British Gas cancelled and reissue bills but hasn’t applied credits

Bgdrivingmemad

New here so can’t yet post photos of bills.  Problem is this:

1.  Switched to new BG billing system last April/May.  This may or may not be relevant.  Electricity only.

2.  From May 2023 to January 2024 BG issued bills based on estimated meter reads.  One in August for £304 and one in November for £288, total £592.  I paid both on receipt (we are on 1/4ly billing not d/d).

3.  I supplied a meter reading in January 2024.  This shows that there was an underestimate of consumption between May 2023 and January 2024.

4. BG issued a new bill on 31 January 2024 which, over two pages, cancels each set of estimated readings between May 2023 and January 2024 and shows new reading based on the actual allocated on a straightline basis on to the various periods during which the tariffs changed.  The total, including the standing charges and VAT, comes to £802.

5.  Putting aside any quibbling I might make about the allocation of the units (we have solar PV so there should probably be slightly less allocated in the middle months), the total consumption is correct, so we did incur £802 worth in the period May 2023-Jan 2024.

6.  However, and this is the nub, nowhere on the bill do BG show they have credited the £592 already paid in the period concerned.  This means they’ve taken £592, cancelled the bills for the £592, not given a credit for those bills but then billed £802 for the same period.

7.  I’ve now had two calls with people in South Africa, both unsatisfactory in different way, the latest with a promise that someone in the “back office” will look at it again but still maintaining I owe £802.

Has anyone had to deal with something similar?

Many thanks.

QrizB

My sympathies, we've had lots of BG customers with problems similar to yours when BG switch them from the old billing system to the new one.

I expect BG will sort it out eventually.

This is not an immediate help, but you should try not to pay estimated bills. Submit meter readings regularly and sanity-check estimates against actual readings.

Is there any reason why you pay on receipt of bill rather than DD? You're paying about 8-10% more than you need to.

Bgdrivingmemad

Thanks.  I am regretting not submitting the readings, and won’t be making that mistake again.  I don’t do direct debit as I want to be in control of the process (surprising though that may sound as I didn’t submit the readings for the last two 1/4s), and don’t want them taking money and stock piling against winter bills or whatever it is they do.

Bendo

Why not pay by variable direct debt then and get the dd discount.

Better still go with  a supplier like Octopus that take Amex, pay by variable direct debit but pay it by card before the DD is taken and get the cashback as well.

Bgdrivingmemad

Once this is sorted out we will switch and I will look into the different options.  Thanks for the suggestions.