BGas debt - Now PAPLOC from BW Legal - Contact details for B Gas ??

[HP Mum]

Is there a working complaints email for BG?

I sent an email to a valid BG complaints @ email address about an issue.  I got a reply from BG from a noreply @ email address - saying I need to find different means to contact them.

I can go to a printing shop and print out a letter (don't have a working printer) - but for ease it would be preferable to just email.  

Does anyone know if there is a designated complaint email ?

If I have to print and post - is the complaint dept still in Rotherham? 

I found a  name - louise billingham - as the potential md of customer operations.  BG emails seem to be name.surname.  So I emailed her and that worked.  I wait and see.

I also found a section on BG website with a designated complaints form - this form enabled me to send my letter as a pdf attachment.  Which I just did.  I wait and see.

I have received a formal kind of letter from a lawyer (BW) - which is entitled Letter of Claim and they say is a formal request to pay £x.   Further down the letter they say it is a pre-action protocol for debt claims

But they also write - "We've tried several times to contact you, so we can help you find an affordable repayment solution.  As we haven't been able to agree to a suitable solution, BG may instruct us to take legal action to recover what you owe".   The word "may" seems to be key.  If the letter is a formal request - and they say I must reply by 01/03 - then why do they also say BG "may" instruct them?   The letter continues with "it may result in a county court claim being brought against me".  They also include estimated claim costs: "such legal action may result in you being liable for court fees and solicitors costs which are estimated below".  They add on "estimated court fees - £80 and estimated sol costs £80."

They ask me to call them, to fill in an I&E form, to fill in the reply form - which contains sections:

Section 1: boxes A,B,C, D, Section 2: box E & F, Section 3 box G, and Section 4: box H & I

I have been paying BG nominal sums regularly.  The problem has been that their system refuses to allow me to pay a nominal sum that I can afford.  I have tried countless times via calls and webchat to resolve this but the phone operators cant over-ride the computer system.  I don't want to set up a dd because from experience utility companies just change the debit sum and just grab whatever they want, leaving one with a £0 bank balance.  So I just send them £s by bank transfer every month.   They want like £70-100/m but I can only afford £10.  They just don't listen or understand

The other issue is that what I owe only relates to service at a property I no longer live in but remain the registered owner.  What I actually owe relates to arrears from 5y ago.  Not current consumption or standing charges.  The supply was turned off 5y ago - but I do know that it was turned on again by others.   I have asked BG to give me an itemised breakdown of all costs in the last 5y including standing charges and miscellaneous costs, ie legal letters.   

I do owe BG arrears up to 5y ago. Not since.   I have repeatedly told them the property is empty/ unoccupied.   The property is subject to legal proceedings in the last 5y. 

BW legal don't say they have had the debt assigned to them. 

They say their client is BG. 

I have been paying BG so I am not sure why they have asked BW to send me a claim letter? 

 Their letter says I owe £x, but they have not outlined how the £x has been accrued.

[AndyOrch]

24 minutes ago, HP Mum said:

I have received a formal kind of letter from a lawyer (BW) - which is entitled Letter of Claim

Thats because BG cant issue a LOC as the possible claimant it must be through their legal Representative pursuant to Pre Action Protocol.

 

Andy 

[HP Mum]

oh ok.  So what do I do?   I have already sent a complaint letter to BG, the account is in dispute.  Do I still need to respond to BW?

[AndyOrch]

Depends on whether you do have a debt as you have failed to actually mention ? If there is a debt then BG have appointed BW to deal with it.

[dx100uk]

thread title updated

hit letter of claim 

follow post 4.

dx

[HP Mum]

Yes, I mentioned in my last post - I have arrears relating to 5y ago.  Against which I have paid various monthly sums - sometimes £40, sometimes £70, mostly £10.  They say I owe apx 1200

The issue is that I wanted to keep utilities in my name until legal proceedings on the property were completed.  I didn't expect them to last >5y.  One needs bills to prove who one is - and I am not registered anywhere else and am still the legal owner - even if not living there.

I have asked BG to provide a breakdown of what the sum now relates to - ie does the total relate to the arrears or miscellaneous costs

[HP Mum]

Thanks dx.

I will check out post 4 in that link.

Should I also chase BG for a response to my complaint?

[AndyOrch]

5 hours ago, HP Mum said:

I do owe BG arrears up to 5y ago. Not since.   I have repeatedly told them the property is empty/ unoccupied.   The property is subject to legal proceedings in the last 5y. 

