@britishgashelp British Gas sending incorrect bills

[schwepppes33]

I am having problems with British Gas.

 

To explain they sent me a bill one month after I moved in that was grossly wrong based on three weeks of use. I sent them a letter correcting this and complaining. I pointed out in this letter too that I was deaf. The response of me being deaf was for them to ask me for a mobile phone number so they could discuss it with me.

 

I paid the bill even though it was out by a huge amount because well,.... it wasn't that much as it related to not much use - about £200 for three weeks use! They failed to adjust the meter readings for the property though despite being supplied them with them in writing, failed to credit my account with the overpayment.

 

Now they have sent me another gas and electricity bill which is even more wrong. They want me to pay £718 on the basis of my meter readings they have guessed as being 24339 for electricity and 14545 for gas. In reality my meter readings are 24073 for electricity and 14038 for gas.

 

How can I actually deal with overcharging where basically they consistently over estimate my use by 100% and fail to adjust even when informed? They won't adjust the previous bill not because I am wrong or because they provide any reason. They don't... it's like it goes in one ear and out of the other. They won't correct the meter readings even though I have supplied them with the correct ones and seem eager to simply overcharge as much as possible.

[schwepppes33]

I should add that although I am supposed to be billed quarterly British Gas also decided to late bill me, my "quarterly" bill actually relates to 171 days this time. Having just checked, my previous "quarterly" bill was for 27 days.

[nottslad]

How terribly frustrating to you.

 

The best thing to do would be to email their CEO, repeating again what you've said to them in your letter and ask that they communicate ia email.

 

Alternatively, have you got access to TypeTalk?

[schwepppes33]

No land line... so no typetalk. I explained to them that the type of mobile phone I have means that I cannot use typetalk. I also tried to use the online chat several times and it failed to connect every time as a customer representative was not available. I sent a printed screen grab of this. I explained all of this in my initial complaint - that you can contact me this way, and not this way. They then asked for the ways that they cannot contact me on. Even better it actually said in their response that they were noting I was hard of hearing, so did I have a telephone number they could talk to me on!

 

My reading of the situation is there's numerous issues -

1) crass behaviour relating to my hearing

2) incorrect bills

3) failure to adjust meter readings

4) irregular "quarterly" billing

5) unhandled complaint

 

Even their own estimates for my gas/electricity on the bill that they are charging me for do not seem to match the estimated use for the entire year. !!!!!!!!!!

[nottslad]

[email protected] is the email for the CEO - I strongly advise you to email a complaint, it's looking ever more likely that this is going to be the only way you can get this sorted once and for all.

 

It might be an idea to give them another up to date meter reading the more reads they have the better their estimates will be

[schwepppes33]

They completely ignored the last meter reading as I can see from the present bill!

 

Thanks. I'm going to send them another letter first, and then when they inevitably do nothing again I'll email him

 

As for compensation, anyone got any suggestions here on how to get as much of them as possible?

[nottslad]

Normally for poor service you'd be looking at £25 ish I would have thought, although if you feel like they have discriminated against you because of your disability in that they wanted to talk over the telephone which isn't possible, and you have told them that, then perhaps more, although without a possible court claim again it would be bundled in with poor service, maybe £100 + interest on the credit balance that will result from the overcharging

[citizenB]

Whilst I wouldnt normally advise to capitalise on a disability.. in this instance, you have advised them you are deaf - do not have access to type talk and want them to communicate with you by email/letter. For them then to ask you not just once but twice for a telephone number is totally ignorant and distressing for you as it is quite obvious they are not even paying lip service to customer service.

[schwepppes33]

Thanks for all the advice people.

[ericsbrother]

I got £500 for disability discrimination from a utilities supplier when they carried on in the same manner regarding phone calls instead of in writing/email. make sure that the ceo knows that you are gunning for them in this respect and will be looking for £1k

[schwepppes33]

I don't usually go for compensation. well in the case of my bank I demanded it and told them I'd sue them for X amount every time they then called me and hadn't changed their systems. This would soon get very expensive for them as I was told it was impossible to change the system

 

And then they did I'd rather effect change at this big, slow, hulking companies but £1,000 sounds pretty good.

