Comments on: British Gas row over direct debits

By: Derek Boud

Derek Boud — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:40:46 +0000

I returned from holiday and sent a meter reading by email to BG having missed the metetr reader. I was advised by BG my Direct Debit would increase from £62 to £96 per month, A RISE OF 54%.!!! My account about £60 in debit. On challeging them they have eamiled a new monthly debit of £86 per month, A RISE OF 39%, a inrease of £288 per year!
I await a reply to my letter. They did drop my Direct Debit from £69 per month 6 months ago, 6×6 = £36. May be I am cynical but was the reduction a deliberate ploy to introduce a debit in my account and thus enable them to point to a debit situation?

By: Geoffrey Peake

Geoffrey Peake — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:03:06 +0000

I came bac kfrom holiday on 12 January to find communications from gas and electricity arms of British Gas. In both cases, I was advised that my monthly direct debits would increase by almost 100%.

I have been a customer of British Gas for almost thirty years and have regular meter readings. I am, also, supposed to be a fixed-rate tariff until the end of 2009.

I have just retired and am living a a fairly low, fixed income, so need to watch the pennies, without having this double whammy.

I suspected that this was a try-on and wrote to BG to complain. Today, I had a telephone call, which I hate, because you have no record, as with a letter, of what was said, from someone, who sounded about 12 and just fobbed me off with what he said was company policy.

Is there any consumer body that I can usefully approach, in the hope of getting some action?

Geoffrey Peake

By: kyrene Mitrovic

kyrene Mitrovic — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:03:55 +0000

I have cancelled both direct debits with british gas-i would rather the interest to grow in my bank than allowing british gas to hold it in their accounts. This company makes me sick with their greed. Take my advice continue to pay monthly but give them a reading and pay your bill each month on line or on the phone. If we all did that, British Gas would not make billions of pounds in profit as they hold onto our money and may be forced to bring down their prices because of it. We need to start standing up and be counted.