Donwill wrote:

Small 3 Bed Bungalow reasonably insulated.

#Period: 23 Nov07----18Feb08 Kw.hrs used = 6685Kw.hrs.--- i.e 76Kw.hrs/day.
(88days)
16Kw boiler(non modulating),
on time = approx 5hrs per day
Bill excl Vat = £177.80

They seem to have split the quarterly period into two parts so they can
charge at the high rate twice during the quarter.

Don

My advice is to get your gas elsewhere. I had been with British Gas for
nearly 30 years at this house and my seasonal gas ( and electricity )
bills have been amazingly constant in terms of energy used. There was a
time when they would estimate a bill and get it uncannily right.

Recently their estimated bills have been all over the place, usually
very much in their favour. Very high after prices had gone up and
amazing low when price increases are due to happen. When I tried to
provide customer supplied readings, the updates were ignored, whether
provided by telephone or on-line. At least once per year they threatened
me with disconnection for non-payment of a grossly inaccurate bill which
I had already sent correct readings for.

It was near impossible to speak to anybody who could efficiently sort
things out and I never once got a reply to any letter or e-mail that I
sent - not even recorded delivery letters. The only solution appeared to
be to get involved with lengthy telephone calls, no doubt with British
Gas creaming off a percentage of the call charge too.

Last year I switched suppliers, based on reports of customer
satisfaction rather than cheapness. My bills are even a little lower
than before and the quarterly struggle to get a reasonably accurate bill
has become a distant memory.

After I switched, I got a phone call from British Gas, Customer Sevices
asking why I had left, so I told them that their administration was
appalling, they couldn't sort out problems and nobody within British Gas
appeared to talk to anybody else or keep sensible records. He then said
that he was looking at my account details and they had no record of any
letters, phone calls or complaints and that I must be exaggerating. I
pointed out that rather than me exagerating, he was simply proving my
point. He started getting very hostile and I pointed out that he was
supposed to be working for Customer Sevices. and that shouting at the
customer is not generally regarded as best practice in customer service
circles He put the phone down on me.

In hindsight, I should have switched years before that. It's amazing to
see how differently two companies can behave when it comes to selling me
the same gas and electricitythrough the same pipes and wires.