British Gas Advice

[Matt]

Okay, so before I start let me vent.

These people are utter,utter, complete wankers. Total cocks, screw wits, twats, dickheads and fannys.

There.

Here is why:

When we moved house 2 months ago, on the day we moved I phoned up British Gas with final meter readings, and new meter readings from the new house. I had previously phoned up asking what to do when we moved, so had all the info.

We were in debt in the other house. We paid by DD monthly amounts, and, just coming out of winter we owed about 180 quid, I couldnt afford this at the time, what with moving and asked for the debt to be transfered to the new account.

This was agreed.

Once we had moved, we had several letters about accounts opening in my name, then mrs matts name, then in both. Then some of these were closed.

Then BG decided in their wisdom to take the full amount out of mrs matt's account. She does not have money. It happened to be on a day her mum was rushed to hospital and she needed petrol to get there, and couldnt cause she was overdrawn. I spoke to british gas and they apologised and said they would refund the money. Okay I thought - that was a mistake, not an problem, bit of a shitter but hey.

2 weeks later, and several phone calls to them, they kept on promising to give the money back, 2 weeks as I say, and the money still was not there, you can imagine the bank charges.

After two weeks, one of the people there stated that the best way to get the money back was to go to the bank for a direct debt refund, we had already done this, but natwest wasnt processing it because BG were contesting it. Full and immediate refund my bum.

But they did in the end refund it, and the bank charges.

I then get another set of final bills through, I phone up, explain, and ask the amounts to be moved over again to my new house, where funnily enough, Im paying an extra 25 quid a month for stuff off them. They agree. So far Ive managed to demand just £50 compensation, and get a further £50 agreed, but Ive never seen that yet.

I leave it, as it seems sorted and frankly I dont need the hassle. Last week I got 2 final account closure bills, and a cheque for 8p. I presumed the money had been moved over and that the 8p was a good will gesture(!)

Anyway, today I have two red letters saying they are taking me to court, sending the army around, that kind of thing. Completely different account numbers to my current ones, the ones that I got confirmed closing last week and still for the other address for the final sums I wanted moved over minus just £50 of compensation.

I am not pleased. What are my options? Because BG are closed this afternoon for training. HA!

[sarahA]

Call Energy Watch and ask their advice. That's what I did when we were having problems with nPower. They gave me a secret number for nPower (secret in that it's not advertised anywhere) and there I spoke to someone rational who looked into our accounts and the fact they'd messed up everything when we moved last year. We got compensated over losing our direct debit history plus I got them to look into our old prepay account when we'd first moved in to this new place and they found credit in there. Nothing major but imagine how many people are in the same boat!

Anyway, look up Energy Watch - http://www.energywatch.org.uk/ and call them. They'll at least give you advice and they can write to British Gas on your behalf and BG will have to respond to them. Then if they get no joy I think you can then take it to the ofcom branch for complaints. But see what they say as they're impartial and nice people.

[Matt]

Thanks Sarah

Ive jsut seen why the BG people were not on the phone, they have announced today gas ises of 35%, electric by 9% and have redesigned their website to advertise the fact people can now freeze their account prices to 2011.

BAstards. On the up side, I spoke to someone who sorted whilst I was on the phone, I dont believe he will,. and I jnever got my futher £50, but just £5, I have asked him to confirm in writing hes done it (and he did say he had done it whilst I was on the phone, so you never know) and he agreed.

[Scooby]

I had exactly the same problem with them in 2003 - threats of court action, bailiffs letters incorrect meter readings, accounts for old house closed, new one opened etc etc.

at one point I have other 5 final settlement bills for the old house over the space of 8 months.

In the end i ended up speaking to the head of customer services (apparently, and everything got sorted). that was after complaing to energywatch/ofgem or whoever it was at that point.

I still have the notes i took of all conversations, including this guys name title and phone number, I can dig them out if your interested, but there are probably out of date.

I vowed never again.

oh, and 1 month after it was all sorted, they sent me a sorry you left, what can do we to get you back letter.... tossers.

