British Gas Problems

[neolight90]

I had BG at my old address that I moved out of May 2009, I paid my final gas bill and thought that was the end of it, but December I checked my file with creditexpert like I always do each week and saw that it had a 6 month arrears from BG. I rang them up and they said that I had skipped out without paying, I said but if you look I rang and paid the final bill, but it seemed they kept on charging me untill July even though I told them I was moving, no matter what I do they won't change it even though I proved I did not live there at that time, they said because I did not provide a meter reading which I did! they had to guess how much I owed, so I guess I am paying for someone else then!

 

They knew I did not live there as when I moved I tried setting up with Eon at my new place and the Electric was stalled for 5 months as I was unsure who I was with as the landlady was not clear, it turned out it was BG who I did not want to be with, so they send me a 5 month bill which was high and I said I will have to pay this off over several months.

 

They were not happy with this and proceeded to add 2 months arrears on my account, so now I have a 6 month arrear from my old address and a 2 month arrear from my new address which has ruined my credit file some what.

 

I have pretty much cleared the bill for my new place and I am thankful I am with eon who do not post on my credit file. I tried to pay the bill for the old address to get it off my credit file, which even if I pay will still there with a 6 month arrears looking at me which anyone can see. But get this when I tried to pay they said no sorry we won't take your money we sold it on to a debt collectors I said I don't deal with debt collectors and this is your error as I paid the final bill let me pay you!

 

They said no and I have no idea who the debt collector is as they could not tell me.

 

What now!

[pelham9]

British Gas have been a shambles for a long time and they do not seem to be getting any better. The new staff they have taken on to deal with the problem do not seem to be properly trained as yet. Your case would make a good training exercise for them!

 

You do not say how long you had lived in the premises. Were meter readings taken by Britsh Gas during you occupancy? Did you receive any bills at any time other than final bills.

 

For the Gas

 

Your contract with British Gas is a deemed contract which every occupier is lumbered with as soon as they move in but it ceases as soon as you move out. You owe them nothing after that date. You have proved the date you moved out and sent them a meter reading. Does your final bill that you paid use that meter reading or is it estimated? Check as they may owe you !! You must insist that you use your meter reading which they appear to have lost.

 

BG cannot sell on a debt that does not exist ! You may well get some correspondence from a DCA but tell them immediately that the bill was paid and they should refer back to BG. Ignore any DCA after this - it may be their inhouse DC and if so they are talking nonsense.

 

Electricity.

 

It seems that when you ceased your occupancy neither you nor your landlord knew who was supplying the electricity so you were unable to inform anybody of your departure and send a meter reading? Were meter readings taken by BG? Presumably you did not recieve any bills? Did you in fact take a reading yourself? Have they used this on your final bill? If you have no reading yourself an estimated reading will have been used. Make sure that you agree with it. If you have a reading they are bound to accept it. They cannot charge for a period after you left and you have already proved the date for gas.

 

Personally I would stop speaking to them on the phone - you will at present be dealt with by multiple people who have shown incompetence. Make a formal complaint stating the problem as clearly as you can, refuse to pay anything until this is sorted out to your satisfaction and request that any adverse (and libellous) comments on your credit record be removed. That way your case will be dealt with by one sensible persom.

 

As you have moved BG cannot cut off your supply. All they can do is to take you to a civil court and thay have done so much wrong that they will not do this.