Trying to switch energy provider I lost £150 cashback and gained a £600 bill
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Version 0 of 1. I was a dual-fuel customer with Scottish Power until October 2013 when British Gas offered me a better deal with £150 cashback. My electricity account was successfully transferred but, for some reason, my gas account was not – although neither company informed me of any problems. I eventually agreed to return to Scottish Power, which put me back on a dual-fuel tariff but failed to contact British Gas to get my electricity account back. This, however, has not stopped it sending estimated bills for electricity which I have already paid for … but to British Gas. It claims I owe £600 and won’t let me leave for another provider until I have paid it. Through no fault of my own I have lost the £150 cashback from British Gas and the benefits of dual-fuel savings, and I fear my credit record will be affected. DD, Daventry, Northamptonshire Scottish Power tells me that it never received a request to transfer your gas account back, which is how the problem started. When, because of this, you agreed to transfer back from British Gas it somehow failed to request the electricity account back, and instead created a phantom one. This, a spokesperson says, was “as a result of a system error when the gas account was migrated to our new billing system”. Which of course begs the question, how many more accounts were conjured out of the ether and relentlessly charged for when the new billing system was introduced, causing well-publicised chaos? And why did Scottish Power fail to act until we got involved, despite the many emails and phone calls from you? For this neglect it “sincerely apologises”. It has now removed the nonexistent electricity account and all charges relating to it, and has applied the equivalent dual-fuel discount to your remaining gas account. For the “inconvenience” you are to get £75. British Gas has paid you the £150 cashback that would have been due if both your accounts had been transferred. If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. |