We had our gas and electricity bills this morning. As we're with
British Gas (please, no diatribes about changing supplier) the period
billed includes the price rises on the 1st of March. To calculate the
bill BG therefore had to estimate the readings on the 1st of March.
Fortunately the previous figures and present figures were both genuine
readings. I hadn't read the meters on the 1st of March myself, but as
my readings are closer together than BGs (23rd Feb, 6th Mar) I can
probably more accurately estimate the actual reading than they.

Of course, their estimate comes out lower than mine, meaning that
according to BG I used less gas and electricity before the price rises
than according to my own calculations.

To cut an exceedingly long story short, after some fiendishly
complicated calculations I worked out that I had been overcharged 37p
for electricity and 59p for gas (give or take a penny due to
differences in rounding strategies). It doesn't sound a lot, but that
96p represents just 7 days between the 1st of March and the meter
reader's figure from the 7th of March.

I'm in two minds whether or not to ring BG up and make a point about
this (I'd probably spend more on the 0845 call), but the thought
occurred to me that we're probably not the only ones. What if all BG
customers have been overcharged? What if it's about a pound for each one
of them? What an easy little money-spinner!

Hwyl!

M.

--
Martin Angove: http://www.tridwr.demon.co.uk/
Making sense of technology: http://www.livtech.co.uk/
.... My mother is NEVER on time! - Worf

Martin Angove wrote:


I'm in two minds whether or not to ring BG up and make a point about
this (I'd probably spend more on the 0845 call), but the thought
occurred to me that we're probably not the only ones. What if all BG
customers have been overcharged? What if it's about a pound for each
one of them? What an easy little money-spinner!

Hwyl!

M.

--
Martin Angove: http://www.tridwr.demon.co.uk/
Making sense of technology: http://www.livtech.co.uk/
... My mother is NEVER on time! - Worf

So whats wrong with complaining online?

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 13:35:35 GMT, "The3rd Earl Of Derby"
wrote:

|Martin Angove wrote:
|
|
| I'm in two minds whether or not to ring BG up and make a point about
| this (I'd probably spend more on the 0845 call), but the thought
| occurred to me that we're probably not the only ones. What if all BG
| customers have been overcharged? What if it's about a pound for each
| one of them? What an easy little money-spinner!
|
| Hwyl!
|
| M.
|
| --
| Martin Angove: http://www.tridwr.demon.co.uk/
| Making sense of technology: http://www.livtech.co.uk/
| ... My mother is NEVER on time! - Worf
|
|So whats wrong with complaining online?

Or even Snail Mail 8-O
--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk
Freedom of Speech, Expression, Religion, and Democracy are
the keys to Civilization, together with legal acceptance of
Fundamental Human rights.

In message , The3rd
Earl Of Derby writes
Martin Angove wrote:


I'm in two minds whether or not to ring BG up and make a point about
this (I'd probably spend more on the 0845 call), but the thought
occurred to me that we're probably not the only ones. What if all BG
customers have been overcharged? What if it's about a pound for each
one of them? What an easy little money-spinner!

Hwyl!

M.

--
Martin Angove: http://www.tridwr.demon.co.uk/
Making sense of technology: http://www.livtech.co.uk/
... My mother is NEVER on time! - Worf

So whats wrong with complaining online?


And how much notice do they take of that??

None - in my experience

--
Richard Faulkner

Richard Faulkner wrote:
In message , The3rd
Earl Of Derby writes
Martin Angove wrote:


I'm in two minds whether or not to ring BG up and make a point about
this (I'd probably spend more on the 0845 call), but the thought
occurred to me that we're probably not the only ones. What if all BG
customers have been overcharged? What if it's about a pound for each
one of them? What an easy little money-spinner!

Hwyl!

M.

--
Martin Angove: http://www.tridwr.demon.co.uk/
Making sense of technology: http://www.livtech.co.uk/
... My mother is NEVER on time! - Worf

So whats wrong with complaining online?


And how much notice do they take of that??

None - in my experience

--
Richard Faulkner

A bit more notice than a phone call in my experience as a phone call is not
logged more than half the time, whereas emails can be kept for future
reference. :-)

--
Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

"Richard Faulkner" wrote in message
...

So whats wrong with complaining online?


And how much notice do they take of that??

None - in my experience

That's your experience. Mine is different.

Mary

--
Richard Faulkner

Martin Angove wrote:

I'm in two minds whether or not to ring BG up and make a point about
this (I'd probably spend more on the 0845 call), but the thought
occurred to me that we're probably not the only ones. What if all BG
customers have been overcharged? What if it's about a pound for each one
of them? What an easy little money-spinner!

All seems a bit petty IYAM.
how many hours did you spend working that out?

Obviously they have to draw the line somewhere.
What about if you were over-estimated as is usually the way the
guestimates?
I bet you wouldn't have an issue with it then would you.

--
http://gymratz.co.uk - Best Gym Equipment & Bodybuilding Supplements UK.
http://trade-price-supplements.co.uk - TRADE PRICED SUPPLEMENTS for ALL!
http://fitness-equipment-uk.com - UK's No.1 Fitness Equipment Suppliers.
http://Water-Rower.co.uk - Worlds best prices on the Worlds best Rower.

In message , "Pet @
www.gymratz.co.uk ;¬)" writes
Martin Angove wrote:

I'm in two minds whether or not to ring BG up and make a point about
this (I'd probably spend more on the 0845 call), but the thought
occurred to me that we're probably not the only ones. What if all BG
customers have been overcharged? What if it's about a pound for each one
of them? What an easy little money-spinner!

All seems a bit petty IYAM.
how many hours did you spend working that out?

Obviously they have to draw the line somewhere.
What about if you were over-estimated as is usually the way the
guestimates?
I bet you wouldn't have an issue with it then would you.


But it never seems to work that way.

I think what he was getting at was that ripping off 10 million customers
for £1 is not a bad way of adding £10 million to your bottom line
profit. Firstly, very few will notice, and even fewer will complain, and
even fewer will be able to argue the case well enough, (meter readings
on the day), to win.

--
Richard Faulkner

"Richard Faulkner" wrote in message
...
I think what he was getting at was that ripping off 10 million customers
for £1 is not a bad way of adding £10 million to your bottom line profit.
Firstly, very few will notice, and even fewer will complain, and even
fewer will be able to argue the case well enough, (meter readings on the
day), to win.

If people can't be bothered to check their own readings and do something
about it that's their problem.

I've often had lower estimates than the meter suggests. Should I complain?

It's swings and roundabouts. BG - and (I believe) other utility
companiesdon't deliberately overestimate.

Mary

--
Richard Faulkner

The message
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:

I've often had lower estimates than the meter suggests. Should I complain?

I don't complain, but I certainly phone them to correct it. Saves nasty
surprises later.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:

I've often had lower estimates than the meter suggests. Should I
complain?

I don't complain, but I certainly phone them to correct it. Saves nasty
surprises later.

Well, we don't get surprises because we pay by DD and any annual adjustments
are made later. Sometimes it's in our favour, sometimes not.

I'm essentially idle, my life's too important to spend time on calculations
and petty savings.

I read today that most people don't spend more than 30 minutes preparing
their evening meal. The time saved is spent watching TV cooks (and other
programmes of course), it seems ... I was very amused by that.

I prefer not to live life vicariously - in all aspects.