[sarahA]

I remember seeing a watchdog programme on BG about how people, who had left BG, were still getting bills off them and one person even had BG break the door down to get into the house! Certainly put me off going to them.

Just switched to E.On last week with the price cap until Oct 09.

[Phantom]

just put it up by 35%, eh?

ah, that'll explain why they sent me a box of 6 energy saver lightbulbs out of the blue the other day.

congrats! here's some saved cash!

also, here's a bill for six million quid, cya.

 

[sarahA]

They're all putting their prices up now. EDF went first on Friday, the rest will follow suit now and over the next week or so. This has been in the pipeline for a while now. Switch to a capped tariff ASAP is everyone's best option really

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity

[Granty]

I was looking at that capping article last night but wasn't sure whether or not to ride the storm. I'm currently with eon (elec only, no gas in my place), definitely worth capping you say? Might give them a call to see how much it will go up.

[Phantom]

whats really annoying about this is that british gas haven't had an offer available (as far as i'm aware) to cap or fix your price for aaaaaaaaaaaaaages.

then the buggers finally stick one online the day the prices go up - so presumably the wonderful fixed deal you get is based on paying the new, higher rates?

if that's the case, i believe i shall give them a call tomorrow and swear randomly down the phone for a few hours.

[sarahA]

I was looking at that capping article last night but wasn't sure whether or not to ride the storm. I'm currently with eon (elec only, no gas in my place), definitely worth capping you say? Might give them a call to see how much it will go up.

One option is to using money supermarket, plug in your current costs and see what it says you could save and who with. But yes, a capped rate will obviously mean it won't go above the cap until the rate expires (next October for E.On), however if prices drop (unlikely) it will still go down. Considering the site said we'd already save money by switching (which I already knew, just haven't had the time to do it) then this time next year we may have saved £250+.

[Matt]

THis jsut takes te piss

"Centrica profits are £5m per day 
 
Centrica warned that bills would be going up
British Gas owner Centrica has revealed profits of £5m per day after announcing a record price increase on Wednesday.

Profits were £992m in the first six months of 2008, down 20% from £1.23bn a year earlier, with the firm blaming higher wholesale gas prices.

Despite the drop in earnings, Centrica said it would raise its dividend to 3.9 pence a share from 3.35p.

On Wednesday, British Gas raised gas bills by 35% with immediate effect, to restore "reasonable profitability".

The move has caused anger among energy campaigners
 

[rutty]

Any company has to maintain a certain margin of cost/sale. If wholesale prices go up (costs to the provider) then us plebs get to pay more. We may not like it but it's how businesses have to work, otherwise they go bust.

In other words - suck it up 

[Matt]

Any company has to maintain a certain margin of cost/sale. If wholesale prices go up (costs to the provider) then us plebs get to pay more. We may not like it but it's how businesses have to work, otherwise they go bust.

In other words - suck it up 

Your telling me, that if BG went up the spout, everyone would be without electric and gas? Id end up paying for them to be bailed out through my taxes!!

[Jeewhizz]

Centrica profits are £5m per day 
 ...
Despite the drop in earnings, Centrica said it would raise its dividend to 3.9 pence a share from 3.35p.

Tis good for us shareholders

Jee

[rutty]

Any company has to maintain a certain margin of cost/sale. If wholesale prices go up (costs to the provider) then us plebs get to pay more. We may not like it but it's how businesses have to work, otherwise they go bust.

In other words - suck it up 

Your telling me, that if BG went up the spout, everyone would be without electric and gas? Id end up paying for them to be bailed out through my taxes!!

I'm not saying that at all. It's essential business practice to put up prices when your costs increase. If you want to run your own business you'll need to do that too. Businesses of all types are slaves to profits.

The Centrica profits recently announced may seem obscene but that's actually less than they made in the same period last year. It's a free market and you're free to find a cheaper provider

[Phantom]

Any company has to maintain a certain margin of cost/sale. If wholesale prices go up (costs to the provider) then us plebs get to pay more. We may not like it but it's how businesses have to work, otherwise they go bust.

In other words - suck it up 

Your telling me, that if BG went up the spout, everyone would be without electric and gas? Id end up paying for them to be bailed out through my taxes!!

