##Utilities : British Gas won't let me change supplier and disconnects my supply

[AVRO]

Thanks for letting me say this.

I run a small manufacturing business employing 5 people.

I have been trying for nearly 2 years to change my electricity supplier from British Gas to E On. British Gas disallows. It has so far come up with 3 reasons not to allow it. 1) we owe them money 2) we didn't give them 28 days written notice 3) we contacted them to inform them another company was attempting to take over the supply and we didn't want them to.

We have tried to get copy invoices for the alleged amount we owe but they won't send us a bill. We have documented proof (recorded delivery and fax receipts) to state we have given numerous written 28 days notice. We certainly did not tell them not to allow the supply to be switched.

Last August someone from Face2Face called to my company and proceeded to disconnect our Electricity supply. We had no warning this was going to happen and he stated we would have received a court order. After he took out the meter he showed us a letter saying what he had done and why. This piece of paper was addressed to a business a few hundred yards down the street. We created holy heck but the man refused to put our meter back in even though our business was wrongly targeted. We were informed by British Gas that unless we paid the amount outstanding for that meter plus £350 disconnection fee we would not get our electricity supply re-instated. Although we had no bill for the amount and the bill was for another company we paid the bill just to get our supply back on. We lost over 2 weeks production waiting for them to do this and it cost us thousands of pounds in lost orders. We received a letter from consumer focus stating British Gas accepted that our meter was taken out by mistake and as a gesture of goodwill they gave us back the £350 disconnection fee!!

Now they just ignore all letters from us. What else can I do? I have written to the complaints department, to the billing department requesting all the bills and to our supposed mediator at British Gas. It seems they all just ignore us. Please Help

[ihateyes]

this is apalling and disappointing.

[EnergyandWater]

We would be happy to help. It seems you have had an bad experience! Either PM me or follow our energyandwater id to get our contact details. Our contact within British Gas Business will be able to unravel this and find out what has been going on.

 

Rgds,

 

Martin Brown

[ihateyes]

We would be happy to help. It seems you have had an bad experience! Either PM me or follow our energyandwater id to get our contact details. Our contact within British Gas Business will be able to unravel this and find out what has been going on.

 

Rgds,

 

Martin Brown

 

 

I would strongly ADVISE AGAINST giving the above poster any information whatsoever.....

[EnergyandWater]

Can you advise why ihateyes?

[ihateyes]

Yes because you are not an official representative.

You seem to work for a business/are a business - David Brown Consulting.....

 

Simple... you dont work for British Gas, therefore i wouldnt give you my details..

You are not an official representative noticed by CAG.....

 

I think the Mods should come on in this one as well.

[EnergyandWater]

If the solution to this problem was posting a description of the way to resolve the situation on this forum then that is exactly what I would have done. Unfortunately there is no easy way to do that for the help of our poor poster who has shared his problem with us. If I am amiss in trying to offer a way to help to remedy the situation then I apologise profusely. If, however, you are standing in the way of someone getting help to sort out the situation they are in then I think you are amiss as I'm sure AVRO is quite capable of deciding whether they want to take advantage of offered help or not for themselves.

 

If you could have offered greater help than 'this is appaling and disappointing', I might see your point!

[ihateyes]

If the solution to this problem was posting a description of the way to resolve the situation on this forum then that is exactly what I would have done. Unfortunately there is no easy way to do that for the help of our poor poster who has shared his problem with us. If I am amiss in trying to offer a way to help to remedy the situation then I apologise profusely. If, however, you are standing in the way of someone getting help to sort out the situation they are in then I think you are amiss as I'm sure AVRO is quite capable of deciding whether they want to take advantage of offered help or not for themselves.

 

If you could have offered greater help than 'this is appaling and disappointing', I might see your point!

 

I assume your company charge for this, i notice from your website, you aim to save companies money.....

Im sure if you read the rules, you will notice your not meant to advertise your business in anyway.

People use CAG to seek advice and help from people who have had the same problems.

These people dont charge but people can then donate to CAG.

 

You may notice if you take time to go around this forum that companies have OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVES that will help the poster with their problem. These people have to be given OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE status by CAG. i notice you dont have this.

Im sure if i call British Gas Business, they will confirm you do not work on their behalf.

 

Enough said on this think.

[EnergyandWater]

Our aim is to help/advise our clients.

 

I accept your point ihateyes, and will refrain from offering help again. AVRO I'm sure a solution to all your hassle and problems will be forthcoming, all the best with a resolution.

[ihateyes]

Im sure Avro would like hel whereever possible. CAG is all about people who may have experienced a similar problem, or aybe who have knowledge f the area helping other CAGGERS. There is no fee involved, but donations to the website are welcome.

 

I didnt offer AVRO help because im not knowledgable in Business Energy. If i was i wouldve offered advice free of charge...

 

I am knowledgable in other areas as everyone is, and there i will offer advice, as will everyone else around here.

 

People on here get satisfaction by helping other people help themselves against some very large companies who trample over anyone that will let them.

 

Stick about......

[AVRO]

I do apologise. I didn't mean to start an argument when I posted. But it seems someone from British Gas is watching this site or maybe it was the several emails I posted off this week to high up BG officials, but, today I received not only a letter from BG but quite a few phone calls too. They are bending over backwards to try to sort this quickly. In short I would like to thank everyone that answered my post and I really appreciated knowing that someone was listening. Thank you all again it was very much appreciated.