Richard wrote:
Roly wrote:
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.

Before she became SWMBO my wife was a BG customer and paid by
continuosly variable direct debit. BG consistently increased the sums
debitted and refused to believe any suggestion that they were taking
more than they were entitled so to do. They took no notice at all of
the actual units of gas used. The only way that she was able to get a
refund was to move house and not continue using gas.

This is why I still pay elec and gas bills by cheque and check the meter
readings!