@britishgashelp Harassment claim

[KerryB]

British Gas have been sending me and my neighbour threatening letters intermittently over the past 5 years. I have on each occasion contacted them and given our meter number and then been told that it did not correspond with the meter number they were chasing - BG apologised and say ignore the letters- then a few months later i'd receive another letter and it would start all over again. They did not seem to be aware of any of the previous discussions.

 

At the time i had just had my 2nd child and was not able to pursue the matter fully due to other commitments. it caused me a lot of worry and stress at the time and i felt unable to deal with it properly until now. i have kept a note of phone calls - names - and letters.

 

11 hours - time spent

26 phone calls

35 emails

 

A few weeks ago i received yet another letter out of the blue as usual threatening bailiffs, cut off supply, bad debt with credit agencies. I contacted them and they again have admitted again that it is a mistake and they are sorting it out, they have asked me to give them a figure for compensation. I think i should get them to admit the mistake in writing but don't know how to go about this. please can you advise? many thanks

[dx100uk]

time for OFFgas or whomever me thinks

 

and compensation?

 

dx

[Gbarbm]

Any use to you....

 

Who can help resolve a complaint other than the energy company it concerns?

The Energy Ombudsman (now known as the Ombudsman Services: Energy) can investigate complaints for domestic and micro-business consumers that the energy supplier or network operator cannot resolve. They can normally deal with a complaint if it has been with the energy company for 8 weeks or if the company has declared the complaint deadlocked (i.e. they have said they can do no more) whichever is the earlier. The Energy Ombudsman can ask your supplier or network operator to apologise and can take practical action to resolve a complaint and, in some cases, make a financial award.*

You can contact Ombudsman Services: Energy via:

*

Telephone: **** 0330 440 1624 or 01925 530 263

Fax: *** *********** 0330 440 1625 or 01925 530 264

Textphone: **** 0330 440 1600 or 01925 430 886

Email: ************ [email protected]

Website: ******** http://www.os-energy.org

*

There is also an online complaint form and enquiry form.

[KerryB]

what the best way to get them to put in writing that it's their mistake are there any ways of doing this or is it a case of just asking, which I have done. They didn't give me a straight answer just waffled a bit.

[KerryB]

than you . I did put a complaint in with Energy Ombudsman last week.

[Gbarbm]

Did you speak to them on the phone? If so make a subject access request under the data protection act for recordings of the call and use that as evidence of them mentioning the compensation etc

[KerryB]

great thanks, i'll do that. Does it make any difference to the claim that the letters were always addressed to "the occupier" and not me in person?

[dx100uk]

yes it does

 

dx

[dx100uk]

just a thought

have you gone through their offivail complaint procedure?

 

i'e got a number from BG , as they now MUST resolve complaints within 8 weeks.

 

off???? will tell you to do that first.

 

dx

[KerryB]

what difference does it make if says "to occupier" then?

 

yes i did do an official complaint form but only last week.

[dx100uk]

debt recovery guidelines

 

they cant be sure who the debtor is so should have stopped long ago.

 

dx

[KerryB]

oh, i see. I thought this would go against me. I've drafted an email to them. thanks for your help.