B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

[swifty]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

If it was me I'd be sending an email to These guys http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00z...casts/upcoming
Because it's a daily program they might deal with it a little quicker :thumb:

[Inca]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

They should be sending you a new topup card preloaded with the amount you have been ripped off,,plus £10 emergency and something for your troubles. I know this because I went through exactly the same as you in July.And I have rid of that pesky machine.

[swifty]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

watch todays Watchdog Daily, there first story is about British Gas breaking in to homes and changing the meters

[Inca]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

The meter changer arrived at my house with a 'bailiff' with a warrant of entry and a locksmith,,I let them change the meter cos I knew they'd be back to change it again within a month..I just sat taking the mickey out of them,,making barbed comments about the Sopranos lol

[gwenlillian]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

watch todays Watchdog Daily, there first story is about British Gas breaking in to homes and changing the meters

Hi - sorry didn't see this in time - will catch up online if I can. Meantime - the latest in this saga is today BG tell me it is their policy to take back 90% of what I put into the meter toward debt - even though this debt is in dispute and they have breached so many codes in this latest action against me they refuse to do anything about it. They have also changed their story yet again about the credit they sent to the meter. This is still not available to me, first of all they said I had to top up 3 times, today they say I have to top up 5 times - what's the betting that they want me to put the money in first in order to give it back to me. It cost me £1.00 to get 10 pence of gas - hmmm, how much to get £15.00 credit back that they owe me I wonder. They also say that the ten pounds credit left on the meter on the day cost me £3.00 per day, plus 30 pence which is why it only lasted three days, so, they took back the credit from themselves surely. I haven't heard back from the complaints I have sent through online either. Looks like there is no way to have gas from these clowns as I would be spending my food money. grrrrr.

[alham]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

Any chance you can change providers?

[wales01man]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

Excuse my maths but if the OP is paying back so much is this not in theory costing 9 times what she gets in gas is this not against Ofgem rules on hardship cases

[gwenlillian]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

Excuse my maths but if the OP is paying back so much is this not in theory costing 9 times what she gets in gas is this not against Ofgem rules on hardship cases

Hi - I think it is against the rules - which is exactly why they slipped it into court. Also occurs to me that while the figures remain in dispute I wont be able to change supplier either. As I have never signed a contract with British Gas, I wonder if I can get rid of their supply totally and then they will have to sort out the sums. I don't understand why they think it okay to make me pay £3.00 a day, and get 30p worth of gas, yet the recovery rate also asking for £3.55 every week, not instead of. That will be £42 pre fortnight from my £112 fortnightly benefit. Wonder if BG would like to offer me a job instead!

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

if your debt is £100 or less they have no right to block a request to transfer.

[calamity jane]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

On 23 September Ofgem issued a press release stating that, from 1st November there would an increase in the debt threshold from £200 TO £500.

http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Media/PressR..._customers.pdf


CJ

[alham]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

Hi - I think it is against the rules - which is exactly why they slipped it into court. Also occurs to me that while the figures remain in dispute I wont be able to change supplier either. As I have never signed a contract with British Gas, I wonder if I can get rid of their supply totally and then they will have to sort out the sums. I don't understand why they think it okay to make me pay £3.00 a day, and get 30p worth of gas, yet the recovery rate also asking for £3.55 every week, not instead of. That will be £42 pre fortnight from my £112 fortnightly benefit. Wonder if BG would like to offer me a job instead!

I've got to say that I can't quite believe this thread - how can they get away with all this and that after all the promises and patronising speeches when they increased their prices last time. If they obtained a court order by deception it MUST be set aside, get them change the meter back and get all the money back. If you are interested, once I get some kind of resolution next week on my own case I'll try to give you a hand.

[gwenlillian]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

I've got to say that I can't quite believe this thread - how can they get away with all this and that after all the promises and patronising speeches when they increased their prices last time. If they obtained a court order by deception it MUST be set aside, get them change the meter back and get all the money back. If you are interested, once I get some kind of resolution next week on my own case I'll try to give you a hand.

Wait - it get better - I have just spoken to British Gas again, I was transferred from the Warm Home Discount Scheme people. We are in the cold of course, no heating, no hot water, the Warm Home scheme guys say that I do qualify for social tariffs and for a winter payment but they can only apply this to electric. OK. Since I will be relying on electric only that will assist. BG however, still do nothing to resolve my disputed debt which is apparently £1700+. This automatically precludes me from changing supplier. Within this sum are hundreds of pounds in charges, high tariff rates, and back-billing. In the matter of my urgent requirement for gas, I have discovered that the credit given at the inception is to quote BG "running faster". lol. I asked her if running faster means costing more. She said it just runs faster which is why ten pounds only lasts three days. As long as that, or any portion of that is outstanding the tariff will run "faster" as their meter says I am using emergency credit. Therefore I am paying 90% plus the £3.55 just to get the thing on. I would have to top up a much larger sum to get out of this cycle.

It also is clear that this is a penalty. Why are sums credited, charged at a higher rate? You receive no more gas supply than the next person - surely this is discriminating against those in financial hardship. Since I cannot run fast enough to catch up with and overtake this BG system I am doomed to languishing in the bottom of their barrel paying emergency rate tariff forever.

BG have said that they will give me a code to go the local shop and collect an RTI card, but, on checking they discover that none of my local shops have RTI cards, and thus I would have to walk '100 miles' to get this thing. They cannot post it to me. Gone full circle now, still no gas and have asked them to take their supply away totally. No answer.

[alham]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

Get in touch with CAB urgently, also see this http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/b...companies.html

[gwenlillian]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

I don't believe it. The energy ombudsman has just sent me a letter (pdf) saying they can't look at this case as it is over 9 months since the problem started!! I gave them the dates of when I first started complaint letters to BG so this has now worked against me - what a joke this is - I am lost.

[alham]

Re: B. Gas prepay meter fiasco

Oh don't give up, we'll get through it. Just spoke to the ombudsman, have you received from your gas provider a "dead lock letter", i.e. that's their final position and we are not prepared to do anything else? If you do your time period may not apply.