That is an appalling situation to be in @WonkyWomble and I was also thinking this should be one for the ombudsman. Failing that, Look East might be interested - they got involved when BT took over 2 weeks to reinstate a phone line for my whole street. Apparently it was a 'pure coincidence' that BT engineers completed the work the day after the BBC got in touch with them....
Presumably a pre-payment meter actually has a meter inside it so BT can see how much leccy you've used over (say) the last 2 year period? Surely it is then not beyond the wit of somebody to say "Over the course of 6 years we, therefore, think you would have used X kilowatts of electricity. You've actually paid for Y kilowatts and we'll agree to refund you the difference"
You may not get quite the right amount refunded but, if you compromise and they compromise, surely a mutually acceptable figure can be sorted.
I am a long standing (leccy only) British Gas customer and know from experience that they can be the very devil to deal with. Just getting to speak to somebody without over an hour's wait (no exaggeration) was impossible at the end of last year when my power supply contract was hijacked by Scottish Power without my authorisation or knowledge.
Good luck with resolving this. You'll need to be tough but I think somebody, somewhere will find a solution for you.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Starting now, Wonky, keep a chronological list of your phone calls to British Gas: the date, the time, the person you spoke to, and the gist of what was said. Include also links to emails to BG.
Such detail will be invaluable in supporting your complaint to the ombudsman.
I was on the Jeremy vine radio show with Vanessa today... At about 12.20pm... It won't help but just getting air time and raising the issue is worth a go
Thanks @Fire, paying average of£45/50 per week for electric and another £20 power week for gas has literally kept us poor for 7 years... Yet we can't even get them to talk to us!!
@WonkyWomble this would probably take the best part of a day but how about writing or emailing your local MP, town councilor, radio station, newspaper etc, everyone you can think of and letting them know your situation plus, as others have said, the energy ombudsman. No need for a different letter just copy to all. It will take time, energy and determination but just use the broken record technique where if you go on and on ad nauseum someone will listen and you'll get what you want.
Posts
Presumably a pre-payment meter actually has a meter inside it so BT can see how much leccy you've used over (say) the last 2 year period? Surely it is then not beyond the wit of somebody to say "Over the course of 6 years we, therefore, think you would have used X kilowatts of electricity. You've actually paid for Y kilowatts and we'll agree to refund you the difference"
You may not get quite the right amount refunded but, if you compromise and they compromise, surely a mutually acceptable figure can be sorted.
I am a long standing (leccy only) British Gas customer and know from experience that they can be the very devil to deal with. Just getting to speak to somebody without over an hour's wait (no exaggeration) was impossible at the end of last year when my power supply contract was hijacked by Scottish Power without my authorisation or knowledge.
Good luck with resolving this. You'll need to be tough but I think somebody, somewhere will find a solution for you.
Such detail will be invaluable in supporting your complaint to the ombudsman.
It will take time, energy and determination but just use the broken record technique where if you go on and on ad nauseum someone will listen and you'll get what you want.