British Gas billing chaos

Westcountrylass

Hi, 
My bills from British Gas recently have been all over the place with them transferring several hundred pounds between my two accounts (one address, two accounts, no idea why), usage has been transferred between accounts as well, and I've got bills for periods that have already been billed for. A customer adviser seemed to understand what has happened and says it will be all sorted next week, with a final transfer from one account to another, and put the phone down on me when I asked him to explain it. The statements are a complete mess and not clear whether I've been billed the right amounts or what my actual usage is over time. Any advice on how I can make a complaint in writing to ask them to sort it out?

jaybeetoo

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-support/make-a-complaint-select-energy

gpman

Westcountrylass said:

Hi, 
My bills from British Gas recently have been all over the place with them transferring several hundred pounds between my two accounts (one address, two accounts, no idea why), usage has been transferred between accounts as well, and I've got bills for periods that have already been billed for. A customer adviser seemed to understand what has happened and says it will be all sorted next week, with a final transfer from one account to another, and put the phone down on me when I asked him to explain it. The statements are a complete mess and not clear whether I've been billed the right amounts or what my actual usage is over time. Any advice on how I can make a complaint in writing to ask them to sort it out?

Oh dear, I fully understand the frustration you are clealy experiencing

May I ask, have you read any other posts about British Gas here? 

Because it appears that BG have been moving all their customers over to a new billing platform. With 7.5m+ customers to cater for, you can imagine that takes quite some time. I understand they started the process back in 2022, but I understood it was planned to be completed by last year. Are you perhaps one of the last customers to be completely moved over, which may explain your current 2 accounts?

Anyway, you have been advised your transfer would all be completed next week, leaving you with just the one active account.

You asked for advice on how to file a complaint. I see another poster has already kindly assisted you in that regards.

But why would you not wait to see if that promise materialises before filing a complaint?

What do you plan to be the exact basis of your complaint? What are you seeking from BG exactly?

Is it over why you have 2 accounts currently? If so, that may well be resolved before anyone ever looks at your complaint based upon what you have already been advised.

Is it that you are unable to understand the statements you have been issued? If so, then I'm afraid to say that no matter how frustrating I know you must find it, an energy supplier the size of British Gas is not going to change their billing system just to suit you. 

If you really cannot understand their billing, I suggest you make an appointment with your local Citizens Advice Office, take along all your paperwork, and hopefully someone there will be in a position to carefully explain everything to you. 

Westcountrylass

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81851482#Comment_81851482

Thanks - I've called them again today because it wasn't resolved yesterday as promised - nothing was done and nobody got back to me. The advisor I spoke to was very helpful so I'm hopeful that it will be resolved this week. It's now been escalated internally for the billing team to look into exactly what's happened. All I can say is that it is a real mess and completely unacceptable.

Bigphil1474

British Gas treat gas and electric as 2 separate accounts. We joined them after the new billing system was introduced so no idea what the old billing system was like. However, you can have negative balances on one and a positive balance on the other and they don't usually move the money over. We actually have our 2 accounts on different fixes now, one ending this year, and one next year. I've no idea why they do it as 2 accounts, it wasn't optional.

gpman

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81856165#Comment_81856165

On the basis that you cannot hope to resolve a problem unless you already understand the problem, I fear the earlier promise given that this will be resolved this week is now looking unlikely. On that basis I would recommend this is escalated to a formal complaint now (if it has not already been) to at least get the clock ticking.