@britishgashelp Want to get rid of prepayment meters

[divadeb]

Hi,

I am wanting to change from using prepayment meters for my gas and electric and going onto DD.

 

British Gas have done a credit check on me and it failed, he told me to maybe check with Expedia to see if my credit file is wrong.

I know it's right as I have a couple of CCJs.

 

Am I now stuck on prepayment meters for ever, I wouldn't mind but they were already in the house when I moved in and when I asked for them to be removed they said there was a charge for removing them.

I refused to pay it as I never had them installed.

 

Topping up my gas is costing me about £40 week with British Gas and my electric is £20, it's crippling me.

I've started to sit with candles on( which is nice ) and I have my gas on for 2 hours in the morning and the same on an evening.

 

And help advice would be good,

thanks in advance.

[biggeorge]

Hi, I think if you don't owe more than £500 you can switch providers very easy now.

 

Look at any of the suppliers and give them a call explaining you will switch to them but you want them to change your

meters from prepaid to normal.

 

Once BG get wind of you trying to change supplier I bet you they will change the meter fee of charge or you get a new supplier who will

give you a normal meter/s.

 

George

[divadeb]

Biggeorge thanks for the reply.

I don't owe any money and have never owed money on my gas or electric, that's what puzzled me lol Ive never heard of a credit check to see if you can pay DD or yearly.

Someone just told me about smart meters, but I've not heard of these but there suppose to be cheaper.

I will try the comparison sites and see who will help me get of these meters.

Thanks Debbie.

[BazzaS]

The credit check is standard practice.

With pre-pay they aren't relying on your ability to pay having already provided you with the electric / gas, but are taking that risk with "post-pay"

 

First step, in case you have been declined "for the wrong reason" : Get a copy of your credit report To ensure there is nothing incorrect on there. If there is, repost here to get help to get it corrected.

 

Switch to another provider, as already advised.

 

Record the call where you phone up, and make sure you note that BG declined, and that the move away from pre-payment is the main reason for you to move. Ask if there would be a minimum period with the new provider before getting the meters changed from pre-payment, and if you would need to make a deposit payment.

 

Ensure you record this call, as if they lure you to swap by promising you can move from pre-payment, and later "change their mind" or say "you wouldn't have been told that", you'll have proof, just in case your call was one:

a) "Where it wasn't recorded (by the firm), as they only get recorded at random"

b) "where it was recorded, but the recording has been deleted / lost / isn't clear enough to hear what was said"

 

Suspicious? Moi?

 

We had the same a few years back (BG, pre-pay meters in house when we moved in, didn't pass BG's requirements to move to post-pay : considering my Experian credit report was well into "excellent", it made me wonder: can anyone pass BG's requirements to move to post-pay / DD) ?.

 

At least we could top up both gas & electric online with BG.

Scottish Power said we could move to them, then move to DD from pre-pay almost immediately.

 

We moved to them, started to have to make trips to the shop to top-up again (as only one of electric or gas could be topped up online with them, but I digress as this may have changed), offered to pay a deposit as agreed initially to avoid bring declined ; they THEN noted we'd have to be with them a year before switching to DD, and we'd "never" have been advised otherwise......

 

I suggested that they check the call recording, and if they had any problems with their call record, I'd be happy to provide them with my record of the call.

It took ages for them to sort it out but sort it out they did.

 

(I digress again, but we'd arranged for both meters to be changed on the same day, so I only had to take one day off work. We arranged this well in advance, as it was arranged for immediately after we got back from a holiday.

 

Whilist on holiday, they called to say "have to move one to a different day, due to staff illness" : it is always surprising when they know a week in advance who is going to be ill, rather than people off on leave (even if it is "medical leave", but still if in advance they can plan cover.......)

This point passed them by initially, but polite persistence succeeded.....

 

In summary : it can be done, but prepare for it not to go smoothly, and you'll have contingency for if it doesn't!

Record everything, not that I'm suggesting they lie, but sometimes people are mistaken, people say things others later claim "they'd NEVER have said that", notes of calls aren't complete or fully accurate, or recordings didn't happen or go missing .....

 

I hope your changeover does go smoothly, though.

[divadeb]

Thanks for that BazzaS,

Daft question but do you need a special device to record the calls ?? I only have a normal landline with a answerphone.

I am going to change supplier when I get home from work today

The guy from BG sounded almost smug that I couldn't change my prepayment meters.

Thanks again, Debbie.

[BazzaS]

Others are (perhaps) better placed to answer about call recording in detail, but:

A) Most "smartphones" can be made to record calls, if need be by an "app"

B) "old school" methods for a standard phone line include a "pick-up" that detects the electronic signal, or a microphone that detects the sounds, going to a tape recorder or dictation tape recorder

C) the Truecall device is a higher tech / higher cost solution that suits some people (it provides "call screening" too)

It sits between your phone & the wall socket.

[nethy]

Hi,

I am wanting to change from using prepayment meters for my gas and electric and going onto DD.

British Gas have done a credit check on me and it failed, he told me to maybe check with Expedia to see if my credit file is wrong. I know it's right as I have a couple of CCJs.

Am I now stuck on prepayment meters for ever, I wouldn't mind but they were already in the house when I moved in and when I asked for them to be removed they said there was a charge for removing them. I refused to pay it as I never had them installed.

Topping up my gas is costing me about £40 week with British Gas and my electric is £20, it's crippling me. I've started to sit with candles on( which is nice ) and I have my gas on for 2 hours in the morning and the same on an evening.

And help advice would be good, thanks in advance.

 

 

1989 electricity act section 16 duties of the distributor

Duty to connect on request.

 

 

(1)An electricity distributor is under a duty—

 

(a)to make a connection between a distribution system of his and any premises, when required to do so by—

 

(i)the owner or occupier of the premises; or

 

(ii)an authorised supplier acting with the consent of the owner or occupier of the premises,

 

for the purpose of enabling electricity to be conveyed to or from the premises;

 

(b)to make a connection between a distribution system of his and any distribution system of another authorised distributor, when required to do so by that authorised distributor for the purpose of enabling electricity to be conveyed to or from that other system.

so on that legislation, if you cancel the contract with the supplier the distributor cannot charge as he is under a duty to connect WEEEE FREE ELECTRICITY

[SabreSheep]

connect does not equal supply....

[divadeb]

Sorry but ain't got a clue what your both on about lol:???: