British Gas Complaints Soar
April 22, 2007 at 9:47 am
Since British Gas launched a new billing system last year, complaints about the company’s service have more than doubled, according to the independent electricity and gas energy watchdog. Dissatisfied customers have flooded Energywatch with tens of thousands of complains about disputed bills, call centre delays and poor customer service standards.
Speaking about the massive rise in complaints, the energy watchdog’s director of campaigns Adam Scorer said of the supplier “Their service has gone from bad to worse. Their inability to deal with customers’ problems is inexcusable.” Complaints reached 21,427 between October 2006 and March of this year, compared with 8,012 in the same period just a year earlier. Energywatch was contacted by a record 14,000 frustrated British Gas customers in March alone.
According to British Gas’s Managing Director Phil Bentley, problems began to arise when the company transferred the details of 16 million customers onto a new computer database last year. However, thousands of complaints have been made against a new billing system recently implemented which means that bills are estimated by computer instead of being calculated according to a meter reading. Energywatch states that the new system is over-estimating the costs to customers, who are receiving bills for greater amounts of gas or electricity than they are using. To make matters worse, when attempting to complain to the provider customers have been faced with a massive shortage of call centre staff, meaning long delays in customer service. In response to these problems, thousands of frustrated complaints have been made to Energywatch.
Bentley put the drastic rise in complaints down to inevitable “teething problems” with the new system, and spoke on behalf of British Gas: “”Obviously we apologise for the inconvenience and the stress. I understand what it’s like to get a bill that’s incorrect. We apologise to those customers and we’re working very hard to improve services.” The provider has reportedly employed an extra 800 frontline staff to cope with customer complaints, with the wait for customer service now averaging at 70 seconds.
Nevertheless, many critics are sceptical of improvement. Energy product manager of the online comparison service uSwitch, Geoff Slaughter stated scathingly “British Gas keeps telling us that it is turning a corner, but this seems to be one of the longest corners in history.” Adam Scorer spoke of British Gas’s reputation, stating that “the inability to treat their customers who have a genuine problem with their bills with the most basic level of customer service is what’s causing British Gas’s reputation, quite frankly, to be dragged through the mud.”
In response to the growing criticism of British Gas, MD Phil Bentley apologised on BBC radio, stating: “I’m on record as saying we will see significant improvements in service by summer.”
Complaints against British Gas (gas/electric supply) can be phoned through to 0800 072 8632 (freephone), if you are not happy with their response then escalate it by phoning this freephone number 0800 107 0184 or email customercomplaints@britishgas.co.uk
British Gas Homecare complaints should be phoned through to 0845 9500 400 or email BGS.CustomerRelations@centrica.com
Be advised that the service side of the industry is NOT regulated like the supply side! I used to work, for 4 years, with energywatch.
This is a complaint I have with BG:
I called their CARDIFF call centre today at 5pm. I explained to them that you had sent your rep to read my meter and he left a card as he had no access. On the card he left his mobile number and requested I call it to arrange access for which I did. When speaking to their rep he said he no longer worked for them and told me to call the number on my bill. I did this and instead of sending another rep out the advisor who answered asked me for both Gas and Electric readings and I gave him this. He then said an accurate bill would be sent out within 10 days. This bill I got today and I have questioned the amount due to the fact I restricted usage on my appliances deliberately this quarter to reduce my bill. My boiler was hardly ever used and fire was never used leaving my gas hob from my electric oven as the main appliance used which I am questioning the bill for £183.05p for the quarter for gas alone. They said if I wanted someone to check my meter and there is no fault it will cost me between £60 and £300 as her stats tell her that only one in 10,000 are faulty and she was quite amused by giggling at my given dilemma. I would hate to think how elderly people get on with their call centre people as it was only last year you discovered you were over charging my elderly father to the tune of £950 and would have still being doing it had I not intervened. My complaint is not only the attitude in the way I have been treated but the worry that nobody actually cares until you find a problem as you are quite happy to go on charging seemingly without checking. I pay them £180 by DD per month for both gas and electricity and I am regretting ever getting involved with them as they seem to be a wee bit of a bully to me. Quite simply I am disgusted and will be looking for a company that does care very soon if I do not get satisfaction. Once I get time I may get around to sending both my father’s experience and my own to the press as I hate to think how our pensioners are treated by their call centres.
BG are trying to take me to court saying I have a contract with them when I do not, this has been going on for years with different solicitors trying to enforce a non existent contract.
I have a ridiculous ongoing situation with British Gas, if I was paying them to waste my time and money, I would owe them loads!
I have British Gas kitchen appliance cover. Last year the door hinges on my dishwasher broke, I called British Gas and got an engineer out. The engineer said, the door hinges were broken and he would need to order some… he also made the repair process sound like a nightmare. He said he would order the parts and get in touch… I never heard from him again and I didn’t chase it up as I was worried by the nightmare scenario he had painted.
About 2 months ago I got a call asking if I wanted cover for my plumbing etc. I declined and explained what happened with my dishwasher (why would I pay more for the same experience with plumbing). I was advised to get an engineer out as I am paying for the service.
The British gas engineer came out, opened up the dishwasher and said he needed to get a Tecknik engineer to come out and fix it (1 day off work).
Next appointment – Technik engineer comes out on behalf of Brtisih Gas… he said… the door hinges are broken and he needs to order the parts (I could have told him that) (2 days off work).
Next appointment – Technik enginner comes out with the parts he was told to bring and says… Oh, we don’t look after these dishwashers, you need a Whirpool engineer (3 days off work).
I rang British gas and complained and said I am not taking any more days off and I don’t want another engineer to come out and tell me the hinges are broken…
Next I get a call from Whirlpool to arrange an appointment, all they know is that the door is broken. I call British gas and explain that they need to make sure the engineer knows what’s wrong and brings the parts… I don’t hear back until today…
I get a call from an engineer saying he will be round in 30mins… I explain I didn’t arrange an appointment. I also ask if he knows what’s wrong and he explains that all he knows is that the door is broken. He also explains that he had been out before to my address but was given the wrong telephone number… I don’t know who arranged that appointment either. I have to rush home from work (4 days off).
I complained to their customer service team today and they get someone to call me back (the engineer had arrived by this time). The person on the phone explain that the engineer is in my house (just in case I didn’t know) and then they ask me what the problem is… I explain to the lady that she needs to go away and find out what my problem is and call me back!! She eventually calls back offering me £76 compensation!!
I am now waiting for her manager to call me with a more adequate apology! How ridiculous!!! Think twice before using British Gas!!!
This is the letter I sent to BG today. It explains my problem.
Hi there! I have send you a recorded delivery letter last week complaining about the service I received which brought to 3 weeks with no hot water in my flat – still don’t have any!!!! but I have not yet received a reply.
My boiler broke down a few weeks ago. It’s a combi boiler which serves both heating and hot water! I feel there have been a number of mistakes made by BG that have lead to my boiler still being broken. It is very disappointing that a company with a strong brand reputation, importance and years of popularity could turn out to be so unprofessional and have so little sense of customer care as well as organisation between its different departments.
The first call out was made on the 20th of July when the boiler first broke down, for a day. The engineer who came out, sorted the ‘apparent’ problem issue of the pressure gone down.
A month later the boiler broke again. On the 17th August an engineer came to repair it, and as soon as he opened it (the first one had failed to look inside and make sure it was safe!) he found that the inside was corroded due to some internal leak within the boiler. not knowing someone had previously visited and repaired the boiler he said it must have been going on for a few months and VERY DANGEROUS! and to not attempt in any way to light it up. He was extremely surprised when I mentioned someone had been there a month before and per standard check WOULD HAVE FOUND this issue. However boiler was classified beyond repair.
Few days later came a guy to check out work to be done and arrange a new boiler for the flat. Now, he said there was a copper wastage pipe that I would have to (in my own way) get exchanged into a plastic one, to then proceed installing the boiler.
I asked him if there was any other solution (without removing the pipe) he said there was and that the guys would know what to do. He then took my deposit and said someone would contact me during that day to arrange emergency installation. a call that was meant to arrive within a few hours.
The CALL NEVER CAME. Next afternoon I PHONED up to find out what happened and when we would finally have our hot water back. Obviously that takes a few days to arrange too, so we booked a delivery date for the boiler TUESDAY 24th AUGUST (AM!) and installation date on the 25th – 2 engineers were booked for the installation.
Delivery day arrives (24th) .. 9 am.. 10am.. 11am.. nothing. So I called to find out what time the delivery was going to arrive. Lady said it was on its way! and due to arrive 12 – 12.30 ish. At 1pm NOTHING! I then called again, and same lady answered again – checked her computer, put me on hold, got back to me and said they were going to come the next day!!!!! NO APOLOGY!!
So I have taken the day off work to wait for a delivery with no notice from your side that it would not arrive, to then call myself and have this news delivered and with NO APOLOGY??
She said for next day delivery was due between 7am and 10am so I informed her that the installation engineers would arrive by 8 and if there is nothing install I wouldn’t know what to tell them??? she said NOT TO WORRY, IT WOULD ARRIVE BEFORE THEM….
Right. Next morning INSTALLATION TEAM ARRIVE, AND NO DELIVERED BOILER IN THE HOUSE. They asked me for an ‘instruction pack’ which the finance guy was supposed to leave for them. An instruction pack on which work needs to be carried out and details of how and where it had to be done. THIS PACK WAS NEVER GIVEN TO ME NOR TO THEM. We tried phoning the finance guy. Turns out HE WAS ON HOLIDAY LEAVE!!
However, delivery arrived over an hour after the installation team – who them managed to contact their installation manager who brought some information over to the flat. Now he stressed that due to that initial copper pipe the boiler could not be installed. I told him there was meant to have been another solution but he could not think of one which that particular boiler.. He said to try and see if a plumber could be called out to sort the issue. They left.
I called HOMECARE asking for a plumber! Got an engineer in who looked at it and said: ‘this is something a plumber has to do!’ and left.
