Can someone help me re British Gas please I have been getting letters from them asking us to pay a gas bill for nearly £200, apparently they seem to think we have just joined them even though we never left them. We were going to go with another company but BG said no so we never went through with it but now BG are saying welcome back etc and we need to pay this outstanding bill. We pay BG every two weeks by payment card at a paypoint. I have told them over and over again (by email and letter) we do not have this kind of money as I am on JSA and in financial difficulties but they still want us to pay it. We are supposed to be paying them £25 every 2 weeks for both gas and electric so £50 in total or a £100 a month, now out of £142 that is impossible and I have said so so we have been paying what we can afford which is £5 a fortnight on each making £20 a month, we are already in a DMP, sorry for long post, any advice please and yes we tried CAB

Hi guys, I will try to explain my situation the best i can and hopefully somebody may be able to give me advice. Over the last several months ive not been working due to depression and other health issues, ive been burying my head in the sand about my bills. Now im feeling a bit better i need to tackle this problem before it snowballs even more than it has already has, my debt was passed on to power2contact with an extra charge of 23.50 which im guessing is because of this. my current debt is 190. After reading online about power2contact i got a bit worried about the way they do things so i decided not to contact them and ring npower instead asking if i could get a prepayment meter fitted to pay my bill, im now unsure if this is the best way of paying off my debt and if it will be better for me in the future. Im currently in a one bedroom flat so im on the lowest tariff and i rarely use my gas. I understand that the meter will charge 34p a day/£120ish a year also taking 70% off any payment i make towards my gas reducing my debt this way. I honestly dont know what to do for the best now and for the future use of gas. Whenever i try to speak to npower about this i get flustered and forget questions or dont ask the right ones and come away from the call no better than when i started. I hope ive posted in the right place and explained myself so you guys can understand, any advice would be greatly appreciated Thanks

Hi I wondered if someone could help me? I've had a Homecare Agreement with British Gas for 5 years. I consider myself to be have been a good customer during this time, as I always pay on time, but I have needed to call them out around 1-2 times per year. Just over a year ago, they told me my central heating system needed Powerflushing, after I had a pin hole leak in a radiator. They said I could get this done with any compnay, as long as I had proof. However, if I didn't get this done, I wouldn't be covered if any more radiators developed a leak. I did get this done in Feb 2011 and had a Magnaclean fitted with another company and I have a certificate and the receipt to prove it was done. Now I've had another radiator with a pin hole leak, but they are refusing to replace it, even though I can prove I've had the Powerflush done. They are claiming that the Powerflush was done incorrectly and this is why the radiator has leaked. They are also claiming that the inhibitors added after the Powerflush should have stopped the radiators from corroding completely. I disagree with this, as surely once corrosion has started, it can only be slowed down? They have also said that the water inside the radiators was orange (it was slightly, as I saw it) and that there was a lot of sludge in the radiators. Again, I saw that there was some. However, they failed to ask me if the central heating had been switched on recently (it has been switched off for 4 weeks). Surely the lack of use would have caused some sludge to be in the system? Basically, I'm not sure if BG are trying to pull a fast one or whether the Powerflush hasn't been done correctly. Does anyone have any suggestions? Many thanks for reading.

Hi there, i hope someone can help me. We moved here over a year ago and there was no gas meter. we had one put in and I have been giving readings online regularly. Over the past 6 months our bills have crept up and up butnothing that we thought wouldnt even out int he summer. Today i gave a reading to find that we now owe over £800!! Februarys reading was 2554, todays was 3833. We are paying £65.00 per month by direct debit which is now clearly nowhere near enough! We have gas central heating- we had a brand new boiler fitted in September last year and we have a gas cooker. This seems terribly high. Does this sound about right? We are with Southern Electric and its not an imperial meter. Thanks in advance.

Hello need some advice please. I worked in a local pub when the landlady decided to close the pub and give up the lease, then i was asked if i would like to take over the lease which i said yes, i turned out that it woould cost £2000 to get the lease changed into my name so the owner and the landlady said i could run the pub as though its mine and when i get the funds together i could the lease over to me but in the mean time it would stay in her name only. Everything was going well until i went to change the gas supplier CNG came back with a no.so i rang them up and they said they wanted to see the lease with my name on it, i explained the situations and told them i was paying all the bill from public liability insurance right down to telephone bill and had no problem starting a new account even electricity i got a new account even though the landlady left a debt, but CNG won't except this because she also has a debt on her gas. Now i could understand this hapening if the contract was made out to the business but all the bill come to her with her name on it. i've now received a letter stating that if payment hasn't been made then there going to a magistrats court to get permission to disconnect the gas, Previous landlady said she can't pay it so nothing she can do. What i'dlike to know is CNG refuse a supplier change if the debt is in the previous landladies name and not the business and can the disconnect the gas when it'snot my debt. Please help as i'm very worried and unsure what to do and where i stand regarding this matter

