Exposed: how British Gas agents break into homes of vulnerable

[honeybee13]

An investigation by the Times.

 

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[AndyOrch]

British Gas admits agents break into struggling customers' homes

WWW.BBC.CO.UK

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Its boss expresses "horror" that agents entered customers' homes to fit prepayment meters.

 

[hightail]

7 hours ago, Andyorch said:

Its boss expresses "horror" that agents entered customers' homes to fit prepayment meters.

Really?  Am I meant to believe that?  This isn't new, it's been going on for years, decades.  It's how energy companies operate and magistrates rubber stamp the warrants without question.  If a boss doesn't know that they're not much of a boss.

[dx100uk]

Avarto are 1000% worse than any previous.

That's the main problem 

[FruitSalad1010]

Nothing has changed in over 10 years, if this is affecting you I suggest reading the case linked to below.

Ferguson v British Gas Trading Ltd [2009] EWCA Civ 46 (10 February 2009)

and let's not forget Shell Energy Retail Limited - previously First Utility.

First Utility - Provisional Order 22 December 2010

Edited February 2, 2023 by FruitSalad1010

[fkofilee]

Ive watched the whole video on the Times website. Its honestly disgraceful! 

[honeybee13]

There are certainly questions to be asked. One is why the chief exec said he was unaware of what was happening with pre-payment meters.

[unclebulgaria67]

I would find it very strange if all senior people in any company did not understand how their business was operating to maximise income.

 

Senior people in companies attend regular meetings to discuss all issues affecting their businesses performance.  So it would be odd if the issue of forced prepayment meters was not one of the topics discussed. And of course someone would be responsible for vulnerable customers at a senior level and they would have been asked about protections that were in place.

 

And if the CEO was not aware, then they should offer to resign, as they would have failed in paying attention to how their business was performing .

[honeybee13]

Or the CEO wasn't told about the whole story...

[hightail]

16 hours ago, dx100uk said:

Avarto are 1000% worse than any previous.

In which case I can understand why it's at last attracted attention.  About ten years ago my daughter ended up in a magistrates court on one of those days given over to these mass rubber stampings.  There were a rail company, tv licensing and British Gas.  BG was the longest list by far - I think it was three A4 sheets full of names.

 

2 hours ago, honeybee13 said:

Or the CEO wasn't told about the whole story...

It's his job to know what's going on for goodness sake.  Plausible deniability won't fly.

Edited February 3, 2023 by hightail

[honeybee13]

Here's Marina Hyde's take on the situation in the Guardian.

 

‘It’s not who we are,’ wails British Gas. Sorry but when you’re using bailiffs to install meters, that’s exactly who you are | Marina Hyde | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

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It’s not the only company filling its boots while poor people have to pay more for electricity. Luckily Grant Shapps is on hand to look busy, says Guardian...

 

[AndyOrch]

 

[honeybee13]

From the Times today. Ofgem is threatening them with 'fines' if they don't hand over their background information.

 

For once, I find myself agreeing with Grant Shapps.

 

'“I expect Ofgem to focus on fixing the problem rather than pursuing journalists doing their jobs,” he said. “The government supports freedom of the press and the right to protect journalistic materials. The Times was highlighting an important issue, which I would encourage Ofgem to resolve.”

 

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[honeybee13]

More on this from a Times leadier article today.

 

'It should not have taken a Times investigation to expose the scandal of British Gas employing debt collectors to break into the homes of some of its most vulnerable customers and force-fit prepayment meters. The job of regulating Britain’s dysfunctional energy market instead falls to Ofgem....

 

Citing obscure powers under the 1989 Electricity Act and the 1986 Gas Act, Ofgem has demanded we hand over all the material amassed over the course of our reporting, which revealed the hitherto hidden human cost of this country’s deeply dysfunctional energy market.'

 

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