I called again, stressing to the lady on the phone that I need a PLUMBER and know it would not come under the insurance – as it is not a leaking or broken pipe and I don’t mind paying for it!
I finally get a plumber in, who as I had initially imagined said ‘this is not under the insurance’ and ‘installation team should have dealt with this’ – so I called back a guy from installation team – told him what happened and asked him what could possibly be done. He explained the only thing to do would be to get a non-condensing boiler – less energy efficient, but that would NOT NEED THE COPPER PIPE CHANGED.
WHY WAS THIS OPTION NOT GIVEN TO ME IN THE FIRST PLACE???? It would have saved stress, time and cold showers.
However, I asked him when this could be done and he said I had to get a new finance for it – cancel the old one and get a new one for the new type of boiler. To call installation team back. I called emergency installation again (funny you call it emergency when all they do is say call back tomorrow!). Anyways… they gave me another number for another guy to come do finance.. to then be followed by booking a new appointment for a new delivery and new installation date and this will probably take another week or two????? So called the number – VOICEMAIL: I’M ON ANNUAL LEAVE! as well!!!!!
Called again the emergency installation, explained to them that this guy was on holiday as well. They said TO WAIT AND CALL THEM BOTH BACK IN A FEW DAYS WHEN THEY ARE BACK FROM HOLIDAY??? What am I meant to do for these days with no hot water. I asked if in the meantime could book the installation team for the new boiler as it would cut stress & time down – they said even though the new boiler is cheaper than the one I had already finance for, they couldn’t.
I mean, you have my deposit can you not change the finance after the date is at least booked in??
So I called customer service explained the whole situation – lady said she would call me back – never did. When I tried calling again.. ‘our office is now closed’..
Spoke to another lady a few days later and she did call me back although there was not much to do about it.
Yesterday came the north London finance guy. He sorted the finance out (probably the only helpful person in this process) and turns out installation cannot come before Tuesday!
I have been sick, have gone through flu (I can get you a GP note for that!) have had to take dozens of days off work for your different people coming and not doing anything – because I don’t think your company has treated my situation with respect or professionalism.
My boiler exploded with an enormous bang water cascaded from the unit , through the floor boards, onto the next floor flooding the carpets , through to the next floor through the ceiling, flooding the kitchen. Having a home care cover policy with British gas I rang and was told no cover today. I had no water, turned off , no electricity due to shortage, water on wires, no gas due to no electricity. No cover worth having , that’s Briish Gas, only been with them for 30 years. I shall wait until they decide to come, until then I shall take advantage of their 150 pounds cover and stay in a hotel. British gas will have to sort it out with my solicitor.
i have and am being charged for gas i do not use…i am trying to find out why ?? is this normal practice of gas suppliers..
We moved in to our property 2 years ago, since then we have had estimated bills of £54 every quarter, we have reported this to them loads of times and they insisted everything was ok my partner gave the readings off the meter and they were ok too. So we rang last week to say we were moving house and they said there is a problem with meter readings so we explain we have complained and asked about the estimated bills and we were assured they were ok. The operator said yes i can see you have reported it and your reading are here, anyway he said you are looking at a big bill-to our horror! The operator said the meter had not been setup properly since it was installed a year previously before we moved in. He passed it onto his supervisor who we argued with that it was bg’s fault and she said our bill over the 2 years adds up to £2400! She said bg are willing to take 12 months blame so we would owe them £1200 there is noway we are going to pay that so my partner said £500 which would be £20 every month over 2 years now they are still deciding on this offer off us. But unlike my partner i dont think we should pay them a penny as we have reported the problem loads of times and they have excepted it is their fault. Any comments or advice would be helpful please…
I have home care cover for my appliances. Before Christmas last year the element went on the cooker. To cut a long story short it took over 2 months to resolve due to broken appointments and lame excuses.
Last week an appointment was booked for a call to look at the dishwasher. Because of a bad experience last time was very particular to check times and date of appointment for the 30/3/11. Even called to day before to confirm everything ok. So far so good. Well that was until i arrived home to find a card through the door saying ” I am sorry you were out when I called”
I called customer services and they assured me some one had call only to find out that they had the wrong mobile number written down. Their error not mine.
The customer service adviser tried to contact the engineer but he was in a meeting. I do not buy that for one moment.
I want to know what I’m paying for. It certainly is not service.
I have been billed for over £8000.00 worth of electricity. I spend £15.00 per week on telephone calls only to be played stupid music. would be cheaper to buy from itunes. Yes we will call you back they say 1 week 2 weeks 2 months sorry i thought they meant this century. Teething problems are for children not large companys who charge the earth for second rate service. Sorry if i am ranting but i just got off the phone to a complete idiot at british gas. They cant seem to get it £63.00 is not £630.00 if it were i would be rich or jesus. According to my electric bill i am trying to revive frankinstien. If i dont laugh i will cry. Sorry again for the rant but i feel if this letter costs me £600.01 worth of electricity it may be worth it.