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Hello All,
I am having some difficulty with British Gas with regards to a pre-payment meter of theirs installed within my house, which I will explain below as I think this matter is getting out of hand!
I have owned the property for about 5 years and initially used the gas for heating when I moved in. About approx 4 years ago the boiler broke and I was then staying at the house on and off as I was living between else where also. I could not afford to get the boiler replaced so I borrowed some plug in heaters/radiators off a friend and just used these instead (I had electric cooker). I have lived like this for years and use only electricity and regularly.
About 12 weeks ago I got the boiler sorted and repaired and also got a gas cooker installed. I found my way to the depths of the cellar, located my gas meter and having pressed some buttons on it saw that the display was reading £52 or so in credit...Brilliant cooking on gas...or so I thought!
About 8/9 weeks ago there was a knock at the door, I answered and let a chap in from BG, as he informed me he needed to check the meter so I let him come in and do what he needed to do. He then informed me that my meter was faulty and would have to be replaced. I told him no problem and arranged for him to return a few days later to do whatever he needed to do.
I was out at work at the time and my missus was at home to let him in. He came back with an engineer, barged into our house and announced he was from the BG Revenue Protection Team. He then got his engineer to set about his business (replacing the meter) whilst interrogating my missus about our living circumstances etc; after some time he left with the engineer after handing over a letter stating that we were suspected of tampering with our meter which was to be sent away for independent testing to verify. When my wife questioned this he said that it was procedure and that he suspected it more than likely to be faulty meter, and he would next write to us to let us know the outcome. Incidentally the meter was removed from our cellar, then taken outside before being brought back in to the house to be sealed in front of my wife. He then left us with what he said was £10 credit on the meter which was in fact a £10 debt.
The following Monday morning after all this had sunk in we phoned BG complaints line to query this situation. we were informed that the matter was indeed with their Revenue Protection Team who then phoned the chap who had come whilst we were on the line and confirmed with us that there were no specific allegations being made against us and this was just a standard letter; and that we would hear from them again in the near future with the results of the testing of the meter etc. After this it took us some time to actually be able to put credit on the meter as we were left with cards which wouldn't work with the new meter and after days of phone calls and a succession of new cards a chap from BG had to come out and add another £5 debt on the meter until more arrived via post. Bearing in mind we have a young child and it was cold!
Now about 9 weeks later I have heard nothing from BG and was beginning to assume as the chap had informed us that it was just a failed unit. That is until I went to top the meter up this evening and noticed £10 of the £20 I just topped the card up with going to pay back £10 worth of debt. Having then looked through all of the displays on the meter I have noticed a debt of £1825 has been put on it, payable at £10 a week!!! I am outraged!!
I have never ever tampered with my meter, I have not even been using gas until quite recently!!! I have never stolen anything!
Further more I have not received any further correspondence from BG, they have not provided me with the outcome of their independent meter testing with regards alleged tampering which I have not done - I am assuming that they consider I have interfered with this meter?
Also how have they arrived at this figure?
what is it based upon?
What proof do they need, surely it must be definitive or prove reasonable evidence or grounds on which to take this further?
And surely if you are imposing/enforcing a debt or allegations on an individual you must surely have to notify them of this? Or at least give them the forum to dispute it?
I have a pre-payment meter so ineffect until this matter is resolved I am being held to ransom, either pay back or don't use gas!
How does all of this work with the obligations as a distributor of energy or guaranteed standards of service etc?
I fully intend to look into pursuing this matter with the regulators, ofgem energy watch etc, however before I do, if anybody has a similar situation or any advice or indeed anything which may assist me in my case it would be more than appreciated. I am just so angry at the faceless tactics of BG and I think accusations of theft although this has not even yet been put to me!
Many thanks in advance for your assistance and taking the time to read this rant.
Best regards
Kowalski123
I am having some difficulty with British Gas with regards to a pre-payment meter of theirs installed within my house, which I will explain below as I think this matter is getting out of hand!
I have owned the property for about 5 years and initially used the gas for heating when I moved in. About approx 4 years ago the boiler broke and I was then staying at the house on and off as I was living between else where also. I could not afford to get the boiler replaced so I borrowed some plug in heaters/radiators off a friend and just used these instead (I had electric cooker). I have lived like this for years and use only electricity and regularly.
About 12 weeks ago I got the boiler sorted and repaired and also got a gas cooker installed. I found my way to the depths of the cellar, located my gas meter and having pressed some buttons on it saw that the display was reading £52 or so in credit...Brilliant cooking on gas...or so I thought!
About 8/9 weeks ago there was a knock at the door, I answered and let a chap in from BG, as he informed me he needed to check the meter so I let him come in and do what he needed to do. He then informed me that my meter was faulty and would have to be replaced. I told him no problem and arranged for him to return a few days later to do whatever he needed to do.
I was out at work at the time and my missus was at home to let him in. He came back with an engineer, barged into our house and announced he was from the BG Revenue Protection Team. He then got his engineer to set about his business (replacing the meter) whilst interrogating my missus about our living circumstances etc; after some time he left with the engineer after handing over a letter stating that we were suspected of tampering with our meter which was to be sent away for independent testing to verify. When my wife questioned this he said that it was procedure and that he suspected it more than likely to be faulty meter, and he would next write to us to let us know the outcome. Incidentally the meter was removed from our cellar, then taken outside before being brought back in to the house to be sealed in front of my wife. He then left us with what he said was £10 credit on the meter which was in fact a £10 debt.
The following Monday morning after all this had sunk in we phoned BG complaints line to query this situation. we were informed that the matter was indeed with their Revenue Protection Team who then phoned the chap who had come whilst we were on the line and confirmed with us that there were no specific allegations being made against us and this was just a standard letter; and that we would hear from them again in the near future with the results of the testing of the meter etc. After this it took us some time to actually be able to put credit on the meter as we were left with cards which wouldn't work with the new meter and after days of phone calls and a succession of new cards a chap from BG had to come out and add another £5 debt on the meter until more arrived via post. Bearing in mind we have a young child and it was cold!
Now about 9 weeks later I have heard nothing from BG and was beginning to assume as the chap had informed us that it was just a failed unit. That is until I went to top the meter up this evening and noticed £10 of the £20 I just topped the card up with going to pay back £10 worth of debt. Having then looked through all of the displays on the meter I have noticed a debt of £1825 has been put on it, payable at £10 a week!!! I am outraged!!
I have never ever tampered with my meter, I have not even been using gas until quite recently!!! I have never stolen anything!
Further more I have not received any further correspondence from BG, they have not provided me with the outcome of their independent meter testing with regards alleged tampering which I have not done - I am assuming that they consider I have interfered with this meter?
Also how have they arrived at this figure?
what is it based upon?
What proof do they need, surely it must be definitive or prove reasonable evidence or grounds on which to take this further?
And surely if you are imposing/enforcing a debt or allegations on an individual you must surely have to notify them of this? Or at least give them the forum to dispute it?
I have a pre-payment meter so ineffect until this matter is resolved I am being held to ransom, either pay back or don't use gas!
How does all of this work with the obligations as a distributor of energy or guaranteed standards of service etc?
I fully intend to look into pursuing this matter with the regulators, ofgem energy watch etc, however before I do, if anybody has a similar situation or any advice or indeed anything which may assist me in my case it would be more than appreciated. I am just so angry at the faceless tactics of BG and I think accusations of theft although this has not even yet been put to me!
Many thanks in advance for your assistance and taking the time to read this rant.
Best regards
Kowalski123
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