Having a bit of a nightmare getting my money back from British Gas. I'm on their "EnergySmart" tariff, which promises accurate bills in return for monthly meter readings provided through their website.
This I've done, except that on reviewing my bank statements this week discovered that what they've actually done is taken £87/month by direct debit for eight months instead. Compared to what should actually have been paid, this has left me £280 in credit on the account.
Called British Gas and they told me that because some people have difficulty finding the increased payments during the winter months, they take more during the summer to average things out.
I pointed out this is unlikely to be a problem for me and that (a) I don't like being misled in adverts and (b) I'd rather the money lived in my bank account instead of earning interest for BG.
Anyway, "no can do" is the response. Recalculations happen only once a year apparently and I'm under the threshold for a repayment anyway. Leaving them in a month when I move house but really don't like the idea of closing the account with £280 in it, since things have a nasty habit of getting lost.
Is this a reasonable case to apply for a refund under the Direct Debit guarantee from my bank?
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>>>Called British Gas and they told me that because some people have difficulty finding the increased payments during the winter months, they take more during the summer to average things out.
Then you're not actually on the Energy Smart system are you... that's the standard old fashioned averaged DD way of doing it.
I think you need to speak to someone at B.Gas who really understands what has gone wrong here.
We're on Energy Smart and get a reminder email every month, put the reading on the website and each month get a bank debit related to actual usage.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Sun 5 Dec 10 at 12:41
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Approaching your bank, as you mention, might be a start. Why not try the Festive Approach! Tell them that if the money they OWE you isn't in your bank acocunt before Christmas you will put the bailffs in to collect their tea bar kettle and coffee machine and all the eats they have in for their staff party!
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Staff Party? Even when I was working that festive luxury had long since vanished. I don't think that SWMBO is even going to get to finish early on Christmas Eve. Well, not officially anyway ;-)
John
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We are having a very nice finger buffet and sof drinks one lunchtime, at work, just before the Xmas Break, supplied by the grateful management. I thought some people did their own by each person bringing in something from home. I had been planning to bring my famous sweet & sour liver recipe!
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...Leaving them in a month when I move house but really don't like the idea of closing the account with £280 in it, since things have a nasty habit of getting lost...
What is the point in spending time and effort in setting up the right tariff when you are not going to use it?
You can only get the £280 out of British Gas once.
I would concentrate on making sure the account is reconciled and closed correctly.
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British Gas are incompetent morons. Their call centre staff have all the intelligence of chewing gum. Don't bother. Just cancel the account when you move and they have to pay it back.
I intend switching mine to quarterly billing as I'm paying a fortune and it doesn't match what I'm using. I constantly use less and yet bill seem to rise massively so I think the monthly budget schemes are a con.
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>> British Gas are incompetent morons.
Couldn't agree more. Recently got a bill of something like £77 for an unpaid electric bill from them. Seeing as we have had a key meter since they were invented, and a coin meter prior to that, I pointed out to them that we owe them nothing as we pay for our electric as we use it. They then wanted the serial number of the key meter to verify things. They had no record of it when I gave it to them and said the number didn't exist on a central database that all energy providers can access. "who fitted the meter?" they then asked. "Er, you did back in April of this year when you replaced our old and out of date one", I replied. After spending nearly an hour on the phone to them, I then asked them who I send my bill to? "what for?" they asked. "For my time that you've just wasted asking stupid questions that you should already have the answers to" I replied back. Much head banging continued, up to the point where I told them where they could shove their bill, then hung up on them.
To cut a long story short, a week or so later we had another letter from them apologising for their mistake. We're now with SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy) and we've noticed that our electric bill is now cheaper than it was with BG.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 5 Dec 10 at 18:16
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Ah yes British Gas who thankfully we no longer have any dealings with, and hope never to again.
She Who Must spent hours sorting them out when they managed to swap our meter serial number and therefore gas consumption with next door's, a wonderful lady in her 90's who was most upset by the episode...not helped by the moron at the so called BG call centre putting the phone down on her accusing her of shouting, course sh'es talking loud you plonker she's been around a while and her hearing aint what it was.
For crying out loud where do they find them, SWM sorted that lot out too.
During the many exchanges they accused us of having two meters, SWM advised them to send an expert to find the second and tell him to bring a packed lunch cos he'd be some time searching, they couldn't get it that they might be mistaken, as above completely useless until she eventually got a senior supervisor, down Eastleigh/So'ton way i think.
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Ah yes British Gas
They bill my daughter for electricity at her flat with no problems.
They subcontract for a meter change but the appointment letter is sent to the pevious owner who left two years ago. The subcontractor gets the database of jobs fron BG but BG blames the subby.
I emailed BG with a moan. Got a completely useless reply and a boast "We've delivered on our promise and responded to your enquiry within 24 hours."
I then replied saying " read my email" but as yet no reponse. Useless!!
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We were with British Gas until we moved out of our house last December. We stayed with them because we were on a long term fixed price tariff which was lower than any current tariffs. On leaving the account was well within credit.... so they sent a cheque.
I would think on closing the account Alfa Floor you'd get any balance. But, check what supplier you'll be using when you move to the new property. You will have to use the current supplier for at least a month after moving. Then you can switch if you want to.
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>>I emailed BG with a moan. Got a completely useless reply and a boast "We've delivered on our promise and responded to your enquiry within 24 hours."
>>I then replied saying " read my email" but as yet no reponse. Useless!!
Spured on I fired off another email last night (One month since the last one I sent and no reply)
I got a "sorry no reply response" this morning and £20 promised within three months.
A load of words totally off my topic and a total waste of time.
Meanwhile absolutely no response to my original request.
Now they have raised another problem. The flat will be let by the time the £20 is credited.
What happens when the tenant takes over ? Can I assume the account is closed and any credit returned ?
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Can't get British Gas refund - Fenlander
