British Gas direct debit = theft!

kookaburrah

I received my electricity bill dated 28 Feb for the last 6 months stating, as I expected, that I was in credit by £17. I was on a direct debit of £20 a month.
You cannot imagine my surprise when I receive a letter from them 5 days later stating they were increasing my direct debit to £41 a month! I immediately call them. The conversation goes something like this:
Me- I've just received an alarming letter from you stating you were increasing my DD to £41 a month. Why is that?
BG- Well you see, we've recently increased our energy prices. We need to make sure you are covering yourself. So we increased your DD.
Me- By how much did you increase your prices?
BG- By 15%.
Me- Okay, then go ahead an increase my DD by 15%. To £23 a month.
BG- Oh, I'm afraid we can't do that. See, we can't cut a DD by any more than 10%. We can lower it to £37 a month.
[Long conversation teaching simple maths to BG, trying to make them see that if you fit comfortably within your DD, the increase should match any increase in price only.]
BG- Listen, it would be 'more than my job's worth' to cut your DD by any more than 10%.
Obviously, I had to cancel my DD, therefore losing my discount.
I am in disgust and I want to complain. There is no reasonable explanation for this increase. However I am uncertain who I should direct the complaint to. Can anyone help?
(And obviously, I am switching providers!)

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

I despair about the program on BG's new computer system.

I can understand it increasing dramatically if you were heavily in debt, but to be in credit at the the end of the winter is a joke.

The problem is that the operators at the call centre are totally dependant on 'the computer' and seem unable to apply common sense to the problem - even if they grasp the situation!

I would ask to speak to a supervisor, or if you want to go to the very top try:

Centrica / British Gas:- Sam Laidlaw, Chief Executive

[EMAIL="sam.laidlaw@centrica.co.uk"]sam.laidlaw@centrica.co.uk[/EMAIL]

http://www.centrica.com

Or

You could always send a personal email to Phil Bentley as he is always willing to hear from customers who have been fobbed off on many occassions...

[EMAIL="PHIL.BENTLEY@CENTRICA.CO.UK"]PHIL.BENTLEY@CENTRICA.CO.UK[/EMAIL]



Phil Bentley
Managing Director
British Gas
Millstream
Maidenhead Road
Windsor
Berkshire SL4 5GD


Let us know please if you get anywhere - it might help others if you can establish a precedent.

kookaburrah

Thank you very much Cardew! I will do that and let everyone know the result.