"Desperate British Gas customers want to know where there money is"

[dutchman]

Some customers unable to top up prepay meters until they get December grant



British Gas customers have been hit by delays in receiving the emergency £67-a-month energy grants promised by the Government — just as temperatures have plummeted.

Those calling the supplier’s helplines to chase the vital payments on Monday were being warned of waiting times of up to 20 hours to speak to someone.

British Gas insists this was an error and wait times were lower. But yesterday people were still waiting up to an hour-and-a-half to get through.

Some customers say they are unable to top up prepayment energy meters as they are yet to receive December’s £67 grant — leaving them struggling to stay warm.

In other cases, customers say they are also waiting for the £66 cash injections from October and November (monthly payments are £67 from December). British Gas insists it has made these payments.

Baroness Ros Altmann, a former pensions minister, says: ‘For older households, the consequences of being left with no money to top up their meters can be life-threatening.

‘And leaving customers waiting on the phone is outrageous. I’m worried people will literally freeze to death.’

Ed Miliband, shadow climate secretary, says: ‘It is shameful that customers are being left to wait for hours by energy companies and not getting the help to which they are entitled. Energy companies have a responsibility to deliver for their customers, and if they are failing in this then the regulator and the Government must step in.’

A Money Mail investigation found that customer service at British Gas has gone into meltdown as it tries to process the vital winter payouts to households.

The £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme payments are supposed to be split into six monthly instalments, starting in October and ending in March.

Customers using direct debits should have the payments applied to their accounts automatically. But those with traditional pay-as-you-go prepayment meters receive them as vouchers through the post from their energy supplier.

British Gas insists all of its October and November grants have been distributed. But it could not confirm all December payments had been made as of last night. Other energy suppliers — including Octopus and E.On — claim they had sent out all December payments.

According to a Money Saving Expert survey last week, more than 31 pc of British Gas customers with prepayment meters had yet to receive October or November’s grant. Dozens have complained to Money Mail about the delays or taken to social media.

One said she had just a single day’s worth of energy left on her account — and had still not received December’s credit.

The 37-year-old, who is on a prepayment meter and lives with her disabled partner, says: ‘I really don’t know what we’re going to do after that. I’m going to have to go to a pawn shop I think.

‘They’re completely ignoring me. I’ve tweeted them, I’ve been on Facebook, I’ve been on their web chat which doesn’t work, and there’s a 14-hour wait just to call them. It’s like getting blood out of a stone.’

[rebbonk]

This whole thing is an expensive farce. The UK energy market doesn't work, it never has. Thatcher was wrong!

Our imbecilic government ministers have tackled this totally the wrong way by putting money directly in the hands of companies with flawed and failing business plans, rather than tackling the root cause. Hint: the problem is nothing to do with Ukraine or Putin!