@britishgashelp Are British Gas telling me the truth

[sirbob10]

Hi

 

I'm looking for some help regarding my gas/electric with British Gas.

 

Due to my husband being off sick for over year I now have a £740 bill for my gas and £350 for my electric both of which need paying now or they will install a pre-payment meter and charge me upto £200 to install each meter.

 

They have said if I agree to a meter then they won't charge me and they will only take £6 per week per debt.

 

I have always been under the impression that you are charged more on a pre-payment meter but British Gas have said I will not pay any more than the tariff I am on at the moment as a credit customer. Is this true? They are installing the meters on the 10th Sept but if I clear the outstanding before this date I can canx the installation of the meters.

 

Many Thanks for any advice.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

if this hs been stated in writting and you accept the terms it is binding.

[sirbob10]

Hi

 

No, it was verbally over the phone.

 

Hubby has gone back to work so I'm going to make sure its paid off before the meters are installed.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Contact BG and insist on the terms in writting to protect yourselves!!!

[adridude]

Paying by pre-pay is no longer more expensive. They now support Eco 7 etc... tariffs. Just be very sure that they install the right meter when they get there, 5 terminal meter = Eco 7, 4 Terminal = Single rate.

[nohope]

The rates are the same but with the electric meter they charge about 1.80 a week standing charge which you don't get on quarterly billed meters.

[adridude]

No, there are no standing charges on British Gas meters. This is company independent.

[nohope]

Well tell that to my meter then, i've had the pre pay meter for 5 years and its always had the weekly charge and a few people i no have them and its the same for them. Charges 1.83 a week in this area.

 

My son moved into a flat on saturday and his electric is with Bg and his weekly charge is 1.63. They don't have a standing charge on the gas pre pay meters though.

 

As far as i could find out the charge on the electric meter is because they are rented and not owned by Bg.

[raydetinu]

yes LL can put a charge on utilities if you pay the LL, not if you have a direct contract or supply with BG etc.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

It's no the landlord renting the meter the insallation

and reading of some properties is done by a third party

such as Siemans.

[adridude]

~øhope, you'd best call up and ask about the standing charge as I've double checked my meter, as well as the website tariffs and there is no mention on either about a weekly payment? I also confirmed this on the phone as I was concerned that I was getting zapped weekly for this, but I'm not?

 

~I'm in the EDF network area, but a client of BG.

[sirbob10]

Thanks for all the help.

 

adridude can you advise me how I know which pre-payment meter I need. I am rather clueless.

 

Joanne

[adridude]

If you have economy 7, that is, you have storage heaters and/OR you rely on the boiler heating up over night, you need a '5 terminal' meter.

 

If you are on a single tariff, which usually dual fuel (gas and electric in the house) people have, then all you need is a 4 terminal.

 

The terminal number, is the amount of FAT wires coming out of the bottom (or top) of the meter.

 

ANother way to tell is, at about 1:30 at night, or 7:30 in the morning (at this time of year) you can hear it make a physical click (or sometimes clunk). That's an economy 7 meter.

 

Next if you are getting a standing charge, I would call them up, as it was probably something residual from when you moved in, and query this, as it doesnt sound right.

 

This was an old thing that companies used to do, but this was contested as often people who use pay as you go are on benefits or a low income so it is discriminatory to charge them extra just for having a different meter, at a different rate.

[sirbob10]

Thaks so much for that. The meters haven't been installed yet and I'm hoping that if I can pay the outstanding beofre the 5th Sept then they said they will canx them being installed.

 

 

 

Joanne

[adridude]

Just a word of warning... If they decide that you are too far in debt and that you wo't voluntarily move to Pay as you Go, they will elect a company i.e. Richburns, which works on behalf of BG to collect the money. If they can't collect it in a time THEY see fit, they will apply for a court warrant to enter your house and change it whether you like it or not. Problem then is, if their hand is forced, THEY will choose how much you pay back at, if you contact them earlier and voluntarily to pay off via Pay as you Go, I'm pretty sure you can get away with £6 a week on top of your usage. If you want to pay more, you can phone them up and make payments over the phone.

[nohope]

If you check your meter it's on screen F, comes under charge/week.

[sirbob10]

Hi

 

I have already agreed to have them installed and they said they will collect £6 per week per debt. They have said if I pay the outstanding 1 week before installation they will cancel them being installed.

 

I only agreed to let them install them as they said this would stop any further action and charges on my gas and electric accounts because if they had to force the meters on me they can charge upto £200 per meter.

[nohope]

Direct from the british gas web site

 

Your cost per unit for TN31

 

Standing charges are in pence p/day. Rates are in pence per KWh and include VAT

 

Payment Type Standing Charge 18.690 Unit Rate Prepayment 12.360

[Market Utilities]

You can still get fixed price rates on a PPM, ask them what their best rates are and contract terms, dont be afraid to haggle over the rates BG have reduced rates recently so they have some good deals available

[adridude]

I dont know why yo0u lot are being charged this at all.... I've for no standing charge, and I'm on the same tariff I was on before I went PPM. I think you all need to phone up BG and kick up lol