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Original poster

British Gas - in credit by 4 months payments

40 replies

Mackerz · 29/10/2019 17:59

I’m fuming with British Gas. They insisted on setting my direct debit for dual fuel at a high amount, almost twice what we were paying in our last similarly sized place. Unsurprisingly we ran up a credit quickly, numerous calls to try and get them to give us a refund which they kept promising but not delivering. They eventually reduced our direct debit but it’s still slightly higher than our average monthly usage and they haven’t given us the £400 overpayments back. This is ridiculous, the amount of customer money they must hold is like them having an unsecured and interest free loan. I’ve just cancelled my direct debit to them and they can just take each monthly payment out of the credit we have accrued with them, until the credit runs out when I’ll either set it up again, or change supplier.

Are all energy companies this shit to customers? Can anyone recommend a better one?

OP posts:

milkjetmum · 29/10/2019 18:02

Bulb is good just switched to them and my bill is 30% lower and they credit you for any exit charges from previous supplier

Aderyn19 · 29/10/2019 18:08

I found with BG that my contract runs from Feb to Feb so at the end of each one they automatically refund the credit. So maybe check what month you joined them. I think they also keep hold of credit during winter because you are likely to use a chunk of it up. But if you have asked for the refund, then it's your money and not theirs to hang on to.

jackparlabane · 29/10/2019 18:10

They do try to make you be a few hundred quid in credit at this time of year so the DD doesn't have to go up when you have heating on in winter. Is the DD more than a twelfth of your annual usage?

Nemchen · 29/10/2019 18:13

Online with British Gas you can request a refund, we did it last year. But agree with PP, we are with bulb this year and you can change your direct debit amount online, see how much you are in credit for etc all seems to be going well 6 months in

HeavenlyEyes · 29/10/2019 18:18

is the latest bill an actual reading?

But I would change supplier - no need to stay with someone who is too expensive and not great service.

Original poster

Mackerz · 29/10/2019 18:21

Yes, the new reduced DD would mean that they would over charge us by £72 a year.

The old DD would have had us £600 in credit by the end of the year. I can understand them wanting customers to be a small amount in credit, to cover for unexpected usage. But not the equivalent of 4 months worth of average use!

OP posts:

Wineandchill · 29/10/2019 18:21

I am with BG and I find the online account you can sign up to really useful. You can see your energy usage, how much you have paid and if you are in credit you can get it refunded to your account with 1 click.

Oliversmumsarmy · 29/10/2019 18:24

We were with BG.

Never again. We ended up with a £720 credit and when I refused to pay the monthly Dd BG threatened me with court action.

TwattingDog · 29/10/2019 18:29

I had a huge bust up with BG about ten years ago for the same thing. They had me in credit by about £1000, and kept on with the line about spending more in winter. I lived alone in a one bed flat, and worked 12+hr shifts 6 days a week - I was barely home!

Anyway, I had to threaten a formal complaint to get my money back and it still took them 2 months to give it to me after they processed the refund.

Never again.

I'm also now with Bulb, and would highly recommend them.

Floralnomad · 29/10/2019 18:29

I’m with BG and have the opposite problem in that they keep refunding me credit and reducing my direct debits when I’d rather they just left me alone to manage my own accounts .

SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing · 29/10/2019 18:31

If anybody wants a bulb code let me know. I think we both get £50 if you sign up

Original poster

Mackerz · 29/10/2019 18:31

@olivers

I’ve just cancelled my monthly DD thinking they’ll just take the monthly bill out of the credit I’ve built up. Surely they can’t take you to court when you’re substantially in credit? It’s your money they are holding on your account?

@Wineandchill
There’s no facility to do that. I submit a monthly reading through an app which stores my readings, shows payments and states how much I’m in credit but it won’t let me alter my DD or claim a refund.

OP posts:

Original poster

Mackerz · 29/10/2019 18:33

@Oliversmumsarmy

A few hundred £ from every customer gives them a pretty big interest free loan to line their coffers with.

OP posts:

tinierclanger · 29/10/2019 18:33

Igloo is good, and they pay 3% if you end up in credit.

Oliversmumsarmy · 29/10/2019 18:34

Oh yes they can.

I had to go to court where the judge saw sense.

Just a waste of time.

Avoid like the plague

Original poster

Mackerz · 29/10/2019 18:44

Well the direct debit (that I’ve just cancelled) is due to go out on Friday. So we will see what they do.

OP posts:

Floralnomad · 29/10/2019 19:02

The app has changed and you can’t alter the dd on it anymore , you used to be able to do so .

Aderyn19 · 29/10/2019 21:35

New app is definitely shit. And they don't update the info properly so it's often inaccurate. Previous version of the app was fine - it does bug me when something works perfectly well and then some idiot fucks with it!

Original poster

Mackerz · 03/11/2019 16:56

Looks like the only way to get my money back is to change suppliers. British Gas need to look at their customer retention! All they had to do was reduce my direct debit and pay me the overpayments back and I wouldn’t have changed supplier.

I’ll have a look at Bulb.

OP posts:

rosy71 · 03/11/2019 17:05

If you've not been given a bill yet, you will be in credit. When they issue your bill, they take it out if the credit you've built up rather than you having to pay the bill. If you're significantly in credit after the bill, they will reduce your dd. You don't have to pay by dd; you can just pay the bill when it's issued.

annienone · 03/11/2019 17:12

BG tell us on a monthly basis to change our direct debit so that we are not in credit or debit. The first month in our new house was £94pm. After the first bill, we were told to reduce to £22pm which we didn't as thats ridiculously low for dual fuel. After last months, we were told to change to £23.42. They notify us on a monthly basis. I've changed it to £50pm which should see us through the winter.

My grandma on the other hand gets any credit automatically refunded on a 6 monthly basis.

TwattingDog · 03/11/2019 17:15

If you're looking at Bulb, may I shamelessly share my £50 credit referral code if you do sign up?

www.bulb.me/allisong2180?utm_campaign=app-referral-share&utm_medium=copy-link&utm_source=copy-button

Farfromtheusual · 03/11/2019 17:26

Octopus are good for resolving this. We were £300 in credit and they refunded us £200 in 2-3 working days just from the click of a button. They also allow you the amend your DD.

Calmingvibrations · 03/11/2019 17:38

I’m with octopus energy - think they’re great. I had also accumulated an excess in the account and I just called them up and asked for them to put it back in the account the DD came from. They were happy to do this no problem. AND I wasn’t kept on the phone in a queue when I called.

DiploCat1 · 03/11/2019 18:53

We are with BG and have changed our direct debit so that we only paid what is actually owed each month... sobyes the amount varies and will be higher in winter but we can see what it's going to be on the app and are never in credit or debit.

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