I'm not saying that at all. It's essential business practice to put up prices when your costs increase. If you want to run your own business you'll need to do that too. Businesses of all types are slaves to profits.

The Centrica profits recently announced may seem obscene but that's actually less than they made in the same period last year. It's a free market and you're free to find a cheaper provider

...though of course once everyone else has followed suit and lobbed up their prices by roughly the same amount a "cheaper" provider probably won't mean very much....and a 35% increase across the board is a large kick in the nuts however you look at it.

[sickpuppy]

It's a free market and you're free to find a cheaper provider

We don't have gas at all (apart from Belfast and Derry) and we only have one electricity company.
My only choice is which brand of lube to buy in preparation.

[yawner]

My only choice is which brand of lube to buy in preparation.

 

[Matt]

Any company has to maintain a certain margin of cost/sale. If wholesale prices go up (costs to the provider) then us plebs get to pay more. We may not like it but it's how businesses have to work, otherwise they go bust.

In other words - suck it up 

Your telling me, that if BG went up the spout, everyone would be without electric and gas? Id end up paying for them to be bailed out through my taxes!!

I'm not saying that at all. It's essential business practice to put up prices when your costs increase. If you want to run your own business you'll need to do that too. Businesses of all types are slaves to profits.

The Centrica profits recently announced may seem obscene but that's actually less than they made in the same period last year. It's a free market and you're free to find a cheaper provider

I know thats how businesses work. But I guess it annoys me somewhat that they make nearly 5 million a day and yet cant offer good customer services. The wholesale price of gas may have gone up, and we may be paying through the nose for it cause its all imported, but why dont they reinvest the profits to find ways around it? They dont helpthemselves at all, but why would they want to when they are just increasing the prices to continue making such large profits.

And because of those high prices, I cant afford to pay off the debt Ive got with them to move to a different service provider. If I could, I would.

[rutty]

I'm sympathetic Matt, I really am! It sucks that it's so expensive and I'm certainly no fan of big business and their shitty customer service. If it wasn't for the profit they wouldn't bother supplying it - and with costs going up we're all getting shafted.

I think we owe E-on £300 or so which we're catching up with direct debits. We can't really change either

[Matt]

I'm sympathetic Matt, I really am! It sucks that it's so expensive and I'm certainly no fan of big business and their shitty customer service. If it wasn't for the profit they wouldn't bother supplying it - and with costs going up we're all getting shafted.

I think we owe E-on £300 or so which we're catching up with direct debits. We can't really change either

I know, speaking as someone who is new to all this, BG never told us that the £40 wouldnt actually cover our usuage!!!

We are paying £65 now, and being very very stingy on electicity and gas, obv no heating etc so gas will work itself out, but elect wise everything is turned off if not being used, nothing is left on standby at pain of death, and lights, even if we are in the room are kept off unless we absolutly need them!

[Phantom]

I'm sympathetic Matt, I really am! It sucks that it's so expensive and I'm certainly no fan of big business and their shitty customer service. If it wasn't for the profit they wouldn't bother supplying it - and with costs going up we're all getting shafted.

I think we owe E-on £300 or so which we're catching up with direct debits. We can't really change either

I know, speaking as someone who is new to all this, BG never told us that the £40 wouldnt actually cover our usuage!!!

We are paying £65 now, and being very very stingy on electicity and gas, obv no heating etc so gas will work itself out, but elect wise everything is turned off if not being used, nothing is left on standby at pain of death, and lights, even if we are in the room are kept off unless we absolutly need them!

I've owed a pile since christmas on the gas - slowly whittled it down, i think i owe around 100 to 130 (ish) now - somehow my direct debit is still at 40 quid a month, not sure how i've pulled that off but i'd wager the dd amounts are going to go up sharpish very soon..

[Jeewhizz]

I don't have gas. We have a big oil tank that is used for the central heating. It works out cheaper from my calculations

[sickpuppy]

I don't have gas. We have a big oil tank that is used for the central heating. It works out cheaper from my calculations

It doesn't from my calculations but then I could be paying completely different prices