British Gas complaint!

I work for a complaints department (different company, same ombudsman regulator) so maybe I can help!
Social media is a great way to get your complaint noticed. British Gas will also have CEO office. If you can find the contact details for them I would recommend emailing them.
You might get sorted sooner.
You need to make your complaint with them before you can raise with the ombudsman. They will have 40 working days to respond typically but in some circumstances they will review earlier. The ombudsman will not get involved before BG have delivered a response typically so don't exhaust yourself going down that route.
You need to be extremely clear as to what your complaint is and make sure every point is clearly expressed. I would also make sure they date it correctly and backdate it to when it started to get a faster reply.
The complaints team will review what's happened but they won't necessarily deal with the actual issue so if you're waiting for money you can continue to chase the normal teams.

I hope that helps.

British Gas are a very good energy company to rely on for your gas and electric, and their prices have always been reasonable, and I cannot fault them for this, but if you have a problem or issue. OH. My. GOD! They are a clucking nightmare.

As has been said contact over Twitter is a good idea, as they don't like to be shamed on there.

My issue was that last year my gas meter stopped working (it was 40 years old,) and they refused to repair it, and said I need to replace it - but I MUST change it to a smart meter. I kept saying NO, and kept trying to book an engineer to see if they could fix it, and if not, replace it with another credit meter.

Appointments kept being made, but cancelled within 48 hours over and over again... Within about half an hour of the cancellations, a smart meter installation appointment was booked! This happened 6 or 7 times over about 10 days.

I rang and rang and went on web chat over and over again, and must have said TWENTY TIMES to ten different people over about 10 days, 'I DO NOT WANT A SMART METER!' And every single time I told them this, I got asked 'why???' 'May I ask why?' 'Why do you not want a smart meter?' 'Smart meters are the way to go now, everyone is having them.' 'We cannot put a credit meter in, we only have smart meters!' It was a nightmare 10 days dealing with them!!! I was constantly repeating myself.

I threatened with switching suppliers if they didn't give me a new meter that was NOT a smart meter. I also said I was going to report them to trading standards, and shame them all over social media. In the end they said they would fit a 'non-smart-meter' but only a 'pay as you go,' meter - so we're stuck with one of them now (for the gas.)

Not ideal, but we're getting used to it, and it's better than a fucking smart meter! I live in the sticks, and the signal is dodgy sometimes, and everyone I know who has had a smart meter (in this rural area,) has had to change it for a credit meter, or just let the meter go dumb - as the readings were wrong too often.

If it's been over 8 weeks just go to the ombudsman. British Gas lie through their teeth, you will be going round in circles for ages. Save yourself the stress.

I had similar when the system switched over. Fortunately for me, I got someone helpful when I phoned and it was eventually sorted out.

At the moment, the online system tells me that I'm in debt for gas, but in credit for electricity - that being the case, I have no intention of making a payment to get rid of the gas 'debt'.

At one point, they moved my DD for electricity up to £200 a month; it's since been moved down to £50 a month.

I used to work for the bg call centre. As the first stop you are utterly powerless and completely controlled. I knew that I couldn't practically give customers resolutions (although I knew how to work computer system ) and tried to at least be kind. What's worse my managers who could theoretically give solutions also couldn't- they are hired for their cut throat nastiness toward the call centre workers- ( their message is - sell sell sell and don't take more than ten seconds post call to leave "not necessary notes"!) they are NOT hired for their in depth knowledge of outdated sap systems or even customer service. When I "failed" a customer and called for them, They apologised for my "ignorance " and promised a world they had no idea how to deliver. And knowing it would just be another of us lackeys next time the customer got through? They didn't give a shit anyway. We'd be honest and say refunds take 5 days ( IF the button we dutifully and correctly press then gets authorised by some one else) and we take the ire of the customers anger, they'd swoop in as the friendly authoritative "manager" happily promising the world and delivering nothing.

Hateful company. Rotten to the core

Google the CEO email address and name and email them directly. I did it for BT and it was resolved in two days!

British Gas are the most infuriating company that I have had the misfortune of having to deal with. I could write a book about their incompetence and lies and the patronising, rude customer service agents. The best way to have actual proof of any conversations that you have with their agents is to use their live chat service. Go on very first thing in the morning (you'll be on hold for absolutely ages if you dont do it as soon as it opens) and screenshot the chat as you go along. It's worth waiting the 8 weeks to then contact the ombudsman. All the screenshots can then be forwarded onto them. Sorted in no time.

You've called 11 times in 8 working days?
I think you are being unreasonable.
Why do you have so much credit that a partial refund is over £1000?
Did you not think to request it sooner?
I think letting it get to that level and then expecting a quick refund is unreasonable....they are not a savings back set up to release money whenever your like.

And the aren't coveted by Freedom of information requests....you mean a subject access request. Which takes time to put together but probably won't tell you what you think you want to know.

Ombudsman.

Fab. It costs them hundreds if you take your complaint to the Ombudsman even if the Ombudsman didnt award you anything BG still have to pay for the case to be looked at, so they won't want that. It is frustrating. I've been having an argument with Octopus recently and honestly they left it til right before the eight weeks before suddenly deciding I was right, they did give me some money though which helped with my annoyance a bit. Im very corruptable 😂

Ex BG customer here. Nothing works. Following the change to British Gas Evolve I had endless months of "you're still on the old system blah, blah and you're not on the new system yet so we can't do anything about anything but thank you so much for waiting on hold for two bloody hours, have you looked at the website?"

You're rewarding their uselessness by continuing as a customer. There are other suppliers - just switch. I was surprised how easy it was.

Yesterday, I wanted Octopus to refund some of my credit balance. I wrote a 2 line email and they replied promptly and did it without any fuss.