Need to talk to someone at British Gas. How?

littlerock
littlerock Posts: 1,774
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I need to talk to someone at British Gas. I am trying to set up a second account at a second address and the only option provided online is to transfer your existing account to a new address. This is not what I need - so I need to discuss with a live person.

This seems to be impossible. There are several 0800/0845 numbers listed on line for BG but when you ring them, these numbers have all been discontinued. The BG official chat line, an 0333 number, reports a 30 minute queue.

The online chat screen displays a message "All our agents are busy.......you'll be placed in a queue as soon as we have availability." This cuts out after a two minute wait.

So the only way to speak to someone is to sit on hold for 30 minutes.......
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  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281
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    This is the LPG OIL etc section not gas.


    Question they are busy why should i wait ??


    The LPG, Heating Oil, Solid & Other Fuels Board
  • Wait on hold basically, we all do it.
  • molerat
    molerat Posts: 31,695
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    edited 23 August 2019 at 11:55AM
    Is this a newly installed supply or an existing supply that you are taking over ? In either case the 0333 number is for CS and 30 mins is often the wait time. There is also a webchat facility on their site.
  • littlerock
    littlerock Posts: 1,774
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    Not sure about the supply in new flat. The thing is the (Italian) owners bought it, renovated it and then before they could move in, while it was still unfurnished, he was posted to work somewhere overseas. So they asked the agent who sold it to them, to find a tenant. They then went on holiday somewhere in Italy.

    So agent is not entirely sure what they did to it before they went but he does not think they signed up for any services. So it is a bit of a grey area.

    I checked on Find Your Supplier which said the supplier was British Gas. waited on hold aat British Gas and when I eventually got through, explained I would be paying for two supplies at two different addresses. Once they had grasped this, they looked up supplier at the flat and said it is not British Gas. In fact not British Gas at the building. So have to assume new owners fixed up new supplier. Agent chasing.

    British Gas said when I got in I should phone them with meter serial number and they would try to identify current supplier from that.
  • Februarycat
    Februarycat Posts: 1,385
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    I tried to ring them the other week about my HomeCare renewal, tried everyday at different times and eventually got through on the 0333 number on a Saturday later afternoon. I had my phone bill come through this week and noticed it has cost me over £7 to try to ring them so not happy.


    The Web chat was not working either when I tried that, not very good service.
  • littlerock
    littlerock Posts: 1,774
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    edited 23 August 2019 at 1:10PM
    molerat - tried the webchat. Got message "We apologise for extended hold, all our agents are busy, you'll be placed in a queue as soon as we have some availability." Then after two minute wait, it closed down.

    I do think, given how much money the energy companies make, it is not too much to expect to be able to get through to a real person when you have a non standard query, like wanting to pay for a supply at two different addresses at the same time, as opposed to moving to a new address. Without waiting for 30 minutes on hold.
  • D_M_E
    D_M_E Posts: 3,008
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    BG claim they are not the supplier.

    Try

    https://findmysupplier.energy/webapp/index.html
  • Flt._Lt._Biggles
    Flt._Lt._Biggles Posts: 300
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    edited 24 August 2019 at 9:47AM
    littlerock wrote: »
    molerat - tried the webchat. Got message "We apologise for extended hold, all our agents are busy, you'll be placed in a queue as soon as we have some availability." Then after two minute wait, it closed down.

    I do think, given how much money the energy companies make, it is not too much to expect to be able to get through to a real person when you have a non standard query, like wanting to pay for a supply at two different addresses at the same time, as opposed to moving to a new address. Without waiting for 30 minutes on hold.

    Details of how to pay are included on the bill.
    You will have to pay each supply address separately, as you will have a different account number for each.

    https://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-support/bills-and-payments/gas-and-electricity/faq/how-can-i-pay-my-bill

    Note the phone number to use to pay that way, if that is your preferred option (it may be different to the number you are trying)

    0333 202 9524

    This is an automated phone number, available 24/7/365
  • Ian011
    Ian011 Posts: 2,432
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    edited 28 August 2019 at 7:26AM
    I tried to ring them the other week about my HomeCare renewal, tried everyday at different times and eventually got through on the 0333 number on a Saturday later afternoon. I had my phone bill come through this week and noticed it has cost me over £7 to try to ring them so not happy.
    Calls to all 03 numbers are inclusive in allowances on landlines and on mobiles on the same basis as calls to 01 and 02 numbers, or are otherwise charged at the same rate as a call to an 01 or 02 number. The charges are set entirely by the caller's phone provider. Most people have an inclusive allowance such that they never incur call charges for calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers.

    What sort of phone tariff are you on to have paid anything at all for a call to an 03 number?

    Was the call from a landline but exceeded 60 minutes duration?
    Was the call from a contract mobile and you exceeded your monthly allowance?
    Does your phone have no inclusive calls at all, you simply pay for all calls at a per-minute rate?

    Various mobile phone providers offer unlimited calls and texts for around £10 per month, either on SIM-only contracts or on pay-as-you-go bundles.

    On landlines, line rental plus unlimited anytime calls is usually around £20 per month.

    If you are paying £7 for one call, this suggests you may be on entirely the wrong phone tariff.
  • Februarycat
    Februarycat Posts: 1,385
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    Ian011 wrote: »
    Calls to all 03 numbers are inclusive in allowances on landlines and on mobiles on the same basis as calls to 01 and 02 numbers, or are otherwise charged at the same rate as a call to an 01 or 02 number. The charges are set entirely by the caller's phone provider. Most people have an inclusive allowance such that they never incur call charges for calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers.

    What sort of phone tariff are you on to have paid anything at all for a call to an 03 number?

    Was the call from a landline but exceeded 60 minutes duration?
    Was the call from a contract mobile and you exceeded your monthly allowance?
    Does your phone have no inclusive calls at all, you simply pay for all calls at a per-minute rate?

    Various mobile phone providers offer unlimited calls and texts for around £10 per month, either on SIM-only contracts or on pay-as-you-go bundles.

    On landlines, line rental plus unlimited anytime calls is usually around £20 per month.

    If you are paying £7 for one call, this suggests you may be on entirely the wrong phone tariff.




    I phoned them from my landline (EE) , this was over the course of a week, so several calls, which added up to £7. I think I only get free calls to local numbers evenings and weekends on my tariff.
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