[Misc] British Gas

[Official Old Man]

My account with them is on a direct debit with a smart meter and I'm certainly not in debt, in fact they owe me £644.96.
All emails checked and are genuine.
Over the past few days I've received emails telling me my Direct Debit has been cancelled followed by my new higher rates as my DD has been cancelled. I called them, well had an online chat, and they confirmed everything was fine, don't worry. My DD was taken out Monday as expected.
But today I've another email saying my account is closed and to settle the final bill.
Is this just me or is anyone else having the same problems?

 

[Me and my Monkey]

British Gas are a bunch of ****s. My elderly and very infirm father-in-law has had no end of trouble with them. They can't tell their arse from their elbow. Get out of there while you can.

 

[Rambo]

They are clearly having issues, I have had a text and email saying my DD has been cancelled - I have not been a customer of theirs for 3 years!
I then got another text saying to ignore the other one as it was sent in error! - I did ignore it, I am not their customer!

Bell ends.

 

[darkwolf666]

I've just moved into a new build 3 bed house and they tried to tell me my combined gas and electric DD would be £55.

I told them that's nonsense and would prefer to pay what I was at my previous address, i.e. £130pm.

For 2 months they took the £130 DD, but have now reversed my DD back to £55, despite telling me I used £44 of electric in May. The standing charge alone for gas would take me well over the £55...

I have managed to manually change my DD on their website to £118 - let's see how long it is before they change it again...!

 

[Official Old Man]

They are clearly having issues, I have had a text and email saying my DD has been cancelled - I have not been a customer of theirs for 3 years!
I then got another text saying to ignore the other one as it was sent in error! - I did ignore it, I am not their customer!

Bell ends.

Bingo, I'm not alone.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Linked but different ....
Been a BG customer since my previous energy provider went bust (with many others) about 3 years ago.

About 3 months ago "Energy Club" (part of the Martin Lewis / money-saving-expert mob) notified me that BG were offering a special fixed tariff with BG that was (unusually) open to existing BG customers.

I applied, and then my troubles began - BG system took my application as a new customer and created a second DD at the same (but duplicated) address. The online "chat" agent was hopeless (pay peanuts you get monkeys best described this agent).

Got it escalated and was told (2 months ago now) that it was all sorted, 2nd DD deleted, 2nd account closed with "Sorry you're leaving us" email nonsense! 2 weeks ago, I get a BG DD notification for 48 PENCE !! 1 day electric standing charge.

I can't be doing with fighting over 48 pence but I'm glad I track my energy usage (meter to bill) carefully, I don't trust their systems.

 

[TomandJerry]

Rarely hear anything good about British Gas.

Been using Octopus energy for awhile with no issues

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

My account with them is on a direct debit with a smart meter and I'm certainly not in debt, in fact they owe me £644.96.
All emails checked and are genuine.
Over the past few days I've received emails telling me my Direct Debit has been cancelled followed by my new higher rates as my DD has been cancelled. I called them, well had an online chat, and they confirmed everything was fine, don't worry. My DD was taken out Monday as expected.
But today I've another email saying my account is closed and to settle the final bill.
Is this just me or is anyone else having the same problems?

Get your money out and move to Octopus imo.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Rarely hear anything good about British Gas.

Been using Octopus energy for awhile with no issues

I agree. I've been with Octopus for two years now but had a horrendous situation four years ago, whilst away on holiday, of an erroneous transfer of our gas. It took over 18 months to sort out via the CAB special energy advisor, eventually with a manager of that unit.

Because we were away, we didn't read the email to stop the transfer which only gave us five days to stop it. The idiot company that took us was a company that only provided gas for commercial properties, and just wouldn't believe us when we said we were a three bedroomed end terraced house.

We haven't had a moment's worry with Octopus.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I've just moved into a new build 3 bed house and they tried to tell me my combined gas and electric DD would be £55.

I told them that's nonsense and would prefer to pay what I was at my previous address, i.e. £130pm.

For 2 months they took the £130 DD, but have now reversed my DD back to £55, despite telling me I used £44 of electric in May. The standing charge alone for gas would take me well over the £55...

I have managed to manually change my DD on their website to £118 - let's see how long it is before they change it again...!

It takes just 28 days to switch supplier. Do it asap.

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

We are also with Octopus. The founder - Greg Jackson - seems like a genuine bloke trying to make things better for the environment and customers.

They’ve been making good use of the on road charging points just down the road from us the last few days.

 

[bluenitsuj]

I have been with British Gas over 20 years with no issue and usually fix at a good price.

 

[Wealden Seagull]

Another vote for Octopus, every aspect of them seems good.

 

[Lenny Rider]

At what point can British Gas revert back to what back they originally were?

A state owned company.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

At what point can British Gas revert back to what back they originally were?

A state owned company.

I would love it but I fear the boat has sailed (for the time being at least). Because (unlike Thames Water) they are making money they will call any nationalization out as communism, and the usual suspects will be up in arms. Just like water and electricity, the gas doesn't come from a different pipe when you switch, though.

Maybe the nation will embrace public ownership again at some point, but not while 32% of voters appear to be in love with Farage and chums.

Art of the possible and all that. Labour are not yet seen as 'red in tooth and claw' and if they go red too quickly they have no chance of achieving anything - they will be booted out long before they get a chance to deal with something tricky like this.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Absolute clown outfit

3 months of back and forth to install a working smart meter, which they insisted we have (post EV charger install) f***ing useless staff and piss poor after care

Moving soon and will not be using them again, will probably go with Octopus at our new house

 

[Weststander]

I have been with British Gas over 20 years with no issue and usually fix at a good price.

As well as Seeboard and the GPO. Loyalty.

 

[Bodian]

I had a 'First Reminder Council Tax' threatening letter yesterday. Hadn't made my April or May payments, and unless I pay in 'seven days' (which were up the day before I received the letter posted eight days beforehand) I would be liable for the whole year in one go, and if I didn't pay that in seven further days - they would send the boys round.

Rung them up and told them I'd been paying by direct debit for 22 years, so what was going on. They said the DD had been cancelled, so I asked how I was meant to know. They referred me to my bill, which says in tiny little letters 'to be paid by 10 cash instalments'. I pointed out that I was hardly likely to spot this, given I hadn't asked for anything to be changed, so just assumed it was the normal annual bill.

She did ask if I hadn't noticed I hadn't paid on my bank statement - but of course I hadn't as I don't tend to scrutinise it for things that aren't there!

I also asked them what would have happened if I had been on holiday - the two lots of seven days would have expired before I got back, and I would have known nothing about it.

Anyway - all sorted out, but it did make me wonder how someone less able to pick up the phone and deal with this type of thing out would have reacted. It was quite a threatening letter, not 'Dear Mr Bodian, did you know you haven't paid, is there a problem....' - it could easily scare some people.