Has anyone been charged for using emergency credit?

[buxie34]

Next time I will take note of the time I put the emergency on and try to top up at the same time next day so I can see the charge for 24 hours/one day and I will make a point of checking the total amount my meter displays after deducting this & the emergency owed to make sure that tallies correctly or if theres a hidden amount also deducted from my top up. As stated by others..even 30p a day can add up to a huge amount yearly so it's worth looking into

[angryandy]

As Sillygirl states they ask you to do a screen check. Let me just point out one thing for you all.

 

Screen 02 For emergency credit. ( Thit is the bit where they are charging you for going into emergency credit. You have to be eagle eyed to notice it). Hope you can follow this as i will explain how my mate noticed his charge. Here goes.

 

He had £2.40 remaining on his emergency credit. He had been in his emergency credit for 5 days. He then went to a paypoint and put £8 on his card. When he put the card in his meter it took £5 for debt. The remaining £3 then should have paid his emergency credit off and left him in 40pence in credit.

 

It didn't do this. He noticed it said £1.50 for emergency credit and then £1.50 for gas. He was still in emergency credit when he took his card out even though he should have been in credit. He only had £3.90 emergency credit left after this. He wondered where this £1.50 had got to and low and behold when i phoned BG for him they admitted it was charges for going into his emergency.

 

They then stated to me that if i hadn't been informed of the charges then they should not be charging me (my mate). He done a check of all charges they had taken off him in the time he had had a meter fitted and are now sending a cheque to him. 7-10 working days he has to wait. Do not let them fob any of you off. I got it back and so can you!!

[indebtstudent]

"He said we were 'paying more because we were a low user' which I think STINKS..."

 

This is true of credit meters too, if you are a low user you may not use enough gas to get onto the lower rate. The higher rate on a credit meter is the equivalent of a standing charge so can't really follow why there would be one on a prepayment meter.

[marie6666red]

well i have just been onto that number andy. it was a geordie girl, very helpful. but said that when we use gas we are charged at a higher and lower tariff. when we then go onto emergency credit. the gas only gets charged at the lower amount. then when we top up, the meter takes the difference i.e. what we should have been paying had we not been on emergency. i have now gone from furious to totally confused???? no one seems to get the same reply from them

[ben1305]

Just had to phone BG about a a problem i have. While i was on the phone to Eastbourne i thought i'd ask yet another BG employee why i was being charged for using emergency.

Well he said that its not a charge. What happens is when your in emergency your meters cant recalibrate at 2am so when you come off emergency the meter takes the amoun t of gas which would have been used at a higher rate (tier 2 tarriff).

[angryandy]

Just had to phone BG about a a problem i have. While i was on the phone to Eastbourne i thought i'd ask yet another BG employee why i was being charged for using emergency.

Well he said that its not a charge. What happens is when your in emergency your meters cant recalibrate at 2am so when you come off emergency the meter takes the amoun t of gas which would have been used at a higher rate (tier 2 tarriff).

 

Don't understand all this. That sounds like a charge to me. Everyone seems to be getting different explanations.

 

As i have stated before i got told it was a charge for each day you are in your emergency (average 30pence a day). It seems to me British Crap don't know what they're going on about. If my mate hadn't been charged why is he getting a cheque off them for charges he incurred for using his emergency then.

 

As my last post above states where did £1.50 of his top up go to?

 

According to British Gas this was a charge for being in his emergency credit for 5 days. If British Gas knew what they where going on about they would give the same explanation over and over again. This doesn't seem to be the case though. Looks like they are hiding something to me.

 

I don't know what you should do from here, all i know is what i have told you and i came on here so you could all try claim your money back too.

 

I personally think BG are playing hardball here and maybe the only way you could find out about your charges are to subject access request them. Sorry i couldn't be of more help (but i do think they are telling porkies)

[ben1305]

I have to agree with you andy, the guy on the phone was really up himself. Telling me how BG are THE authority on this matter and that it was martin from mse who told everyone it was a charge and that its NOT a charge and BG know what they're talking about as they are THE AUTHORITY on this matter... blah blah blah he just kept going on n on about BG being 'the authority on this matter and every one is wrong'.

 

I think something fishy is going on here too.

I'm gonna ring them again and see if i get a different story!!!

[angryandy]

You will get a different story. They make things up as they go along

[nottslad]

hi everyone,

This thread has raised some very interesting points. With EON before the standing charge was removed from prepay gas accounts, if the meter went onto emergency, it would not collect the standing charge and this would be set as a debt to collect when the meter is next vended.

