Is it worth contacting MP re chaotic online account with British Gas?

M25

ChrisJJ said:

Is it worth writing to my MP about an issue with my energy supplier?

No. Your MP will be busy with important things.

Why not leave BG? If you love BG for some reason then you can go back to them after a period of time.

If you want to waste lots more of your time, then my answer would be yes, contact your MP.

dunstonh

bristolleedsfan said:

dunstonh said:

However, the ombudsman informs me that my online account doesn't have to reflect the bills I actually receive (or something like that - "it's just a guide"). 

However, BG are moving to Kraken and if you have a smart meter or input regular readings then it will be pretty accurate.

You periodically post the same thing, can you post evidence to what you have said being as you appear to have taken no apparent notice of previous reply stating B.G moved/moving customers to Ensek platform

https://ensek.com/resources/centrica-british-gas-case-study

I read a post by someone else on another thread and took it to be correct.    I didn't see any correction until now.

Mobtr

ChrisJJ said:

QrizB said:

ChrisJJ said:

Is it worth writing to my MP about an issue with my energy supplier?

No.

ChrisJJ said:

Currently, my online account is a mess and bears no relation to, well, anything

I can see how this might be inconvenient, but does it matter to any appreciable degree?

ChrisJJ said:

Surely I should be able to see the bills I've had, and paid?

Have BG sent you paper bills and/or PDF bills for the complete period? Are those bills consistent, ie. do the meter readings match yours, have you been charged for every kWh at the appropriate ratr, and have you been charged the daily SC for every day?

Yes, for the period concerned I was getting paper bills as usual, based on my readings, or if estimated, rebilled when I informed them of correct reading. Unfortunately, I stupidly got rid of most of these bills when having a clear out. I never envisaged I would be in this situation.

Yes, the bills readings matched mine. There is no way of telling now what the readings were as, as I have stated, it's impossible to make sense of what is on the online account. Everything fell to pieces after a gas leak, when the meter was replaced, and BG failed to register the meter and was consistently unable to provide an accurate bill. That's why I had to contact the ombudsman. 

The 'billing' section of the online account does not show the bills I received, just 22 entries (I haven't had 22 bills!) that almost all say 'cancelled and replaced'

My issue is that I should be able to view my past bills and payments on my online account. Everything on the account bears no relation to the actual bills I received or the payments I've made in the past 18 months. Of the 52 'payments', only five or six are my actual payments. The rest is miscellaneous that just says 'energy charges' and then 'reversal'. 

The entries you think are payments are not payments. They are debits for energy charged, not payments you have made. The clue is in the name ‘energy charges’ When the account has been rebilled they are then cancelled or ‘reversed’ maybe if you marry up the charges & reversals then ignore them, then add your actual charges together, take off your actual payments you should get your balance & hopefully see that it’s correct 

ChrisJJ

QrizB said:

ChrisJJ said:

My issue is that I should be able to view my past bills and payments on my online account.

That's what you'd like to see, but both BG and the Ombudsman agree that the online account doesn't have to show that info.

Can you ask BG for reprints of your paper bills?

Good idea - I may attempt that. Though it has to be said, talking to BG online is like pulling teeth. Every person I speak to gives me a different story. I've lost count of how many times I've been promised something that never materialises. But yes, I will ask about reprints - thank you!

ChrisJJ

Unfortunately, I don't think this will even be possible. It is, genuinely, such a terrible mess. And the meter readings are all over the place too. At one point they jump 18 months, even though I provided readings during this period.

I have requested copies of past paper bills (they are not online) but doubt they will arrive. 

The latest is that, being just about to pay the bill agreed between BG and the ombudsman, I find my account once again, inexplicably, in credit. So now I'm wondering, if I'm in credit, do I pay the bill??