British Gas credit use (cost + debt), had enough for 4 years so considering court action.

tifo

gt94sss2 said:

Not directly related but I wonder if anyone has mentioned https://britishgasenergytrust.org.uk/ to @tifo

Yeah, i know about this though never pointed to it by BG, like i say, they've never done anything for me. All they want me to do is keep topping up and carry on regardless.

tifo

Scot_39 said:

I would have hoped smart prepay meters etc would have provided better information as to usage at least.

Wonder how much is just B Gas IT and how much is inherent ?

At least to cover your concerns over randomness of credit usage and need to monitor credit before cut off.

Do smart prepay work with apps such as bright or loop - or are those only useful for credit meters ?

IHD's not working in flats or larger homes is sadly common - they only have a max theroretical range on older generation of iirc 10-15m in clear air - stick a wall or door or 2 in the way - the signal quickly dies - a quick google comes up with So Energy recommending just 2-3m to their customers and avoiding walls.

Have you asked B Gas whether a dual band or really pushing the boat out even newer alt-han technology - is currently avaiable from them - and if suitable - available for you ?

See 

https://www.smartme.co.uk/home-area-network.html

Given health issues - you really ought to be towards the front of the queue - for some sort of better solution.

"I would have hoped smart prepay meters etc would have provided better information as to usage at least"

I thought so too, at least from BGs own systems !!

"Do smart prepay work with apps such as bright or loop - or are those only useful for credit meters?"

Yes, my gas prepay meter works with loop but the data is inconsistent with many days missed and not accurate credit info. This will be because the data comes from BG anyway and they can't even supply it in their own online account.

The electricity data is more consistent and most days are counted but the online account for eon (electricity) gives more detailed info anyway like accurate (I assume) daily usage.

"Given health issues - you really ought to be towards the front of the queue - for some sort of better solution".

I agree, i've been at BG since day 1 and it's 4 years now and i've struggled along.

tifo

molerat said:

A few years back I worked out that with gas and my antique inefficient boiler in mid winter I could heat my whole house 24/7, including background heating the conservatory, and provide as much hot water as needed for the same price as running a single 1.5 kW electric heater for 24 hours a day.  That still stands.  With a modern efficient boiler the difference will be even greater.  Heating with electric when you have gas and a modern boiler is nothing short of madness.

"Heating with electric when you have gas and a modern boiler is nothing short of madness".

I agree but I know the electricity credit meter won't cut off. With the gas prepay meter and the way it sucks credit i've to top up with money which can be used elsewhere otherwise if i use it a lot the credit will go and it can possibly cut off. This is why i've cut my usage (from BG info) in half to approx 7,000 kWh. By not using central heating as much and leaving the house cold during the day mostly with very little heating in morning and evening.

I've had the prepay meter cut off a few times over the years, when credit usage increased after a top up and i didn't realise it will take, for example and just an example £4.50 a day rather than the £2.50 it did from the previous top up. This is why i have to manually check every few days.

tifo

Scot_39 said:

So be greatful you have gas heating.

Nhs advice 18-21 - if hit 18 in living room my heating is turned down or off - aim 15 min -17. Rest of house at 14-15, 16 means again I turn down.

"be greatful you have gas heating".

I can't be grateful at the credit i'm using. No offence.

"Nhs advice 18-21".

NHS can advice 18-21 degrees but they don't pay the bills. People have to do what they need to in their own situation.

I need to get thermometers for a few rooms so i can see what the temperature is. It'll be useful in my case i think.

tifo

Mentally, every time the central heating is on i worry about the credit on the meter and have to check it soon after. I stress a bit over having to check it as it may be down to a limit where i have to top up and it's a bit of a relief when it's fine for that day.

I know, sad as it is the BG prepay meter runs my day, more so October to April but then again in summer with no central heating most days i was still topping up £60 a month and, for the sake of repeating, I top up double what BG estimate.

MWT

tifo said:

I've had the prepay meter cut off a few times over the years, when credit usage increased after a top up and i didn't realise it will take, for example and just an example £4.50 a day rather than the £2.50 it did from the previous top up. This is why i have to manually check every few days.

The amount it takes each day is driven mostly by the amount of gas you use each day, and that is driven by the weather and the time you have the heating on, so it can vary a lot from day to day...

Also if the credit does run out and you don't top-up immediately, the daily standing charges keep accumulating and that can increase the amount deducted as soon as you do top-up again. 

tifo

MWT said:

tifo said:

I've had the prepay meter cut off a few times over the years, when credit usage increased after a top up and i didn't realise it will take, for example and just an example £4.50 a day rather than the £2.50 it did from the previous top up. This is why i have to manually check every few days.