You are still responsible for the standing charge Elec/Gas, which are now quite considerable 50p and 30p a day until the property has been sold.

[HP Mum]

Accrued costs - such as standing charges and consumption on utilities that were turned off 5y ago- is part of my legal proceedings claim heading to trial. 

5y have passed. Unauthorized works over a period of 1y were carried out.  The utilities were turned on again. There should be no consumption but there is

Paying nominal £s/month keeps the utility companies at bay (before I get the otherside in legal proceedings to pay up for their consumption). But BG has taken the step to appoint BW.  And now I have to deal with it

Edited February 7 by HP Mum

[AndyOrch]

Well standing charges cant be turned off unless the meters are physically disconnected and the contract with BG ceased. How you prove the debt is consumption and not standing charges is something you will have to prove. But as you didn't disconnect which you did not do as per below they will most probably be standing charges

1 hour ago, HP Mum said:

The issue is that I wanted to keep utilities in my name until legal proceedings on the property were completed.  I didn't expect them to last >5y.  One needs bills to prove who one is - and I am not registered anywhere else and am still the legal owner - even if not living there

[dx100uk]

pretty sure this has already been debated to death here?

 

[HP Mum]

Dx - I half sorted out previous issues with BG in 21.  They ceased issuing a warrant and I paid nominal amounts/ month. This is why I'm surprised they have appointed bw.

Andy - the supply was switched off/ disconnected 5y ago.  But then the claimant in the legal proceedings a) reconnected it to do works and b) start 22 contacted BG alleging to be me and alleging a fault meter and BG exchanged the meter.  The 1st I knew about this was when I logged online a few months later.

I am sure there has been consumption because the claimant has had all services on - but the good thing about the meter exchange is that any charges since start 22 can't be mine !

Edited February 7 by HP Mum

[dx100uk]

send the PAPLOC reply as advised

i bet you'll find its the same debt now sold on to lowells.

dx

 

[AndyOrch]

46 minutes ago, HP Mum said:

Andy - the supply was switched off/ disconnected 5y ago.  But then the claimant in the legal proceedings a) reconnected it to do works and b) start 22 contacted BG alleging to be me and alleging a fault meter and BG exchanged the meter.  The 1st I knew about this was when I logged online a few months later.

 

2 hours ago, HP Mum said:

The issue is that I wanted to keep utilities in my name until legal proceedings on the property were completed.  I didn't expect them to last >5y.  One needs bills to prove who one is - and I am not registered anywhere else and am still the legal owner - even if not living there.

One statement contradicts the other and seems complicated but I'm sure you have it in hand, I simply posted as to why BW issued the LOC 

[HP Mum]

Andy - yes I can kind of see how that appears.  All utilities were turned off/ disconnected 5y ago. But they all remained in my name - which I was fine about as one needs utilities bills to prove one exists.  The property should have sold obviously within 6-8w and I would have been given £s and moved on with a new address / new utilities.  But that didn't happen and so now there's other issues about s/c and consumption over 5y (by lender).  At least it's provable I haven't been there and didn't exchange the old for new meter

I'm not sure I do have everything in hand. But I try

Edited February 7 by HP Mum

[HP Mum]

Interesting update.  Not sure which method  to which department  within BG worked, but I got an email from someone high-up saying they would look into my complaints and stop all legal action - whilst they resolve/ answer all my questions.

Edited February 8 by HP Mum

[aesmith]

On 07/02/2024 at 15:56, HP Mum said:

Andy - yes I can kind of see how that appears.  All utilities were turned off/ disconnected 5y ago. But they all remained in my name - which I was fine about as one needs utilities bills to prove one exists.  

Are you using the utility bills as proof of address?

[HP Mum]

Update: I have been liaising with an actual human in BG who writes proper letters!  They provided some facts and old bills.   I have responded to their queries.  And have gone through all their bills and mine/ my payments.  They said collection activity would stop. And a note put on my account.

I think I have been able to ascertain the value of most s/c for the period I am interested in.  But they failed to provide info for 15 months.   I have asked them to provide that info. But they have not yet responded.

Meanwhile a different department wrote a letter saying they are going to send someone to the property out of concern as they haven't heard from me!  Typical left hand doesn't know what right hand doing.  They clearly didn't read the note on my account.

Hopefully I will soon have clear detail of what my arrears were up to a specific date.   Subsequent consumption and s/c are officially not mine and that forms part of my claim against the 'others'.  I suspect their consumption will be huge.