Around 6 monthe ago, I changed My gas boiler maintenance service contract from British Gas to NPower to save around £4 a month. With hindsite, it, a VERY foolish move... British Gas had served me well for around 5 years, and had fixed my boiler on 3 occassions. As part of the service, they also did regular inspections to make sure all was well (and safe). Well, I joined NPower, had the engineer come and do my pre-contract inspection (all was well, and they were happy to take it on), and I felt secure that I was covered, should the boiler break down. Well, it did. NPower couldn't come out for 2 days, and when they could come out, they couldn't tell me what time it would be. Consequently, I had to have the day off work. The engineer eventually arrived, and declared that my boiler fault was due to that fact that it 'hadn't been installed correctly, and couldn't work properly as it was', and that I 'would have to 'pay for remedial work.' I explained that the boiler had been working for over 15 years. I also explained that British Gas were happy to fix it, and that NPower themselves were happy to take it on contract following the inspection. All this was to no avail. They've told me they want me to pay £500 to 'put the installation right.' If I don't do this, they won't fix it. I replied, 'As you won't cover my boiler, surely that means the contract is void, and I am free to cancel without further penalties?' WRONG!!! If I cancel my contract, they will charge me for the engineer call-out PLUS the monthly charges for the remainder of the 12 month contract. Unbelievable. I've got British Gas to come out and fix it for £99 flat fee. From my previous service history with them, they knew exactly what the fault was when I logged the call. And, no it isn't due to being installed (15 years ago) in such a way it will never work. If I have the energy, I will do legal on this. It's an absolute [problem]. I wonder how many other people get the same treatment. DON'T TOUCH NPOWER GAS BOILER MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS!!! YOU'LL BE VERY SORRY!!!

Hi, Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I moved in to a rented property, which has got two pay as you go meters (gas and elec). These were installed by Southern Electric because the previous tenant got in to substantial arrears. However, I am stuck with the meters or limited to a few suppliers that use meters, consequently any sort of choice regarding who supplies my elec and/or gas is severely limited....[edit] If I want to be able to have a 'choice', I HAVE TO PAY to have the meters removed. ME !!!! Not the previous tenant who run up the debt in the first place..... the landlord isn't expected to pay for the removal either. From the website of Southern Electric Our credit meters give you more choice with the different tariffs that are available. And you can get our biggest discount when you pay your bills my monthly Direct Debit and choose paperless billing If you’d like us to remove your pay as you go meter, we’ll charge you £52 for the work involved. No BIG DISCOUNT for people in my position though, through no fault of their own, only a cost of £104 (2 meters) to have them taken out Any ideas anyone ?

Hi all. I work in a commercial property for family. We do not use any Gas what so ever here however there is a meter installed on the premises. It may sound like a stupid question, but is it necessary for me to pay for gas if we don't use any in the first place? Can we not just state to our current Gas supplier, we do not want to renew our contract with you mr. Gas Supplier - and not enter into a contract of any sort with anybody..? Thanks in advance p.s. Apologies if this question has already been asked.

How can I dispute their direct debit increase without changing supplier? I have argued that what they are trying to charge me will incure me financial problems and that it is estimated not actual, so how can they charge me something that I have havent had yet? My gas bill for May to August £174 they want me to pay £96 per month over the quater? My electricity same period £125 they want me to pay £59 per month over the quarter? Advice please!

Will all customers of the above product please realise that if an Engineer does not turn up then you have no recourse what so ever to claim compensation.You are not covered by the Electricity or Gas Regulations as laid down in Law or the booklet keeping promises published by E.ON.If they fail to turn up even after they have texted you to say they are coming you can claim diddly squat.A recent small claims court case confirmed that and left me even more out of pocket.

