British Gas Government Energy Support Scheme Rebate Not Being Paid!

[Eightiesgirl]

I am a British Gas customer and received the first few payments of £67 a few days after I'd made my monthly direct debit payment. However, BG have recently changed my account number and put me on a new account system, as I believe they have with all their customers. Since I've been allocated this new account I haven't received my government rebate payment that they were paying out once a month for 6 months. I have rang them, done chat with them online and emailed them, yet I still haven't had the payment credited to my bank account as previously. Is anyone else with BG and haven't been receiving their payments?

It was only paid for 6 months. See: https://www.gov.uk/get-help-energy-bills/getting-discount-energy-bill

Check for definite what is outstanding.
How many payments have you actually received?
It may be paid late if your account number has changed mid-billing cycle and come off first full month's bill.

I'm not with British Gas, and have a prepayment meter. I've only received one of the 6 vouchers. Twice I've been told they've resent them...

@Ariela thanks, I do know it's only paid for 6 months. I was receiving it fine when it started and had three payments paid into my bank account a few days After BG took my direct debit. However, recently they have changed everyone's online accounts, giving all customers new account numbers etc and since this has happened I haven't received my payment in March which was due on the 6th. I just wondered if this has happened to anyone else?

British Gas duel dual dd customer and ours hit our account as normal.

@OhmygodDont thanks so much for that information. Have you recently also been given a new account number and put on their new system?

Are you sure they haven't just knocked it off your bill? I know BG have been doing rebates but maybe their new system does it differently.

@GoodChat No, they have recently billed me as they closed my previous account so they wanted it to be a nil balance then opened the new account on 10th Feb. I paid my direct debit as usual on the 28th February and I expected to get the £67 on the 6th March. I've spoken to them a number of times, even emailed Chris O'shea, chief executive of Centrica who's office forwarded my query onto the complaints department but nothing has been credited to my bank account yet and today they have taken my direct debit for March so I should also be getting another payment, the final one of the 6 on the 6th April, but I can't see me getting that either. £67 is a lot of money to me and just because BG have decided to give everyone new account numbers/implement new online systems, the customer should not have to suffer for it.

Are you sure they've given everyone new account numbers? That sounds like a massive task, for what benefit?

We had exactly the same happen. Our direct debit goes out at the beginning of the month, our account was transferred in November and we didn't get the November payment until December but it did go in eventually. They told me they suspend the payments while they move the accounts to prevent any errors 🤷‍♀️

@TimeForMeToF1y yes, they have given or are in the process of giving everyone new account numbers and they have changed the layout of everyone's account online. It will be a massive task, goodness knows why they have done it but they are obviously not coping with the enormity of it very well.

@Hel1980 thanks so much for that information that has really reassured me. Hopefully, I should get the payment for March in April then going by your timescales.

I pay BG on the 5th and I have been getting the rebate 2-3 weeks later.

@Snorlaxing yes, I pay on the 28th then get the rebate the following month on the 6th or I did until they changed my account onto their new system. Have you been given a new account number by them yet?

I got emails saying that I was moved to the new system a few months ago. I don't know if they changed the account number but they screwed up taking my direct debit so I had to pay manually that month.

Not been moved that I’m aware of. Could have been though. Dh is the account holder so he gets the emails even though I’m the one that deals with the bills and meter readings 😅

it did take forever for our bill to come though though sat saying 24 hours for about two weeks.

I’ve just looked an I didn’t get mine in March either , will have to get on to them tomorrow . Thanks for posting this as I likely wouldn’t have checked .

@Floralnomad Glad you've realised as that's your money they are keeping. Energy bills are expensive enough and this money was allocated to help us with them, not to be kept by British Gas. Please chase them up tomorrow then something might be done about it. The more people that contact them the better.

@Eightiesgirl i did live chat them and it’s been paid today , thank you .

@Floralnomad that's good to hear. Mine eventually got paid yesterday, I'm just hoping the next one isn't delayed too!