British Gas are rubbish - stroppycow

British Gas are rubbish

Today, almost 3 months to the day after moving into Geofftechland, there was a letter from British Gas on the mat.
Yeah I thought, at last they have sorted out my account and I have a bill and an account number and I'll be able to switch supplier.
As it turns out a quick look at the addressee told me what I needed to know "to the occupier". Yep another letter threatening to cut off the gas if I don't pay the outstanding bill of the previous tenant. The best bit is that they charge him for more gas than he actually used as they persist in using their estimated consumption despite charging him for a visit to read the meter and despite having on record the reading I took when I moved in. Still, it's not like they'll ever get any money from the scumbag so it's probably irrelevant.
The last time I called, I was told that, yes they are aware he has moved out, yes they are aware I moved in, yes they have the meter reading I gave them the day I moved in, yes they will issue me with a proper account number rather than a temporary one which they never seem to be able to link to on their system when I call and that I should just ignore all the threatening letters and preferably not open them because I might find them quite upsetting, no they cannot stop sending them, and yes it takes a while to activate a new account.
Anyway, it looks like Jiiiiiiiiiim is no stranger to dealings with the behemoth that is British Gas (and sorry I still can't get the blockquote tag to render properly on the new platform so italics will have to do):
British Gas are rubbish. It's true and it's official. Now, I never use any gas in my house. I only have four gas fires - no central heating, no gas cooker, no gas-fired boiler, nothing else. I never use these gas fires because, despite repeated requests, the letting agents haven't provided a Gas Safety Inspection certificate and not had the fires inspected. I don't have any Carbon Monoxide detectors in the house, so have firmly stuck to my safety first policy and not put them on. Not even in the middle of winter when I was freezing my proverbials off every day. Since moving in then, my gas bills have been zero, zero and zero, as you would expect. So imagine my surprise when, shortly after my meter was replaced, I received a bill for almost £1200. Especially as the bill related entirely to the period before my meter was replaced. Shurely shome mistake, I thought. Indeed there was - a simple comedy transposition of the meter number and the actual reading, both barely legible on the label on the new meter. However it took me three phone calls, totalling just under two hours, to an 0845 number before I could get it sorted and then I had to make a further couple of calls to the Frontline Support team to get it finally sorted. In the meantime, I received a reminder, and a final reminder despite assurances from the Customer Services bods that I wouldn't... Anyway, having finally sorted it out this morning I was delighted to be told that I'd be receiving another incorrect bill as it had been re-issued, and then to get a call from the Debt Collection department this afternoon, who clearly dialled my number before bothering to call up my account details.

27.6.07 20:58

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To date 3 Comment(s) TrackBack-URL

Jiiiiim!!! / Website (28.6.07 13:07)
I got back from my trip to the flooded North to find a re-issued bill for the ludicrous amount on my mat. f I hadn't been warned it was coming I would have been furrrrioussss! Instead I'll be framing it and putting it on the wall, I think. Unless I get another reminder...

Philippa (30.6.07 22:48)
I spent 6 months trying to tell them that the £144 they were threatening to take me to court for was for a repair on a boiler I no longer own, in a house I no longer own, that was not requested by me and was carried out a month after we had moved out. I think I know the sequence of their computer issued letters off by heart. If I hear "the computer sends them and we cannot stop it" one more time.......

Jiiiiim!!! / Website (2.7.07 12:05)
Huzzah! I got home from my weekend in Leeds to find another bill for the erroneous amount lying on my doormat! I think this one might drag on and on....

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