Recently, having received a British Gas statement of account for gas showing a large account credit - we are on a monthly payment plan - I enquired about getting a refund, for which a meter reading was requested. I was then contacted by a BG 'energy expert' who queried the lack of similarity between the meter reading I submitted and previous quarterly readings. It turned out after investigation and an exchange of emails with the BG 'energy expert' that owing to a "...system error..." admitted to by the 'expert', all my previous readings had been truncated on the last digit so that, e.g., 02307 units was recorded in the system as 230, and the same may also be true of a BG estimate that followed a change of meter last August, as that turned out to be particularly low. The result of the accumulated errors in our gas consumption record, and the subsequent correction in the account using the correct value of my last meter reading, is that the account is now in arrears to a sum greater than the previously reported credit, and BG are now requesting a monthly payment more than double the current one - which we can ill afford to pay. BG have apologised but is that as good as it is going to get? Is there any other means of redress given that it is their system errors that have landed us in this situation? trapp1st

I would appreciate advice anyone can give me re: gas bill problem. I moved into my house back in 1995 and has a new gas line connected in 1997. Despite numerous telephone calls and letters I have never had a single bill for this. I tried for about 5 years to get some sense out of British Gas but was told they could not help me without a customer reference number (which I had never been given as I have received no paperwork whatsover from them). Eventually I gave up... although until recently I have been collecting gas payment stamps as I was expecting them to realise their error sooner or later. They haven't. I want to know where I stand with this. I believe that because it is British Gas' fault, they can only charge me for the last 12 months. Am I correct? Also, am I still able to use by gas stamps to pay this bill. I would be grateful if anyone has a template letter/email which I could use to contact them regarding this.

Hi all I was just wondering if anyone could help? We have prepayment meters for both gas and electric and both with British Gas. They were in the property when we first started renting it so have carried on with them. Does a person have to come out and read them? I am sure I read on their website that we don't need them to as it is done automatically via the card and stick thing (this was september 2009). I am sick and tired of people knocking on my door - I won't let them in as I don't trust them and on pay as you go phone with minimal credit to ring and check their ID. Thanks for reading and I look forward to your response

BG put our bill up from £28 on gas to £80 lst month, we owe about £350 and my husband lost his job so our income is currently £65 a week We cant afford it so rang BG to see if the DD can be reduced, the said no because of the amount and because wed cancelled the DD twice in 12 months, we havent we had the date changed but apparently it doesnt matter because we owe too much. We only pay £21 a month on electric and the bill is quite high but they are leaving the payments as that, also our meter was faulty and just had a new one, but no way to tell if we over paid on the old one apparently. Anyway theyve suggested a pre pay gas meter but ive read so many horror stories about costs, they said thats not the case any more and we would pay the same as normal customers. Can anyone give me info about having one ? thanks:-)

Hi Everyone, This is my first post, so i hope i have put this in the right place. I am hoping for some information on claiming costs and compensation back from Barclays / insurance Just to summerize.... I have boiler insurance through an additions active account. my boiler started leaking on the 16th of December while i was in hospital for a bad back, i phoned the home SOS number and they sent someone the next day. He arrived and said he would have to order parts but we could still use the boiler if we kept re-pressurizing it when it cut out which is what we had being doing. I rang a couple of times on the lead up to Christmas and was told the parts are on order and an engineer would ring, they never did. Then i rang the day after boxing day as we had also been flooded by a neighbors property on this day and was told the parts had not been ordered and that they would be on the 4th of January as the engineers report had not been handed in. The boiler packed in completley on the 3rd of January which we told them about. After my partner waiting in every day since and ringing everyday and the company promising call backs and visits almost everyday an engineer finally arrived on saturday the 15th but had ordered the wrong size seals. The engineer promised he would get the parts on monday and fit them monday afternoon. for which i had to bring my mother over to wait in the house for them. Again i rang around dinner to get an update and they said they would get engineer to ring, again they didn't. i rang again at 4.00 and was told that the engineer wouldn't get the parts till Thursday now. so i am still waiting. Apart from all the messing about i have an 8 month old son in the house and am having to us 2 x 2kw heaters almost constantly, which is going to cost a fortune to run plus my partner has had to miss a couple of important meetings. I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction as to what i can claim back from the home SOS when they have finally fixed it. Thanks for any advice you could give.

I have a Southern prepayment meter for gas. Yesterday morning had to use the emergency credit, then topped up £5 this evening. Had used £3.49 of Emergency credit and had 1p taken off for "debt" - I think this is just a tariff adjustment. I was therefore expecting to have £1.50 available for gas and then £5 Emergency Credit again. Instead I have £2.99 available for gas, but I'm assuming no Emergency Credit on top, as I'm guessing the £1.50 of Emergency credit I hadn't used is added to the £1.50 normal credit I would have had. How is this as I have repaid the Emergency Credit in full?