The amount it takes each day is driven mostly by the amount of gas you use each day, and that is driven by the weather and the time you have the heating on, so it can vary a lot from day to day...

Also if the credit does run out and you don't top-up immediately, the daily standing charges keep accumulating and that can increase the amount deducted as soon as you do top-up again. 

"The amount it takes each day is driven mostly by the amount of gas you use each day, and that is driven by the weather and the time you have the heating on".

Not mine and i'm not making it up. My credit is used depending on what BG seem to be sending with each top up. This is why it is so variable. I've compared many times over the years.

"Also if the credit does run out and you don't top-up immediately, the daily standing charges keep accumulating and that can increase the amount deducted as soon as you do top-up again".

I use the emergency credit when this has happened on the few occasions i was caught out. I top up the same day as i have to so the accumulation of standing charges doesn't apply. In 4 years i think it's happened 3 times.

Qyburn

I dont think I've sseen the situation set out methodically. Do you have enough data to be able to draw up something like ..

• In the last 12 months we used xxx kWh of electricity and xxx kWh of gas
• At the applicable tariffs the cost over those 12 months should have been £xxx.xx
• During those 12 months I paid a total of  £yyy.yy in top ups. 

Those should all be available from published information and your own records, without having to ask BG.

Then compare claimed debt before and after that period.

tifo

Qyburn said:

I dont think I've sseen the situation set out methodically. Do you have enough data to be able to draw up something like ..

• In the last 12 months we used xxx kWh of electricity and xxx kWh of gas
• At the applicable tariffs the cost over those 12 months should have been £xxx.xx
• During those 12 months I paid a total of  £yyy.yy in top ups. 

Those should all be available from published information and your own records, without having to ask BG.

Then compare claimed debt before and after that period.

It's gas only with a prepayment meter.

Like I said previously I don't know how to check gas usage on the prepayment meter, which is outside. It was posted that there's an option on the meter for gas use. All i've ever checked on the small screen is remaining credit, in the first button press it shows debt taken per hour at £0.022 and then the remaining credit at the next press. On a few occasions i've gone through further button presses to use emergency credit or top up manually.

The tariff has changed every 3 months so it's difficult (for me) to work out how much top up should have been used as i don't know the gas used every month.

I've asked BG for the info you detail and in 2 months they've not given it, despite promising to do so which makes me think they either can't or, more likely, can't be bothered.

They emailed me that my summary for 2023 is available in the online account. I've seen the summaries for 2022 and previous years but these were in the DSAR documents they sent to me.

Based on the previous 12 months I will pay approx £600 next year for gas inc standing charges at approx 7,000 kWh. This obviously does not include debt repayment and i've topped up more than  double that amount in 2023.

I've reduced my gas use from 12,303 in 2022 to 6884 in 2023. In 2021 and 2020 it was much higher as detailed previously. This reduction would seem to be by not using central heating as much and is not reflected in the top ups i've made in 2023. I'll work out how much I topped up in 2023.

MattMattMattUK

tifo said:

Qyburn said:

I dont think I've sseen the situation set out methodically. Do you have enough data to be able to draw up something like ..

• In the last 12 months we used xxx kWh of electricity and xxx kWh of gas
• At the applicable tariffs the cost over those 12 months should have been £xxx.xx
• During those 12 months I paid a total of  £yyy.yy in top ups. 

Those should all be available from published information and your own records, without having to ask BG.

Then compare claimed debt before and after that period.

It's gas only with a prepayment meter.

Like I said previously I don't know how to check gas usage on the prepayment meter, which is outside. It was posted that there's an option on the meter for gas use. All i've ever checked on the small screen is remaining credit, in the first button press it shows debt taken per hour at £0.022 and then the remaining credit at the next press. On a few occasions i've gone through further button presses to use emergency credit or top up manually.

Take a picture of your meter and post it on here with the meter number redacted, someone will be able to tell you how to get the figures out of it that we need.

tifo said:

The tariff has changed every 3 months so it's difficult (for me) to work out how much top up should have been used as i don't know the gas used every month.

Help us get those figures and we will work it out for you.

tifo said:

I've asked BG for the info you detail and in 2 months they've not given it, despite promising to do so which makes me think they either can't or, more likely, can't be bothered.

They emailed me that my summary for 2023 is available in the online account. I've seen the summaries for 2022 and previous years but these were in the DSAR documents they sent to me.

I've got at the moment is that based on the previous 12 months I will pay approx £600 next year for gas inc standing charges at approx 7,000 kWh. This obviously does not include debt repayment and i've topped up more than  double that amount in 2023.

What region are you in so we can get the correct tariff information? Those figures appear roughly correct, but with more detail we an work out accurate figures.