British Gas Rip off

Richard_Borley

I had an email from British Gas in March asking me to submit my 1st Quarter meter readings on April 1st. I did exactly as requested and the readings were uploaded and visible in the 'my account' section when i logged on to their website. This morning I got a bill from them using an 'estimated' reading which was for nearly double my usage for gas and electricity for the quarter. British Gas must think we are all stupid, as the price cap reduces they try and bring future usage in to the previous quarter. I rang them immediately, raised a complaint, got them to reduce my direct debit by 50% and told them that unless they offer me large enough compensation for my time and stress at thinking I had used so much power over the winter I would be going to OFGEM.
They really are a bunch of crooks.

Ayr_Rage

Just ask them to rebill on the correct readings.

Changing your DD does not do anything regarding the incorrect bill.

dunstonh

This morning I got a bill from them using an 'estimated' reading which was for nearly double my usage for gas and electricity for the quarter. British Gas must think we are all stupid, as the price cap reduces they try and bring future usage in to the previous quarter.

Quarter 1 turned out mild for most people.  Their modelling won't be on it being that mild.  They are not stupid.   Estimates are just that.

 I rang them immediately, raised a complaint, got them to reduce my direct debit by 50% and told them that unless they offer me large enough compensation for my time and stress at thinking I had used so much power over the winter I would be going to OFGEM.

Are you always so angry and aggressive about simple things like that?

They really are a bunch of crooks.

No they are not.   Try and remain calm and level headed.

GingerTim

Customers don't/can't 'go to OFGEM', they go to the Energy Ombudsman (after eight weeks have passed since a problem was reported and you get a deadlock letter).

Pizzageezer

Not impressed by the above preachy replies trolling the poor guy: HE'S A VICTIM FOR GOODNESS SAKE.
I currently have a very similar bad experience with British Gas. Having bumped up Direct Debits when energy prices were so high winter 2022/23, they left them high to recover backlogs owing on the accounts. But they have continued to leave them high, and their website does not allow consumer to reduce them. Both my accounts are now substantially in credit (as of the May 2024 bill - and very big credit balance on the Electric Account) and building up even more rapidly now it's summer. That money should be back in MY savings account, earning interest! Calculating over the past year, the DD's should be around half what they are! I've sent a formal complaint and demanded immediate adjustment and refund. If it doesn't happen, I shall just go elsewhere. But I believe it's a deliberate, underhanded ploy on their part - I would definitely call it a Rip Off. Multiply by a very large proportion of their customer base, and we're talking big money. The managers responsible are likely laughing all the way to their bonuses. 

wrf12345

If you go on to chat and be stubborn they will refund and/or reduce DD if you are in credit, but you have to keep being stubborn to get anywhere with them, I say this as an ex BG customer who is reasonably happy with Octopus and their variable DD (which solves the problem). Part of the problem is that Ofgem have told the energy companies not to let customers rack up too much debt so their computers are primed to keep increasing DD's and customer "service" agents are primed to tell you the same but it does not mean you have to accept that - they have a rough idea of your age from when you signed up (I say rough because you don't have to give them your real DOB, do you) as they tend to target older people as being an easy touch, at least in my experience.

I could have saved a few quid by going back to BG when they offered a lower s/c tariff but I resisted the temptation as I don't need the DD hassle. Worth having a look at Octopus Agile if you can time shift energy usage so that you are using close to zero from 4-7pm, BTW, and that has the variable DD option, too (albeit needing a phone call to set up - minutes wait time rather than half an hour for BG chat before they communicate with you).

mmmmikey

Pizzageezer said:

Not impressed by the above preachy replies trolling the poor guy: HE'S A VICTIM FOR GOODNESS SAKE.
I currently have a very similar bad experience with British Gas. Having bumped up Direct Debits when energy prices were so high winter 2022/23, they left them high to recover backlogs owing on the accounts. But they have continued to leave them high, and their website does not allow consumer to reduce them. Both my accounts are now substantially in credit (as of the May 2024 bill - and very big credit balance on the Electric Account) and building up even more rapidly now it's summer. That money should be back in MY savings account, earning interest! Calculating over the past year, the DD's should be around half what they are! I've sent a formal complaint and demanded immediate adjustment and refund. If it doesn't happen, I shall just go elsewhere. But I believe it's a deliberate, underhanded ploy on their part - I would definitely call it a Rip Off. Multiply by a very large proportion of their customer base, and we're talking big money. The managers responsible are likely laughing all the way to their bonuses. 

So instead of ranting why not simply change suppliers?

wrf12345

"So instead of ranting why not simply change suppliers?" Probably because BG have a heap of his money and is worried that they will "disappear" it during the changeover...

MeteredOut

All this thread is missing is a reference to the Horizon scandal.

Qyburn

Pizzageezer said:

Not impressed by the above preachy replies trolling the poor guy: 

Agree. Presumably we don't actually think it's OK for a supplier to bill using a higher estimated figure, and to ignore the actual reading provided by the customer.

BarelySentientAI

Qyburn said:

Pizzageezer said:

Not impressed by the above preachy replies trolling the poor guy: 

Agree. Presumably we don't actually think it's OK for a supplier to bill using a higher estimated figure, and to ignore the actual reading provided by the customer.

Against the conditions of the supply licence - so no, it's very much not ok.

I think the other posters more took against the "I expect heap big compo or I go to OFGEM" rather than the billing on estimates.