British Gas - The Attitude

British Gas - The Disaster
British Gas - The Hiding
British Gas - The Owner (Centrica)
British Gas - The Round Up

British Gas deals as a supplier of gas and electricity. It is part of Centrica, plc and British Gas displays typical 'bully-boy' tactics. It is an amazingly amateurish approach to business and demonstrates genuine obnoxiousness, where it would rather portray the approach of a caring and responsible concern. In reality it appears to be simply corporate hard-nosed arrogance just out to make profit. The details of this particular issue are not relevant here (this is for the law courts) just the overview, but the assertions are made from documented and verifiable fact. This all dates back to mid-June. The issues should be considered for people of all ages (especially the vulnerable, the very old and, at the other end of life, the inexperienced young).

Centrica plc
Registered Office:
Millstream Maidenhead Road
WINDSOR
Berkshire
SL4 5GD

A recorded delivery letter (DV 1621 4112 5GB) is known to have arrived the day after posting (17.06.08) at the General Correspondence Address in EASTBOURNE office (published on the British Gas website).

BRITISH GAS PO BOX 3055 EASTBOURNE BN21 9FE

This letter has simply been ignored with not even the courtesy of an acknowledgment. The complaints address is also explicitly published:

BRITISH GAS PO BOX 3054 EASTBOURNE BN21 9FD

A name Chris Jansen purports to describe the Managing Director, Online as the signatory of issues when an online transaction applies and this is either the demands for (disputed and challenged) payments or confirmation of any forwarded payment. This name must be regarded as an alleged officer of the company since no explicit address is given, but only inferred by the Centrica plc address at the bottom of a page (issued by email). The next letter will be directed to the complaints address and was sent 03.07.08 and was delivered to the Eastbourne address 04.07.08 (DV 1621 5728 9GB):

Chris Jansen
Managing Director, Online
BRITISH GAS PO BOX 3054
EASTBOURNE BN21 9FD 

• Apart from the supply of energy sources, the collection of money seems to be the sole interest of this business and any challenge that may harm this cosy arrangement is ignored. Notably, the complaints link is directed to the contact us by email and not a separate complaints page as implied and as a result it is my prediction that this will not be delivered to the addressee.

The length of time to fail in any response whatsoever:

An excess of 1-month:
04.07.08 -> 06.08.08

clearly demonstrates totally ignoring the issue. No other interpretation can be considered. The incredible arrogant hypocrisy of 'British' Gas in this abject failure to respond, when Centrica, plc itself feels it can threaten with such an obnoxious attitude, defies further comment. The dispute arises in a block of four apartments. Previous bills cover the period of the last 9-months since occupation. The British Gas status has been one of estimated readings until the last one where it has become read status. It is entirely possible that the previous readings have been underestimated, although usage is minimal, and the alleged reading is the true reading adjusting for the 9 month of underestimation.

The sequence of meter readings did not alert to any problem, but the last reading, just 2 months after the immediately previous one is (seemingly) extortionate. The demands rise from £75 (November 2007) to £180 (March 2008) and 2 months after that to £700 (May 2008).

Closer investigation revealed that the meter readings on the previous demands for payment do not appear to refer to the electricity meter at all. (Gas payment is a separate pre-paid card system). British Gas remains intransigent and non-communicative. A challenge is very reasonable. Contact was made by telephone (incidentally an account name correction that cannot be done online was made and provides evidence of contact), yet the promised return call, after an alleged consultation with a supervisor never materialised.

Ignored. Again.

Just not interested in anything except the collection of payment whether justified or not. The arrogance comes from the continued demands for money, but now with the attachment of explicit threats of cutting off the supply within 10 days. Notably, that the account holder and registered online name are different (with permission of the account holder to view accounts) has not been queried. A partial payment of £250, possibly in excess of the true amount, has been made and demonstrates that payment has not been refused or ignored, but simply challenged. This is a direct response to meet the explicit threats head-on, while Centrica may bother to answer this fair and reasonable challenge. The meter reading needs to be witnessed so that the term alleged can be changed to verified. British Gas has an email address, home address and telephone number so that arrangement can be made for the reading to be made. So far the arrogant stance is:

Do nothing except demand payment

British Gas has its registered office in WINDSOR (an affluent suburban town):

Millstream Maidenhead Road WINDSOR Berkshire SL4 5GD

An updated (online) meter reading has been totally ignored, even though acknowledgment of the reading has been explicitly confirmed (15.06.08). The second recorded letter has been ignored and several attempted contacts by email through the website so far have only been electronically acknowledged, but not explicitly by a 'human'. Consequently, it is fair and reasonable to describe British Gas as a hard-nosed 'business' with absolutely no interest other than making a profit through the exaction of money from 'customers' using coercion.

Definition of extortion

MP (Roger Gale) for this constituency has been alerted (05.07.08) to the issue. This represents the communication of information.

Something about which British Gas remains


totally ignorant