Ciao Review dated - 31-03-09
Utility - BRITISH GAS
Titled: Born Gassy
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In the news today British Gas has re-named their corporation 'Born Gassy'; it has been long awaited brands re-think, from it's gassy fat cats. The whole matter has brought a bad smell to the shareholders ... Read review
...- 31-03-09 Utility - BRITISH GAS Titled: Born Gassy ---------------------------- In the news today British Gas has re-named their corporation 'Born Gassy'; it has been long awaited brands re-think, from it's gassy fat cats. The whole matter has brought a bad smell to the shareholders as they feel it would have terrible implications to the BG share-price.
All this is of course a joke; however, according to Ombudsmen ... ...minute.
For all initial complaints regarding BG write to: British Gas PO Box 3054 Eastbourne BN219FD
Thank you for your reading through Born Gassy, I hope it was of interest
Ciao Review dated - 31-03-09 Utility - BRITISH GAS Titled: Born Gassy ---------------------------- In the news today British Gas has re-named their corporation 'Born Gassy'; it has been long awaited brands re-think, from it's gassy fat cats. The whole matter has brought a bad smell to the shareholders as they feel it would have terrible implications to the BG share-price.
All this is of course a joke; however, according to Ombudsmen and Trading Standards, there is no other corporation with as many complaints; in fact it is has three times more than the next business below them. Yes, BG has got many customers across the UK and they do have a huge proportion of the market. So much so, there are 12 divisions across the UK have been placed to create this mass infrastructural giant. All collectively to monopolize the market and become gas giants. It has worked, and their marketing strategies have wiped the floor with all their competitors. BG is a machine that prints money. They now have centres all over the world that creates extreme complexities in product packages, all designed to put the consumer second on all accounts.
During the mid 1980's BG was a respectably sound business, before the free market was introduced by Thatcher and Reagan. BG was one of the birth-child of the market and never looked back. Over-inflated ego's stamped the corridors getting louder and louder, so loud they couldn't hear the complaints that soured there-after. After-sales consumer complaint courses were part of the BG patter; after-sales techniques became Gustapo camps; where-by a lot of hot-air was produced; it is a pity they didn't recycle it, or maybe not, as it would encourage many complaints; then again, that is what they do so well.
GAS ACT You could blame the government of 1948 for the Act, it was a Labour government manned by the new PM Clement Attlee. He unlike the present government supremo Brown; simplified visions and took 1062 privately owned gas companies were merged into twelve area Gas Boards with its own management structure. At that time The UK had ample amounts of fuel and therefore saw the Act as a visionary concept that stood the test of time even though the gas then was less refined than it is today, it was regarded as the source of fuel for the future, HAIL Clement Attlee; he wasn't just full of hot-air.
Each area of the UK was divided up like a game of risk, as the gas board became the nerve centre for fuel concerns and rewards for the UK public. The bigger the gas board the bigger the demand for gas, it was simple and believe it or not there are people who still use the term 'gas board'; any other term that is used would not be allowed to be published.
PRIVATISATION The opening of the free market enabled the fuel giant to float on the London stock exchange, and in 1986 they were privatized. The open market began as many individuals decided to buy shares within this stable institution everyone had been part of and more importantly knew the brand. BG had thought ahead and embarked on a campaign that became infinite for the immortal words '"If you see Sid, tell him" The ambiguity advert sparked a frenzy of activity amongst the couch potatoes and many versions of the campaign was invented. The fact no-one actually saw Sid or knew Sid was not the point. Ah perhaps I can recall a Sid, I think he was fishing on a boat, we didn't actually see him, it was just a silhouette. The alarm bells should of rang-out then; within its' ambiguity shifty campaign methodology that finished with a fishy ending; certainly spelt un-savory, and this is where the UK public became a second class citizen and got replaced with profit. The little fish became a man-eating shark, hungry for profit.
