My Dad’s gas/electric bill. How can I help him?

[VillageFete]

Hi,

Just looking for some advice. My dad is late 60’s and is in receipt of state pension and pension credit.

I don’t live anywhere near him so unable to pop round and call British Gas on his behalf.

His bills are £550 per month and he lives alone. There’s simply no way he can afford this or is using this much! His house is a 2 bed semi detached.

I told him to call and check if it’s exact figures or an estimate, it was an estimate. He gave them exact usage and has had a bill again yesterday for £550.

The problem I have is that cognitively, he struggles now. He can’t properly process information and you never know exactly how the conversation will have gone between him and British Gas.

What I do know for sure is that since December he’s paid the bastards £550 per month and they want it again in March. He genuinely cannot afford it on pension and pension credit!

He says he’s spoken to his neighbours (Who both have young families at home) And they pay far less than £550.

Is there an organisation that may be able to help my dad to get to the bottom of this? Or speak to them on my dad’s behalf? It’ll be 2 weeks at least before I can visit him and he’s in a real panic over it. He just can’t understand what’s happening and it’s very difficult to deduce how the conversations between him and British Gas has gone. He is saying though that they are saying they are correct and that’s what he owes.

Have you got power of attorney? If so you can speak directly to British Gas rather than your Dad. Sometimes if you call when you are both there they will also speak to you even without power of attorney (they speak to him first to gain consent)

Citizens advice he or you can call them.and yes they can speak on his behalf to british gas. I also called BG as my Grandad was in hospital about his bill explained the circumstances and they spoke to me as he was classed as a vunerable customer so they were allowed. I had his account number name dob ect

Ask him to call and give permission for you to speak on his behalf. Then you can call it and sort it out.

What is his consumption like? Is the heating on a lot? It does sound high but bills for energy are ridiculous at the moment.

I think I’d be tempted to phone up with a male who pretends he is your DDad
and ask if they speak to you.

What scumbags they are.

Thank you all - will ask him to call and give permission for me to talk to them.

It just doesn’t seem right at all to me?!! I’m with EDF and mine’s £300 a month!!

If he's happy for you to talk to them on his behalf, then get him to write and give permission, or be with him on the phone and he can pass over the phone. If gets the statements to be emailed (your email) going forward you can keep an eye on it. But I would tell them you dispute it, using previous bills as a guide to show the higher than expected rate. And obviously give them the current meter reading. Ask them to provide a breakdown. Can you get a smart meter installed, which you manage at your end?
NB we had a mistake made against us at BG twice and they tried to take an extra £2.5k, it did take a lot of arguing to sort it out!

Is it a three-month bill? It's just you mentioned him paying that in December and now again in March.

Definitely get him to call BG and ask for you to be added to the account as someone who can speak on his behalf. I did this for my MIL83 when Shell were trying to fleece her. I went on the account and found she was £1k in credit and they were trying to up her DD to £410 a month!

What is his heating on at? He could have had it at 22 degrees 24-7 for months.

Call the local authority they might have an energy support service, ours does and they advised on how to communicate the energy company.

What I do know for sure is that since December he’s paid the bastards £550 per month and they want it again in March.

The OP clearly states he's paying per month.

He needs to send in a meter reading (unless he has a smart meter?)- tell home you'll do that when your next up. Get his account details and log in to his account online. He's probably massively in credit, and you'll be able to ask for some of it to be paid back.

How much is he using his heating?

There are posters on here who genuinely do spend that much as they have the heating on full blast.

I really appreciate this advice - thank you.

He tried to Whatsapp me over his bill but it’s very difficult to read. He doesn’t do technology and it’s barely viewable. What I can see is that before December, he was paying £133 per month and then it’s shot right up to £420 (In December) Then consistently at £550 per month for the last 3 months.

It’s very difficult to read his usage

I’m sending him to the citizens advice drop in (Thanks to those that mentioned it above) And then i’ll ask for him to give me permission to liase with them.

What a mess this Country is in. Everything is bloody extortionate!!

He says that he isn’t using his heating as much as he wants to, but difficult to get a proper answer from him.

He’s not on a Smart meter. He said to me they based his last reading on an estimate of 06142 when infact his meter read 05541

Does he have an online account you could log into, or a neighbour who could help him take and send you some photos?

I think BG will allow for the account holder to nominate someone to speak on their behalf if you don't have POA. You might need to be there, get your dad to call then and get him to say "I giver permission for Villagefete to speak to you on my behalf" and that should be sufficient. BG are always pushing to make it known if bills are unaffordable. My DF's have just gone up from £350 to £500 (this was agreed by me) as he is 90 and has the heating on full blast the whole time and he has a debit of over £1K on his account. Fortunately he can afford it but I'm sad there are so many, young and old, who simply can't.

Yes, as per PP, get his bill details and set up an online account and you can submit meter readings and also do live chats.

Hiw long has been with British Gas? If he's not moves in years and now the energy industry is not offering good rates he may be paying a lot. Get permission to deal on using her behalf, and if he's struggling more, get power of attorney for finance and consider getting it for medical decisions too. Then you can speak to anyone about any bills after they've received a copy.

Keep an eye on the market and change him to a new contract as soon as the deals start again.

Thank you all.

He doesn’t use the internet at all. Total technophobe.

I’m actually buying him a laptop and will teach him the basics asap. Problem is that I don’t live local to him, have 2 young kids and work mad hours, so it’s not easy to see him often.

@Napmum His provider went bust and his account was moved to British Gas. It was a while ago from memory!

Can you set up an online account on his behalf? So set up an email address. Then an account. Then each month put his readings in
Mines 3 bed semi. 4 hhrs heat a day and same price. As old draughty house

It is simply disgusting how older and vulnerable people are being treated. No one should be discriminated or disadvantaged because they cannot use internet or technology. Get your DF to give permission for you to speak on his behalf, ensure they note on his record that he is potentially vulnerable, cannot use any technology and that he is being put in financial hardship and distress by this. Also as PPs have said get a POA for health, welfare and financial affairs. Make sure this is registered and noted with his bank and any other companies he deals with so you can speak on his behalf even from a distance. Absolutely shameful how older people are being treated by these companies.

This. Dm gets no paper bills but we were able to log in and get a statement sent and see she was in credit. They will continue to take £550 each month unless you get it changed, regardless of readings.

@VillageFete

www.ageuk.org.uk/services/age-uk-advice-line/

Scroll down to "support near me" and give them a call. It might be that someone can help him from that end and give him some advice regarding benefits and bills etc they were helpful when my Dad was alive.

Is there anyone nearby who could read his meters for him or could he have smart metres??

I think If it was my Dad id go and see him and check everything was ok as older people do struggle with "life admin" and a what should be fairly simple task can stress them out.

Hope he gets it's sorted that seems like a huge amount even in the current climate.

I would also suggest registering him as a vulnerable customer, so if there is a problem he takes priority and also request his meters are read for him.

If he's spoken to his neighbours and they have been happy to discuss what they pay they sound like the type of people who will help out if asked. Can they take a good photo of his bill and send it to you and also check his meter reading against what it says on his bill. If the figures look right would his neighbours help him go round the house and make sure there isn't something left on like an immersion heater or loft light or similar. Often people are delighted to help if asked but are unsure about offering.

I also agree with getting in touch with the local council and finding out what they are offering