British gas..they say we owe them money and are threatening court action?

Question

we bought our house 2years ago, and for the first couple of months we where supplied by British gas, we switched suppliers, and after a bit of messing around (both companies sending us bills for a couple of months afterwards. we finally ..THOUGHT.. we had sorted it out and have been with our new supplier with no problem, now nearly 2years later British gas are chasing us again, insisting we owe them money for the final bill, over £100 so its not just a small sum, but i distinctly remember paying them their final bill, as we breathed a huge sigh of relief to finally be shut of them (on a debit card) .... now they are threatening us with a debt collection agency unless we pay immediatley.. I have no idea if we ever recieved confirmation off them that we had paid the bill, and if we did ..i don't actually know where to start looking as we have had a HUGE amount of work done in the house, so everything has kind of been shuffled away... anyone got any ideas what we can do??? thanks x

Answer 1

Look up the Consumer Association in your tel directory, and explain to them what's happened, they may be able to help.

Telephone your gas board, and put in writing (keeping a copy) of all what's happened.  Speak to a Manager and explain to him/her about the loss of 'final payment' documentation and ask that they look on their records of your account with them, (they should have your payment records on their computer).

Be calm, don't panic, and until you get a satisfactory answer/advice, don't be intimidated by threats or pay the bill yet, the Gas Board will/should help, but will need as much information as possible.

If you cannot resolve this situation amicably, then go to your Citizens Advice Bureau, for further help and information.

Caramac x

Answer 2

Ask for a breakdown of the charges/bill and the dates they have charged you.

Are both companies charging you for the same times

Answer 3

speak to your bank, if  you  paid by debit card a record of it will be on your statements.

Contact the citizens advice bureau for their advice

good luck

Answer 4

i had a problem with power gen a couple of years ago

where they  tried to charge me about £240 for a bill I was about £40 in credit for.

they charged me wrongly after a new meter was fitted.

After hitting a brick wall with them I contacted energy  watch who help with complaints against  the fuel companies.

Got a grovelling letter and  a bit extra back as compensation a few weeks later from power gen

good luck

Answer 5

Go to Citizens' Advice Bureau - phone them first thing and make an appointment asap.

Meanwhile - have a jolly good look for the paperwork!

Good luck!

Answer 6

If you paid on a debit card then your bank would have a record of this, as back as at least 5yrs I believe (my brother worked in archives in a bank and they have to keep records for a fairly long period in case of queries).

I would write to British Gas stating that you paid this bill and asking them to re-check their records.  State that if you are required to provide proof yourself, you will be billing THEM for any costs incurred and for the inconvenience of chasing this up.  If they still insist you owe them money, contact your bank and ask them to provide statements of your account for the number of years you think this may go back to.  The typical charge for this is around £15.  Explain to the bank the situation so they know its not them you are chasing and you will probably find them very helpful.

Once you find the transaction on your statement, send a copy of this to British Gas, along with a bill for the cost incurred and your inconvenience.

Keep a copy of the transaction yourself in case they do take you to court, but don't worry, all you need to do in court is show that you have paid it and it will be thrown out.

Don't be intimidated by them!  If you think you need a bit of support contact the CAB (Citizens' Advice Bureau), they are very used to dealing with this sort of thing and can help you a lot.

Best of luck!

Answer 7

go green....create your own........i pay my bills by cheque...that way you always have proof of payment...hope you sort it out sweetie....seamanab x