FREE BIG LOANS That's right, free big loans that would make you weep by being forced to go via Direct Debit; welcome to the DD mandate Born Gassy has induced on it's prey; resulting in most customers overpaying their bill by on average 100.00 GBP; in which Born Gassy are making whopping amounts of cash interest out of. When asked whether they give overpayment hand-backs the air turns frosty and Alcatraz looms as Born Gassy hides its ugly moth-eaten wallet from hard-hit pensioners alike, hissing like an old gas boiler sparking off a potential Armageddon. Many of the Direct Debit Mandates have been introduced as overpaid estimates and targeted to the impoverish; pressure tactics have threatened those who relish small comforts in a 'hot water bottle' with instant fuel cut-offs if mandates were declined by the elderly. Not only have Born Gassy been relentless over the years implementing huge cash injections of their own in wholesale fuel prices but they work as an Irish Robin Hood by reaping cash from the poor that insulates fat cat bonuses. Born Gassy, is one of the biggest loan sharks on UK mainland, so big the Trading Standards department appear redundant in bringing this fish in for gutting and public humiliation.
So are the free big loans going to continue into the next 6 months? - This is what Ofgen are looking at during this period that is supposedly regulating Born Gassy so that we are not getting stung further, if they could be bothered to get off the golf courses that is. - Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union made a comment about what could happen; hold on to your seats. - "British Gas put their prices up by 35 per cent and charged that all through the winter. They are now planning to bring prices down by just ten per cent. "This proves we need a regulator who can set prices on behalf of consumers."
- Back to Ofgen, 'get off the golf course and regulate energy price structures to a ball-mark wholesale market trend'.
The fact that seven million homes will have cheaper energy efficient billing during the warmer seasons is farcical. The governments cheap insulation package to make more homes more insulated is also a farcical, this last year. It is hardly a vote winner as over 96% of Born Gassy consumers want cheaper billing, and not hiked-up 35% bill increases, that defies all understanding during this current economic down-turn.
The Ombudsman reported complaint ratios are as follows Billing: 91% Transfers: 8% Sales: 1%
These stat sources were taken at the end of 2007 to the end of 2008 and are compiled by the energy watchdogs that collect all data resulting from cases from the energy company data sources, which potentially could mean that the 91% billing complaints could have an even bigger margin. What is also well documented is that when you initially make a complaint, the complaint is always concerning billing, but then transpires to being a sales complaint down the road. The stats mark this trend but I'm astounded that only 1% is classed as a sales complaint overall, this fact makes me feel the stats are not true to form. The statistics above underline major regulatory faults that have grown more evident across the spectrum.
This year BG have employed a more personalized home service for their customers whereby if you now over pay by a mandate, the home service will make 'faster' home visits if there is a 'gas leak', and now engineers are now more properly able to do more boiler regulation than before; whatever that means. Yet this isn't where the problems lie, it is simply the billing that needs to be addressed. Gas is gas, it isn't a wonder fuel that can is any different than 20 years ago. Born Gassy deals with gas. The packages they offer are 'gas'; and it doesn't matter how the marketing guru's dress up Born Gassy, it is exactly the same product. What is required is a mandatory transparency for all billing and wholesale price structures; instead of a load of nasty smelling gas.
BG's merger with Centrica allows a dual energy to all homes; which in return smells out yet another horrible smell that these overpaid free loans appear to happen twice for Gas and electricity, so along with the DD mandate billing every month for gas; your doing exactly the same for electricity billing. I hasten to add that even when the home-user has a dual billing for one energy company fuel choice; you can bet that a meter reading man will only come around to measure one set of units at a time. It is a remarkable waste of man-power from all of the energy giants, as everyone seems to adopt the same
Is ten per cent enough and should it be limited to gas alone? These are legitimate questions, as it is good to start with gas but there are millions of dual fuel and electricity only customers that will not see a penny off their bill.
Martyn Hocking chief editor of Which Money stated - "It seems incredible that energy companies can take hundreds of pounds more than they need to from their customers, and profit from the interest that this money will earn at our expense,"
This leaves a nasty smell that echoes around my nostrils when dealing with the 'ground-hog day' scenario which just puts many twenty pound notes in the gas tanker. Born Gassy isn't the only one of course, but they sure lead the flock when it comes to department regulation and pricing. The area I'm look at now is whether the newly reported potentially close to bankrupt Ukraine will hike up prices yet again. Please note that the UK only buys 2% of its gas supplies from the Ukraine overall. Born Gassy, always blames price hiking on wholesale international markets, so if the situation in Ukraine worsens due to the global financial crunch; there should be no reason for price hiking. What I have found is Born Gassy has a reputation in creating gas screens so thick it leaves you sputtering. The 'Free Big Loan' policy they have purposefully implemented; is a travesty. Born Gassy is leaving a nasty toxic smell and it is getting worse by the minute.
