a confirmation email, inexcusable that I had to complain in order for this to happen. Will wait to see if email arrives before the scheme ends next month! Any similar experiences??

I've had a similar dreadful experience with these villians and their shoddy Peak Save practices.  Where did you file your public complaint? Thanks

Mstty

lucevdw said:

I registered for BG Peak Save on 26 June.  Got acknowledgement email but nothing further.  Yesterday I called to find out why and to file complaint for lack of promised communication.  I was astonished to be told that: 1. They are only offering this discount to 'specially pre-selected customers' despite their website info advertising this as an open option for everyone.  2. Their 'eligibility criteria' are not published nor will they discuss how they select these special few for and advantageous price discount.  3. If they offered this to everyone, they might lose money despite posting record profits for the past two years! 
Naturally, I am outraged by this deceptive, secretive, discriminatory and cynical advertising ploy by BG.  I requested to file a formal complaint against these practices and was told they are not accepting complaints on this policy.  I got a complaint number and now still have to get a Deadlock Letter and wait 8 weeks before proceeding with a formal complaint with OfGem against these villians and their shoddy practices.
Has anyone else had this experience and how did you proceed?  Would Martin Lewis care to take up this issue either in the weekly email update or the podcast?  I would be very interested to know about other pov's on BG's Peak Save.

As an aid to this Eon Next ran their energy shifting events in a similar fashion. They didn't include everyone that signed up.

I did think this was a little unfair and after a few discussions with them with some poor customer service they issued a deadlock letter. The Ombudsman awarded £75 and an apology letter.

Ultimately this was awarded more for Eons conflicting information and poor customer service on how to be selected not necessarily a reward for not being selected for Eons energy shift event.

I suspect a complaint solely based on not being selected will fail but if you received some poor customer service on top it may be successful.

Jyana

lucevdw said:

I registered for BG Peak Save on 26 June.  Got acknowledgement email but nothing further.  Yesterday I called to find out why and to file complaint for lack of promised communication.  I was astonished to be told that: 1. They are only offering this discount to 'specially pre-selected customers' despite their website info advertising this as an open option for everyone.  2. Their 'eligibility criteria' are not published nor will they discuss how they select these special few for and advantageous price discount.  3. If they offered this to everyone, they might lose money despite posting record profits for the past two years! 
Naturally, I am outraged by this deceptive, secretive, discriminatory and cynical advertising ploy by BG.  I requested to file a formal complaint against these practices and was told they are not accepting complaints on this policy.  I got a complaint number and now still have to get a Deadlock Letter and wait 8 weeks before proceeding with a formal complaint with OfGem against these villians and their shoddy practices.
Has anyone else had this experience and how did you proceed?  Would Martin Lewis care to take up this issue either in the weekly email update or the podcast?  I would be very interested to know about other pov's on BG's Peak Save.

Sounds like you spoke to someone who hasn’t read their own website as the eligibility criteria is on there. I’ve linked to it above in my previous comment, but you basically need to have your (credit only) smart meter set to give half hour readings, be over the age of 18 years old, and it must take place in your own home, i.e. you are not a landlord using your tenant’s energy/meter.

I imagine that they would then offer places to customers across the country so it would depend on who registered first in your area maybe, or something like that. 

MeteredOut

lucevdw said:

I registered for BG Peak Save on 26 June.  Got acknowledgement email but nothing further.  Yesterday I called to find out why and to file complaint for lack of promised communication.  I was astonished to be told that: 1. They are only offering this discount to 'specially pre-selected customers' despite their website info advertising this as an open option for everyone.  2. Their 'eligibility criteria' are not published nor will they discuss how they select these special few for and advantageous price discount.  3. If they offered this to everyone, they might lose money despite posting record profits for the past two years! 
Naturally, I am outraged by this deceptive, secretive, discriminatory and cynical advertising ploy by BG.  I requested to file a formal complaint against these practices and was told they are not accepting complaints on this policy.  I got a complaint number and now still have to get a Deadlock Letter and wait 8 weeks before proceeding with a formal complaint with OfGem against these villians and their shoddy practices.
Has anyone else had this experience and how did you proceed?  Would Martin Lewis care to take up this issue either in the weekly email update or the podcast?  I would be very interested to know about other pov's on BG's Peak Save.

Who are they discriminating against?

GingerTim

Unless you are prevented from talking part in this promotion owing to your gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or disability, then you aren't remotely being discriminated against.