 

As an aside, every single energy company I have used since 2010 has had billing problems with me. One took over 50 emails to resolve as they kept sending me next doors bills combined into my own and didn't believe me. The incompetence is stunning.

[ericsbrother]

you should start by sending them the correct meter readings and demand they apply these to your account and send out a corrected bill. You dotn have to just cough up on an estimated one. Then warn them that you will go to the ombudsman if they do not supply you with a correct bill. This should be via a letter to the ceo's office so it can be sent to the correct department rather than you guessing who is in charge of the problem

[schwepppes33]

Just to bump this up... British Gas has failed to change the billing at all. I have already supplied them with the correct meter readings on several occasions in writing, warned them, and today got a lovely red letter saying they were going to pass my details to a debt collector for money I don't owe.

 

What's the next move in the face of such incompetence? Should I threaten them with defamation proceedings (my credit score last time I checked was 993 on Experian).

[Old Cogger]

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[nottslad]

definitely get this to the ombudsman. Did you email the CEO as I suggested?

[schwepppes33]

To bump this up further, British Gas has completely failed to respond to the latest complaint at all, they have failed to handle the previous one, and I'm getting letters from a debt collector.

 

And thus the complaint goes out to the Ombudsman. Appalling customer service.

[schwepppes33]

Well British Gas have now sent me amended bills etc.. .they are refusing to compensate me at all.

 

Apparently it's my fault I didn't write to them with for instance the correct meter readings when they asked, even though I provided them with the meter readings! It's my fault I didn't tell them I was deaf when they asked for my number even though I had told them I was deaf. Apparently unless you tell them twice, it's your fault for their mistake.

 

[ericsbrother]

complain to their CE about disability discrimination, there is a particular wording you have to use but you will eventually get somewhere. Compensation should be around £500 for discrimination but they may well start off with an offer of around 3100, tell them what to do with it and say you wish to progress the matter to court.

[schwepppes33]

Thanks.

 

I have an email from them now saying that their staff were "unnecessary and thoughtless". Still no offer of compensation but apparently the manager has been informed and the staff member has told off.

 

What wording should I use?

[schwepppes33]

It gets better...

 

British Gas have now admitted they have no record of the letters I have sent them ... but they do have their replies to my letters.

 

[schwepppes33]

Just to bump this up again, I have paid the bill now as they have sent me a correct bill, and now their complaints department has misread by complaint which has the meter readings on it and sent me another bill. The electricity meter says 33,703, and they have billed me for 34,703 and claim I owe ALL the money from the previous bill again too which I have already paid. And have worked out wrongly my use for my previous bill too for which I was overbilled for so that credit against the new bill has been removed and I've been charged another £100 for that as well! They have now decided wrongly that I was underbilled for this because they misread the meter details provided in writing for this too!

 

The level of incompetence is actually stunning.

 

I have also written to the CEO and this is what has resulted from that! His staff can't read!!!!!!!!

 

How do I deal with this company? Please, someone, tell me?

[Old Cogger]

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[schwepppes33]

I've contacted the ombudsman... I mean what do I do about this? New complaint, continuation of the old one? My complaint is just producing more and more incompetence, more and more incorrect billing and threatening demands for money I do not owe because people cannot read.

[steviehowie]

Readdress for grotesque and repugnant customer service, then I would be looking for £ 2500.

British Gas are law breakers as an out of court settlement.

 

 

Have a read at the attached court of appeal case against British gas in 2009. £10,000.

 

 

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2009/46.html

 

 

You have done nothing wrong. British Gas are the law breakers.

Stevie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

complain to their CE about disability discrimination, there is a particular wording you have to use but you will eventually get somewhere. Compensation should be around £500 for discrimination but they may well start off with an offer of around 3100, tell them what to do with it and say you wish to progress the matter to court.