BGas has debt recovery via smart meter

[23sopwith]

morning all

the above is pushed by bg as a help to vulnerable people is anyone infact on it

my wife and i have just been assessed for it and been told that our household income is too high

its not surprising really when you have to include in youre household income the amount of council tax benefit housing benefit and the fact that we both because of our medical conditions get free prescriptions.

is this just another pr exercise by a utility company or does this tariff exist

[rebel11]

Hi 23sop

 

Have you tried the 'Switch' sites to see what they through up. Apparently there are 550 odd Tariffs.

[rebel11]

I remember when the government ran the electricity and gas companies, then electricty and gas were a neccesities, now these independent companies are charging like it's a luxury.

[23sopwith]

i look after my parents gas and lecca via web they are on websaver 10 and its due for renawal feb 29

they want to stay with bg i cant find a cheaper tariff with bg does anyone out there no of one

thanks

[23sopwith]

This may well have been answere somewhere else if so apologies and could you point me to the correct thread.

 

Changed tariffs with bg to their supposed cheapest tariff, have just had 1st bill (statement)

 

couldn't believe my eyes the standing charge has gone up by 50%

and now they want me to increase my d/d for gas alone to £113 per month

although their projection for my gas useage over the year is only £758 pa

 

 

am I loosing my marbles or is their a big discrepancy somewhere and when were bg allowed to up standing charges by 50%.

 

no debt history with either electricity or gas and have "supposed" cheapest duel fuel tariff

 

£1900 per year for a 3 bed semi isn't very cheap, or is all the "blurb" just that

[rebel11]

Hi 23sopwith

 

You would think that Standing Charges would be the same on each tariff provided by the energy supplier, but also the same with every energy supplier, not the case. It's a total sham, although your saving in the unit charges, they make up for it by upping the Standing Charge.

 

Use a comparison site, feed in your usage, then swap.

[ericsbrother]

all of the energy companies vary the standing charge and without good reason. You will see that the cheapest tariffs oftem ahve the highest standing charge. They all blame ofgem for forcing them into this position but that isnt true, the are basically a cartel and no-one in power has the balls to take them to task

[i hate bailiffs]

There is a suplyer with no standing charge cost per unit may be slightly higher but if a low user you may be better off

[oleg]

Some comparison sites give a "no standing charge" search option. Or as David Big Society Better Together Cameron & Co would call it, a standing charge of £0. In return for this generous £0 fee, there is always a higher unit price. Before opting for a particular company, it is worthwhile visiting a review site to check others' experiences.

[oleg]

I was, through reasons beyond my control, unaware that British Gasp had reimposed a standing charge until months later when I discovered I had been paying for zero usage. I did eventually get my money back but not without kicking up a fuss. Their initial response to my complaint even had the audacity to point out that it is not allowed to take legal action against them.

 

See also one guy's joyous baptism into the land of the standing charge in the following . . .

 

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/25/david-cameron-energy-reforms-gas-bill

[rebel11]

This how bizzare Standing Charges are, this is from one supplier, to be honest can't remember the actual figures, it's a joke:-

 

Electricity = 0p per day

Gas = 57p per day

[goodatresearch]

How did you get the money back, I'm not really happy about paying £44 for the 6 months of the year no gas is used.

 

 

I was, through reasons beyond my control, unaware that British Gasp had reimposed a standing charge until months later when I discovered I had been paying for zero usage. I did eventually get my money back but not without kicking up a fuss. Their initial response to my complaint even had the audacity to point out that it is not allowed to take legal action against them.

 

See also one guy's joyous baptism into the land of the standing charge in the following . . .

 

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/25/david-cameron-energy-reforms-gas-bill

[23sopwith]

after all the "hoo ha" with bg price reduction checked my online account, im not getting it but I can get it if I opt in to a further 12 month contract and make myself liable to a charge of £30 per service if I wish to switch , so the question arises "when is a price reduction not a price reduction" ? and is this a falsehood that they are putting about

[steviehowie]

Have look at the fraud act 2006 section 2 and 3.

 

 

Also have a look at The Electricity Cct 1989 section 59. making of false statements.

 

 

Also as way of background see legal cases Lisa Ferguson v British gas trading ltd( 2009) and Christopher Poncelet v npower Ltd reported in here somewhere.

 

 

Best of luck . keep up the fight.

[23sopwith]

can anyone please give me a clue as to what bg are up to

my duel fuel account is a fixed till sep 2016, not had my meter read for over 12mths I submit my own readings, nothing unusual in that, but what I do find unusual is that even though my account is in credit

they have decided after revieving my account that my d/d on my electricity should rise from £59 pm to £133 pm.

further my elderly parents who are on a similar plan have been informed that their d/d on electricity is to rise from £40 pm to £77 p/m their reason for this being that their useage is less than they (bg) have forecasted.

do they just make the figures up and hope that customers will pay or is it some formula they apply which only they know

[i hate bailiffs]

I think they make it up

They have zero customer service

It is your money not theirs to sit on

You may be able to change the direct debit to a standing order

 

Write to them formal complaint

As soon as you can leave them

[mikeymack2002]

I had this very issue with EDF I ended up with 4 refunds or so plus goodwill gesture payments worth a nice amount of money.

 

I also had my account 'locked' to stop their systems from increasing my DD for no reason.

 

I also only pay £40pm on my DD and again within 2 months a credit is already being created.

 

I never allow more than 1 months credit then ask for a refund. Which they always pay. If they argue I escalate to the complaints level and it's sorted.

 

I also have created my own spread sheet with all of the calculations so I can work my bill out faster than them.

 

They don't like you not being in control and have to try to get you in significant credit so that they can stay afloat with customers money or use it to pay the huge fines they've had recently.

 

Complain then complain some more finally get a better supplier... its your choice to stay or go. RUN lol

[23sopwith]

Ran up 600 debt with by agreed payment plan via smart meter. From what I can see they have upped the tariff and standing charge. Is this how they recoveries smart meter ? If so they are charging approx 25% too much I would appreciate views before I have a go at BG

[dx100uk]

English please.

 

 

[23sopwith]

B g debt 600 agreed p payment pan via prepay smart meter that have upped tariff and standing charge is this how they recover debt of so I'm being overcharged reason I say this dead meter morning and night and compare what I'm being charged compared to useage