For all initial complaints regarding BG write to: British Gas PO Box 3054 Eastbourne BN219FD
Thank you for your reading through Born Gassy, I hope it was of interest
Advantages: None that I can think of...oh..they have the word "British" in their name Disadvantages: Customer Service (lack of), Prices, Attitude...oh everything really
...in the phone book for British Gas - not some local 'cowboy' Oh how naive of me...
Please note. I was talking in the past tense. Anyway, that was then, and this is now.
The truth, unfortunately, is completely different.
**** So who are British Gas? ****
To aid in our understanding we need a quick history trip and a summary of the information available from their website. If you don't give a flying toss about the history, then skip this section ... ...still use when referring to British Gas.
In 1966 the decision was taken to convert Britain to natural gas. During a ten-year national conversion programme every appliance in the country was converted from town gas to run on natural gas. Visits were made to 13 millions homes and factories and 34 million individual appliances were converted.
The 1972 Gas Act paved the way for greater centralisation with the creation of the British Gas Corporation. ...
eldergill 18.11.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of British Gas
Advantages: NONE!!! Disadvantages: Everything, especially their call centre and customer service staff.
...being one of the biggest British companies, I have found British Gas (hereafter called BG) to be the most despicable companies I have ever had dealings with. I no longer use them and after direct dealings with BG I insist my meters are all card meters to prevent getting unwanted bills. Here is why.
Last year my wife, our three kids and me moved into a small three bed roomed upper floor flat. On the day we moved on a salesman from BG called and I ... ...In Conclusion
Due to British Gas and their lack of any communications between us and between their own staff our family (including a new baby) was cut off for standing up for our rights not to pay someone else’s gas bill of £2225+ after living in a flat for only a few months.
BG never cleared up whom the bill was for but because we refused to pay someone else’s bill we were held responsible. Because we were the only people chasing after them to ...
colin.lawson 04.10.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of British Gas
Advantages: None Disadvantages: Poor Customer Service
...It was a letter from British Gas..........
Here the nightmare begins........
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My Situation
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I have been with British Gas for just over a year now and I pay my bill monthly by direct debit, I pay £34 a month as that is what they estimated my electricity would cost me.
So back to the letter, It was a letter stating I am £534 in debit and I need to pay this amount immediately.
Now I have never missed a payment ... ...well below the 16-20 Units British Gas tell me is the average. As you can imagine, I was totally shocked to receive this bill and was straight onto the phone to see what was going on and the following is what has happend since:
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The Long Wait
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British Gas has the worst telephone customer service I have ever come across, If you ever have to deal with them, You can expect long holding times. My longest time ...
Foxy1982 16.05.2007 (09.06.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of British Gas
Advantages: No gas bills Disadvantages: But what do I owe?
This is to warning all British Gas customers concerning the misfortunes which may befall them should they be so unfortunate as to have their meter changed, especially if this happens, as it did to me , without their knowledge! If you can’t be bothered to read the full version of events – skip to the abridgement in the final paragraph!
Firstly, I should explain that I live in a basement flat and my gas meter, together with meters for the other five ... ...and that he would inform British Gas. In October 2006, I opened the door to another meter reader and had a case of “deja vu” when he repeated the same tale. This time I decided to ring and inform British Gas myself. After the usual frustrations of pressing correct numbers on my telephone key pad to find a destination and then finding out I was in a queue “because of the volume of demand”, I managed to speak to a very polite but tuneless voice and ...
suesie 02.06.2007 (02.08.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of British Gas
Advantages: Large company, synergy, many products offered. Disadvantages: Price hikes, deparments don't talk to each other
...50% since January 2008, with British Gas agents profusely blaming rise in oil prices for rises in both Gas and Electricity. Fair point? By July oil was at a record $147 a barrel at its peak. Since then oil has collapsed to a 2 year low of $52 a barrel and still falling, I spoke to British Gas about this -- they say that gas is already in the system paid for at the old prices! On Radio 4's Today program, they continued along this line when pressed ... ...now five months on, and British Gas are giving away gas since they have no storage capacity, but the consumer has to pay, Moreover, all sectors of the economy which are linked to oil have seen their prices fall eg food, petrol - but not a single penny of Gas or Electric.
Yet their direct debit schemes, after YEARLY assessments more than double your monthly payments without any regard for anyone's ability to pay. In my view, this is a profiteering ...
makro74 31.07.2008 (28.11.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of British Gas
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