British Gas

bunsen1

I have a question...British Gas seem to have a weird payment structure. Last year I phoned up to pay my 260 pound gas bill, and they told me I had already paid. I thought my wife must have paid it. Then almost year later, this March, they sent me a very large bill with no explanation, demanding an overdue amount from the previous June (although they didn't say when it was from just the figure, which encompassed my current 3 month bill that wasn't overdue). To cut a long story short, when I called them, it transpires that someone else paid my bill on British Gas automated payment system (so they say) or else a member of British Gas took down the wrong account details from this person. Anyway this person had only just discovered they had paid the wrong account, and British Gas - quite aggressively, I feel - then suddenly tried to get the money back from me. I've been refusing, mainly because of the way they went about the situation, and just wondered if a company can do this? I've tried talking to managers at Brisith Gas, and they say the gas was used, I have to pay it. Even though I have now not budgeted for it, I feel a bit resentful. I've moved house now and am not using BG, but they could affect my credit file I guess. Any thoughts?

Premier_2

Do you talk to your wife?

You had a bill for £260. You went to pay and BG said they believed it was already paid. Did you ask your wife if she had paid it? Who did you think had paid for it? Father Christmas?

The mix up in whether the bill was paid or not was an error (apparently by another customer incorrectly stating an account number when paying their bill) which now appears to have been resolved.

You used the gas. You were billed for the gas. Guess what? Now you have to pay for it!

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

Certainly if you do refuse to pay it will be passed to a credit reference agency and will affect your credit rating and almost certainly a court case.

I must say that your explanation of thinking wife had paid does sound a little disingenuous!

I also feel that trying to make out you are the wronged party doesn't have much justification, or at least you have no grounds for disputing the bill.

The impression I get is that you thought you had got away with not paying a bill and are now disappointed that you haven't.

ConveyanceConfused

I'm in a broadly similar situation with British Gas...

Living in London Jan 07 - October 07. Have most bills set up direct debit either to me or housemate, so I don't really have to think about them on a regular basis (I know that's probably not very good practice).

Move to Birmingham October 07 and close all utilities accounts.

Fast forward to June 08 - I get a phone call from British gas saying I owe them c.£500 for electricity for the London period above. I can pay today and get a 15% discount, or in installments...

Now, having looked into it, I'm not disputing that the electricity was used, but they NEVER made any attempt to contact me during the time I lived in London, or in Birmingham since, until today when I am presented with this bill.

I will pay it, but it seems like extraordinarily bad practice on their part.

I know the sceptical will say 'where did you think your electricity was coming from?' but honestly, through a combination of splitting bills with a housemate and automatically paying most bills online/via direct debit, it is entirely possible not to realize you're missing bills from a supplier. The onus should be on them to ask for their money at the time, and not 9 months down the line out of the blue.

I don't suppose anyone thinks I'd be entitled to ask for a courtesy reduction, since they screwed up in not trying to contact me until now? Nah, thought not, everyone here is so much more organised than me and would definitely have realised they weren't paying for electricity and got in touch with British Gas themselves. Sigh.

SwanJon

ConveyanceConfused wrote: »

I don't suppose anyone thinks I'd be entitled to ask for a courtesy reduction, since they screwed up in not trying to contact me until now?

How about 15%?

ConveyanceConfused wrote: »

I can pay today and get a 15% discount, or in installments...

You seem to accept that there is fault on both sides.
Did you phone them when you moved out with readings? That should have triggered them to bill you.

What are you after if it's not the 15% they have already offered you?

bunsen1

I don't think it's unreasonable, if you phone up to pay a bill, and the company informs you have already paid, to assume that they know what they are talking about, the other 'grown up' in the house has paid, and move on to the other millon things you have to do. If there is a problem in British Gas payment system that means one mistype (by another customer, or Britsh Gas themselves) can lead to these types of bill disputes, months down the line, then I think that is bad practise on their part. Yes, we do all need to be more organised (I'm sure everyone is on this site!), but so do British Gas. And they know it....

Premier_2

Put it this way. Assume you sold something for say £100 (incl p+p) to Mr John Smith and agreed to Mr Smith paying you by bank transfer.

You check your bank account a couple of days later and see a deposit has been made by Mr J. Smith for £100. You send off the item.

A week later you receive communication from Mr. James Smith saying he has mistakenly deposited £100 into your bank account and asking for a refund. Once making all necessary checks, there is no uncertainty that James had actually deposited that money (Nothing to do with John). Would you refuse to refund it?
(Hint: if you do, a court would probably demand you refund it although may possibly allow a minor deduction for any costs involved)

If you do agree to refund it to it's rightful owner, would you expect John to pay for the item you had sent or would you think it was "unreasonable" to insist on that now?