To want to write a very sarcastic letter to British Gas

[dilemma456]

Message withdrawn

Cockjugglers! Send the letter. If nothing else it'll soothe your soul slightly.

A friend of mine who is ludicrously paranoid about paying her bills - she'll download the online version rather than wait for the paper one to arrive - has had tremendous ongoing grief with British Gas.

She pays her gas bill by direct debit (unsurprisingly) and their system went bollockybill last year. Result being that it spat payments back but still managed to trigger off final dire warnings about unpaid bills. A problem not confined to her.

Customer Services were tremendously polite and helpful but unable to sort the problem, despite promises to the contrary. I told her to cancel the direct debit and wait for bills to arrive but the suggestion was received with as much enthusiasm as a leper at a finger buffet.

Oh dear! Does the neighbour have a copy of the welcome letter from the other company? Or the sorry you are leaving us letter from british gas?

The incompetance of some companies is astounding. I especially enjoy it when they tell you something can't have happened because it's not part of their policy. When you know it has happened. But they don't believe you, because they can't imagine that someone higher up may have done something unexpected

I used to work in complaintS for BG - this sort of issue is very common.

If BG still think they are supplying, then there may be a mix up with the MPR number. Every meter has it's own individual number, and this is what the energy company will use when billing NOT an address.

Get Transco to confirm which company supply the meter (the MPR will be on the meter. Check it matches the number on the bill from both companies).

And definitely get OFGEN involved. It's amazing how this speeds up an enquiry.

I understand your frustration, but I wouldn't send te facetious letter. It is unlikely to help.

I used to work in a factory where the previous occupant had had the gas meter removed. When my company moved in it was about 5 years after this. We got about a letter a month asking us to pay some nonsensical estimated gas bill. Every time I phoned and told them there was no gas to the he factory and that the meter had been removed, etc. Every person said, oh right, we won't bother you again. Next month, another caller. One got a bit chopsy with me and told me they would send round a meter reader to take their own reading. I said, fine, go on then, and some poor fella duly arrived who as it turned out was the man who had removed the meter 6 years previously.

So I thought the saga was over, as he was deeply embarrassed and promised to sort it all out at HQ. but no, another estimated bill arrived. After that I just ignored them. They still arrive, according to my friend who works there. What a shower.

we had massive problems with NTL and in the end we wrote all our problems in a letter, added a line that a copy would be sent to ofcom and then sent a copy to ofcom just to see what would happen. within 2 days we had someone kissing our ass and problem sorted.

if i was you i'd do the same and just send a copy of the letter to ofgem - it'll get sorted out then.

I had similar issues with BT not that long ago. My dad died 2 years ago, all the bills on the house we lived in (with my mum) were under his name. Day after he ded I contacted all the companies, paid off last bills and transferred all accounts to my mums name. Everyone managed, apart from BT. The first bill was fine, addressed to my mum, no prblems, But then the next three were addressed to dad again. I paid the first one, put it down to a mistake, and called BT to ask them to not send any more letters for dad. The nest bill arrived, addressed to dad again. I got a bit miffed, called them up again and was told it was sorted. The final bill arrived for dad again (we were changing line providers this time) I refused to pay. I called BT again and said I would pay when the bill was addressed to my mum (who they confirmed was the name on the account!) Red letter turned up for dad, and then bill after letter addressed to dad moaning about how he hadnt paid the bill. In the end I sent BT a letter, informing them of dads change of address to 'plot no *, adult section, crownhill crematorium' where he was buried, but pointed out that since he had been dead some 12 months, chances are they wouldnt get any response, but maybe they could employ the services of a clairvoyant if they wanted further contact with him. A week later I get a very apologetic phonecall from someone at BT head offices, saying they were really sorry, no idea how this mistake had happened, and as a gesture of goodwill would write off the bill!
Sometimes being sarcastic is all that does work!