Confused about Gas Bill

[danceonfire]

Hello everyone,

 

Just wondered if anybody could give me some advice please?

 

I am currently using a gas prepayment meter and have always used my British Gas card to make payments. When I lost my card, I telephoned for a replacement and was told that I was with Eon, I wasn't aware that I had ever changed suppliers and asked to re-join BG. Shortly afterwards I received a final bill from Eon for approximately £20. I am currently in receipt of JSA so funds are limited but my question is, who did I make payments to when using my British Gas card but my supplier was Eon? I am going to ring them and arrange payment but would like to be armed with all the facts before I do.

 

Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thank you

[bedlington83]

How long have you lived there?

 

Has the meter been there all the time that you've been there or was it fitted after you moved in because of a debt you had with British Gas?

 

Did you move in and use your British Gas card from a previous property?

 

I suspect it doesn't matter that you used a BG card and that all your payments will have been going to the registered supplier (which may or may not have been Eon). That's certainly true of electricity pre-payment but I'm not sure about gas.

[danceonfire]

Thanks for responding Bedlington83.

 

I moved into the property in 2002 and there was already a prepayment meter installed. I set up an account with British Gas and they sent me a card to use, which I used ever since until I telephoned for a replacement card a couple of months ago.

 

No problem, as long as I know that it was Eon who had been receiving my payments then I can sort the bill out. I just wanted to clarify if it was them or BG who had received my money!!

 

Thanks again for your help

[bedlington83]

You're welcome.

 

If you got in contact with British Gas when you moved in and they sent you the card then it should be them that you're registered with. What you need to know is why do E-on think that you are their customer when you aren't and never have been.

 

The other question you need to ask is why they (E-on) think that you owe them £20 when you pay for all your gas before you use it. Even if you are their customer, it should be impossible for you to get into debt.

[indebtstudent]

"Even if you are their customer, it should be impossible for you to get into debt."

 

A common misconception, in fact prepayment meters are not what everyone thinks they should be.

 

You should contact E.on though, it may be that they have taken the supply over in error, but even then you still should have had some paperwork through etc.

 

Check the serail no BG hold against yours as it may cause problems in the future if they are billing on the wrong meter.

[bedlington83]

"Even if you are their customer, it should be impossible for you to get into debt."

 

A common misconception,

OK, how do you get into debt when there is a pre-payment meter fitted?

[ATD]

OK, how do you get into debt when there is a pre-payment meter fitted?

 

Most likely scenario is that the last payment made on the card went to BG (i.e. processed after date of transfer, but before final billing) rather than to E-on. so it would be a case of misdirected payments.

 

Might be worth the OP checking his final bill from E-on to see when the last payment they recieved was, then check that against the receipts for top ups... maybe 1x £20 or poss 2 x £10 have gone to BG instead of E-on.

[bedlington83]

Most likely scenario is that the last payment made on the card went to BG

Again this shouldn't be possible, at least not anymore. Mis-directed payments used to be a problem but there was an industry wide project a couple of years ago to ensure that electricity pre-payments always went to the right supplier.

[ATD]

Again this shouldn't be possible, at least not anymore. Mis-directed payments used to be a problem but there was an industry wide project a couple of years ago to ensure that electricity pre-payments always went to the right supplier.

 

Quite right... but there is a whole world of difference between shouldn't be possible, and wouldn't be possible.

[GamekeeperToPoacher]

A huge number of people are getting into debt with prepayment meters as the prices have not been updated on the meters and so the recovery is too low.

 

GK