British Gas token meter question

[andypandyere]

Hi everyone, ok.... i have a gas token meter i credit via card top up, i have never owed a debt, i have checked my meter which is the modern one with LCD readout & Menu, it shows no debt, no standing charge, i have complained to BG that my gas is costing a fortune and was my meter set correctly, they claim i am only paying for what i trully actually use, and here comes my problem.

 

Due to the cold weather, i have been putting £20 every 2 weeks when i get my disability benifit and for the first time llast night, i ran out of gas as my gas fire went out at 10pm, i went to the meter put on the £5 emergency and on returning to the house, i went to bed.

 

This morning i went and got more credit (£20) on putting the credit in, it displayed a charge of 1p and then showed my £20 credit, then displayed 23 pence used of emergency credit.

 

How can i have used the 23p, once my fire went out i turned the fire off, i have no pilot gas lights anywhere that remain on, therefore while i was asleep, where did the 23p go? my water is electric emersion, my oven is pitzo egnition as is my gas fire???? i did not use any gas when i got up and went to get credit. if i had a leak the gas meter would not have turned back on. So BG has robbed my of 23p during the 8hrs i was asleep, at that rate its 0.02875p an hour, per week thats £4.83 a week or £251.16 per year. What should i do here because plain and simple i see this as theft. BG assure me i have no charges other than paying for gas i use.

 

If its a penalty for going into the emergency credit, then thats an amazing intrest rate.

 

Andy

[rory32]

Often there is a service charge for prepayment meters. This may be where your 23p has gone.

[Ell-enn]

I believe they charge you for going into the emergency credit. One of my neighbours was complaining last week that she is now paying around £10 per week just to use her gas fire at night. All other heating in the house is electric.

[andypandyere]

I am paying £10 a week 2 just for gas fire, and gas cooker which we do not use very often, we are just a married middle aged couple on benifits with a disabled wife, its outrageous especially as our electric is £20 a week, looks like i will have to now pay more than £10 a week for gas, and it will only get colder.

 

Andy

[rory32]

Andy are you on their social tariff?

[andypandyere]

Social Tariff? erm you lost me, i am just on the normal charge could you explain please?

 

Andy

[rory32]

British Gas Launches Social Tariff

 

Give BG a phone and ask to be put on their social tariff. It will reduce your bills a bit.

[andypandyere]

Rory, thank you kindly for directing me to that site, we do fit into that criteria perfectly, hopefully this will help us dramatically.

 

Andy

[maroondevo52]

Rory, there's no a Scottish Gas one is there ?

[rory32]

Yes there is Scott. They introduced it in Feb 2007.Give them a phone.

[maroondevo52]

Thanks for that Rory

 

Regards.

 

Scott.

[little_star]

my sister was given a house a couple year back in the janruary but never moved intil march. she has now been informed of debts from this time after moving to another location. the house that she moved into had a prepayment meter and was in debt when she moved in, she refused to pay sumone elses debt and got it reset, but how can she owe over 400 on a prepayment meter?

[sfuk]

Hello Everyone - Little Bit of Information on Prepayment Meters

 

Prepayment meters work as normal as long as you dont go into emergency credit. When you go into emergency credit it stops collecting the standing charge which is usualy 20 pence (approx) a day. The prepayment meter charges standing charge everyday at 3am. It takes it out of your existing credit. So if you run into emergency credit the night before you go to bed then at 3 am it will try and collect the standing charge and wont be able to because you are in emergency credit. The following day when you top up it will take that standing charge back. plus any gas you used. Hence the 23 pence charge when you topped up.

 

If you think that you meter is wrong ask for a meter dump report. they will send you a card to put into your meter whcih you do and send back to them. Once they recieve it they will print off a report. Ask for a copy and post it on here.

 

Little star if you start you own thread and pm me the link I will look into it for you.