Switching from BG is this normal?

oysterman

Had a letter from bg asking me to phone them with my meter readings 0845 num, my new provider has asked for them(gave it to them) & i assume everything is done by them.

Question is it normal for bg to get you to phone them because,
a- i begrudge phoning premium numbers
b- i presume they will try to talks us out of switching.

Cheers in advance

DGJsaver

oysterman wrote: »

Had a letter from bg asking me to phone them with my meter readings 0845 num, my new provider has asked for them(gave it to them) & i assume everything is done by them.

Question is it normal for bg to get you to phone them because,
a- i begrudge phoning premium numbers
b- i presume they will try to talks us out of switching.

Cheers in advance

If it`s any help 0845 is a local price call mate....
also , i would personally call them just to make sur ethey have the right meter readings
never mind all the flannell they throw at you just palm it off

Dan

dellxps

You DON'T need to phone BG. They will take your meter readings from you but they cannot use them unless they recieve the same reading from your new supplier.

How it works:

• new supplier asks for opening meter reading
• this gets passed onto third party to validate
• the third party then send a copy of the same reading to new supplier and old supplier to make sure everyone is opening and closing their accounts to the same reading.

NOTE: the third party sometimes discounts your own reading and estimates one.

BG will probably just try a sales patter on you.

DGJsaver

dellxps wrote: »

this gets passed onto third party to validate

• the third party then send a copy of the same reading to new supplier and old supplier to make sure everyone is opening and closing their accounts to the same reading.

NOTE: the third party sometimes discounts your own reading and estimates one.

Please explain further.....

jem16

dellxps wrote: »

NOTE: the third party sometimes discounts your own reading and estimates one.

I agree on this. I moved from BG two years ago and supplied exactly the same reading to both BG and my new supplier. In the end my new supplier used one of my readings as the starting point and the other seemed to come from nowhere - presumably the 3rd party.

At least BG and my new supplier did use the same readings.

far

I'd agree on this too - having (finally) switched away from British Gas late last year, this letter was totally ignored by us. British Gas eventually used a reading that was estimated forward from a reading we gave to our new supplier 10 days before switchover. The letter is almost certainly just a sales ploy to attempt to get you to change your mind and come back. I'd just ignore it.

DGJsaver

Who is the `3rd` party ?

jem16

A meter reader who comes out to check the readings.

DGJsaver

What i dont understand is if i give meter readings on the day we move out , and then the third party goes and checks , the numbers will be different surley because other people may move in and use before he gets there ??

Pixie28

DGJsaver......the reading you give your supplier the day you move out of the property is the reading that your account with them will be finalised on.

The OP is switching suppliers, not moving home, so its a different process.