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Uknown British Gas charges affecting Credit Score (Again!)
Rosstifer25
Posts: 7 Forumite
in Energy
Hi, I need some advice on how to approach an issue with British Gas.
I’ve been looking at getting a credit card ahead of a few purchases, but upon going through the application with my bank I found out I’d been rejected, which was unexpected.
I hadn’t checked my credit score in a few months but when I did last, in July, it was sitting at 970 on Experian. I logged in to look at it and it now shows 541 - very poor and says that this is due to missing payments. Looking further into this shows that this is for missing British Gas payments from August, September, October & November. Now, I have no account with British Gas, my household utilities are with Utilita and are in my wife’s name anyway.
I was with British Gas at my previous address, but I moved out of there in October 2023 and the account was confirmed closed. While I was with them, I had an ongoing issue with British Gas having a second account registered in my name while I was at the address. They were aware of the issue but had failed to resolve it so it was finally dealt with via the Energy Ombudsman and resolved in December 2023.
Link to previous thread with more detail of this issue: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6476924/british-gas-ongoing-issue-which-they-promised-to-fix-now-affecting-credit-score#latest
When I look into this, I can see that it is from the same account that they have allegedly closed. This will be the fourth or fifith time I have had to deal with this and the second time it has significantly affected my credit score.
How is best to deal with this; go to British Gas or back to the Ombudsman? Are they able to remove these marks from my credit file? Should I be compensated here?
I’ve been looking at getting a credit card ahead of a few purchases, but upon going through the application with my bank I found out I’d been rejected, which was unexpected.
I hadn’t checked my credit score in a few months but when I did last, in July, it was sitting at 970 on Experian. I logged in to look at it and it now shows 541 - very poor and says that this is due to missing payments. Looking further into this shows that this is for missing British Gas payments from August, September, October & November. Now, I have no account with British Gas, my household utilities are with Utilita and are in my wife’s name anyway.
I was with British Gas at my previous address, but I moved out of there in October 2023 and the account was confirmed closed. While I was with them, I had an ongoing issue with British Gas having a second account registered in my name while I was at the address. They were aware of the issue but had failed to resolve it so it was finally dealt with via the Energy Ombudsman and resolved in December 2023.
Link to previous thread with more detail of this issue: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6476924/british-gas-ongoing-issue-which-they-promised-to-fix-now-affecting-credit-score#latest
When I look into this, I can see that it is from the same account that they have allegedly closed. This will be the fourth or fifith time I have had to deal with this and the second time it has significantly affected my credit score.
How is best to deal with this; go to British Gas or back to the Ombudsman? Are they able to remove these marks from my credit file? Should I be compensated here?
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Comments
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I would suggest sending a prove it letter to BG so that they have to prove that you owe the money. If you go to the debt free wannabe board you will find this on one of the top stickies.
Depending on what they come back with you may be wanting to then do a SAR (subject access request) so that all the information they have about you is provided. This might reveal that they have not retained information that you are aware of (the EO resolution in 2023). Once armed with this you could lodge an(other) official complaint.I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Debt Free Wannabe and Old Style Money Saving boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
"Never retract, never explain, never apologise; get things done and let them howl.” Nellie McClung
⭐️🏅😇0 -
Also ignore the 'credit score'. It means nothing and is only seen by you and experian. It's the detail in the actual report that is important which you need to get corrected.
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You may also be able to go back to the Ombudsman with this, as it sounds as though BG haven't fulfilled their part of what was agreed?🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her1
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