 

There are other suppliers that do not charge a standing charge, I beleive BG ecen have a tariff like this - so if prepay is your preferred pasyment method, either change supplier to get a better rate or ask them to change the tariff! Simples

[Martynandemma]

OK I have some questions.

 

1 I had a prepayment meter couple of years back with BG then switched to EDF, I went into emergency most of the time. I wonder can we get back dated charges, I had a bg meter at another address to SAR request do we think.

 

2 EDF charge on the meter too, so even though they say they dont charge are we sure of that ??

 

3 whats a standing charge

 

4 did you know that if you have a pre payment meter you get a rental charge for it, if you have a normal meter you dont.

[indebtstudent]

A standing charge covers the fixed costs of supplying a property with gas of electric. On credit meters most companies state they have no standing charge but the reality is the higer rate does exactly the same job of the standing charg. The only subtle difference if you would get the standing charge even if your usage was nil. If you were away for a long period you probably wouldn't pay the higher rate units for that period (its a little complicated but in simpe terms this is true).

 

I believe the answer to 4 would be the standing charge, this is one way you CAN build up a debit on a prepay meter. Propert is unoccupied for thredd months so as soon as you top up the standing charge is taken off.

 

Some companies have eliminated the differential between prepayment and credit meters, I belive (anecdotally) there are a couple of area of the country where prepayment is actually cheaper but there's not much in it (esp since you wouldn't get any discounts for paying by DD).

[ozzywizard]

There is no overdraught fee for going in the emergency, it is just a build up of standing charge thaat you accrue whilst in the emergency which if you was not in the emergency it would be collecting daily.

 

Screen 25 and 26 should always be the same at 5 (payment per week to debt) a week.

 

So screen 24 says 70% which meens no matter how much you owe your meter with a combination of emergency, debt (screen 27) and standing charge it will only ever take 70% for debt so if you top up 10 pounds you will be guaranteed 3 pounds for gas.

 

screen 27 tells you exactly how much debt is owed (not including emergency and standing charge)

[sillygirl1]

Needless to say they didn't show up on Saturday to change the meter so as I am off on Monday calls will be made and their heads will be on the block. I think I will charge THEM for a wasted morning waiting for them and any other charge that may be going.

[ozzywizard]

Let us know how you get on gurile. . .. . .

[angryandy]

There is no overdraught fee for going in the emergency, it is just a build up of standing charge thaat you accrue whilst in the emergency which if you was not in the emergency it would be collecting daily.

 

Screen 25 and 26 should always be the same at 5 (payment per week to debt) a week.

 

So screen 24 says 70% which meens no matter how much you owe your meter with a combination of emergency, debt (screen 27) and standing charge it will only ever take 70% for debt so if you top up 10 pounds you will be guaranteed 3 pounds for gas.

 

screen 27 tells you exactly how much debt is owed (not including emergency and standing charge)

 

So what you are saying then is you can reclaim your standing charge then? What money have they pad me back then? I'm very confused, can someone confirm what money it was that i claimed back then please......

[nottslad]

only your supplier will be able to confirm that angry andy. It could possibly be if the meter didn't stop collecting when debt was repaid or what is known as re-calibration debt - where the prices on the meter haven't changed

[sillygirl1]

Gas men didn't come on saturday but are coming between 12-5 today. Lady on phone confirmed readings should be on screen 5 and 6 and NOT 8 and 9 so methinks hefty rebate on way once meter has been checked. Once new meter in I will be doing 7 day reading for a month to check useage.

 

Nice to have a meter set properly before winter really sets in.

 

Will report back if anything is found.

[morganalfie]

Hi

 

Ive been with bg for years on pre payment and gone into emergency loads. Can someone tell me the number to call.

 

Thanks

[dx100uk]

pm me the number too

 

had one for 15yrs , debt was paid of in 3yrs

always shows a 'debt' figure when i top up after emergency credit use.

 

dx

[90DC]

I've used my emergency with an e.on electricity meter and they have charged me pittance (About six pence infact) i'd sooner put more money on my card each week and not go into it. Stay clear of it.

[pinkbeef]

Im with npower, do they have a standing charge. Im concerned as I have not used the meter for 8 months, I do owe them money which im paying back a £3.00 per week. but when i top up my card with £20.00 all i get is the £6.00 emergency credit.

I have topped it up 3 times this week, Im not using it again, cant afford to JSA.

Edited December 24, 2011 by pinkbeef
error

[dx100uk]

start a new thread

 

this thread is two yrs old

 

dx