free loans to british gas

[lurker]

every soddin month BG try the same scam;

They have written to us again, saying the monthly payments on the gas are going up by 34%.
Even though we are in credit by over 3 months worth of payments.

 

[Rorschach]

Maybe it's time to change supplier, you are likely paying way above the odds anyway with those rip off merchants.

 

[Lazurus]

We just changed from Eon to Bulb for electrickery payment went from £90 to £28 per month!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lurker]

problem with changing its like opening a can of worms!

I'll set the wife on them when she gets home :twisted:
They will go away but bet we have to do it over again.

 

[lurker]

We just changed from Eon to Bulb for electrickery payment went from £90 to £28 per month!!!!!!!!!!!

Let us know how things are in about 6 months time, cos that sounds too good to be true.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Our electricity will go up by about £15 a month, no matter who we go with, but I'm happy with after a two year fix.
We've had our (6 monthly) water bill from SW Water -
Balance beore bill - £270.06 CR
Total charges on this bill - £258.73
Bill total - £11.33CR
We have reviewed your payments in line with current balance. We will request £42 each month until further notice. (up from £24)
:?

 

[niagra]

I change our utilities pretty much every year through Martin Lewis's website. Once set up, takes a couple of mins to put the last 12 months usage in and the new comparisons pop up. Pick one and click the button - all sorted.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I tried https://www.energyhelpline.com/fri/ and https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/and got different quotes. I have yet to put 100% accurate figures in (being on E7) so I don't know yet which is the best.

 

[Steve Maskery]

This is all a nightmare. I was with nPower for a few years, but they messed me about big time and we nearly ended up in court.

Then Eon. OK, but the nice fixed deal ended. Did the Price comparison stuff, OutFoxTheMarket came out top, from several PC sites.

So I switched, it was going to be £71 per month. The week before it was due to start I got an email to say that they would put up the DD to 114, then the day before it went up to 124. Then, in the first week the electricity unit price went up and now I have been told that my new DD will be 136.18 until further notice.
Needless to say I am in the process of moving again. I must be their shortest ever customer.

They plan to take this money on Dec 16, so on Dec 15th I shall read my meters and call them. If they insist on taking more than I have spent I shall raise it with the ombudsman.

OFTM had a spokesman on Money Box (R4) last weekend, defending their move. But as a number of analysts are predicting that several more companies will go to the wall soon, on top of the ones who have already disappeared in the last few months, I have no doubt that OFTM will be one of them.

Apparently when a company does go under, your supplies are not cut off, your accounts are transferred to "another provider" (but I don't know who decides who that is), but my guess is that if you have a credit, then you will not get that back, since they have ceased trading.

Healthy competition is a good thing. No-holds-barred piracy is not.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I noticed last week when I was looking that some contracts advertised as fixed price were variable - how does that work :? :shock: and also the several providers take the monthly DD in advance - whether that is something to be wary of, who knows?

 

[lurker]

As I don't want hassle, I stick with BG, (they do our leccy too) their actual charges are ok and I get cash back via my bank.
It's just this damn annoying scam.
Anyway the dragon has given them a piece of her mind, I am under no illusion that it was in one ear and out of the other and they will try it again.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Loyalty is a no no. My standing order with Scottish to renew what is the same contract would have gone from £91 a month to £126.

 

[lurker]

I check mine against four other households with various suppliers and our actual costs are reasonable. So cannot be bothered to risk a lot of aggro.
Steven's situation seems to be the norm with these fly by night pirates.

 

[Lons]

I'm with First Direct currently on a fixed price contract, they email me every month, I supply a reading which takes just a few minutes and they respond with the cost and take a DD a few weeks later so I pay exact usage, no advance payment, no overpaying and if they went bust I'd lose no money.
On my 3rd contract with them now and works perfectly for me.

I've been with Npower and BG in the past, BG were ok but got too expensive and Npower were the pits.

I do an exhaustive shop around before the end of each contract and would not hesitate to move though I am of the opinion that cheapest isn't always the best so won't take risks for just a few quid.

Don't need to think about that until end July 2020.

 

[harvestbarn]

If you have overpaid by direct debit I believe your bank should immediately refund this payment under the guarantee scheme. Although your supply will be maintained when your company goes into liquidation the new company appointed is not bound to supply you at the same price. Whether the new supply company would automatically sort out any credit owed would be worth checking.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I'm with First Direct currently on a fixed price contract, they email me every month, I supply a reading which takes just a few minutes and they respond with the cost and take a DD a few weeks later so I pay exact usage, no advance payment, no overpaying and if they went bust I'd lose no money.
I do an exhaustive shop around before the end of each contract and would not hesitate to move though I am of the opinion that cheapest isn't always the best so won't take risks for just a few quid.
Don't need to think about that until end July 2020.

Likewise mine with Scottish, it was a two year fix up til 1/19. The only problem I had with them was it took four appointments before someone turned up to change a meter.

 

[lurker]

I'm with First Direct currently on a fixed price contract, they email me every month, I supply a reading which takes just a few minutes and they respond with the cost and take a DD a few weeks later so I pay exact usage, no advance payment, no overpaying and if they went bust I'd lose no money.
On my 3rd contract with them now and works perfectly for me.

I've been with Npower and BG in the past, BG were ok but got too expensive and Npower were the pits.

I do an exhaustive shop around before the end of each contract and would not hesitate to move though I am of the opinion that cheapest isn't always the best so won't take risks for just a few quid.

Don't need to think about that until end July 2020.

I have no desire to be a part time meter reader :wink:

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Good for you. Feel free to pay as much as you like.

If I can get a better price by taking a few minutes every month or two to put a reading in, that's fine by me.

 

[Beau]

Do you have to monthly DD payments? We only have electric and just get a bill for what we use each quarter. No guess work/deviousness involved just pay for what we use. Ecotricity

 

[Phil Pascoe]

No, but I believe the price is better. I just get a reply when I enter a meter reading saying my DD either stays the same or needs adjusting one way or the other if our usage changes too much. I keep it just in surplus so there are no unpleasant surprises come winter. (although ours doesn't change much - it's mainly the temperature of the incoming cold water that affects it, as we don't use electricity for heating, only lighting (all CFLs or LEDs) and hot water.)