Bord Gáis - deposit

hobochris

Hey all,

a quick question about setting up an account with Bord Gais. I moved in to an apartment (renting) in Feb and set up an account with Bord Gais then. They told me there would be a connection fee to unlock the account (which was fine). I have since paid 2 bills (the first included the connection fee) and just recently got a letter from them saying that I now have to pay a security deposit (400 euro or 200 if you have direct debit set up with them - which you get back after 18 bills - i.e. a 3 year contract).

I got on to them and asked if I move to another apartment then does the security deposit transfer with me. They said that if I move before the 18 bills are paid then I have to pay another deposit.

Has anyone else had this happen to them? And did you pay the initial deposit or try to get the landlord to pay it (even though the deposit is in the account holders name)?

It seems like robbery to me...

pan

Well, I signed up 18months ago (1.5 yrs) and paid €300 at the time..
I don't like Direct Debts :mad:

Just got the €300 credited to my account, so all ok on that front.
I guess they are trying to force people onto DD

confuzed

pan wrote: »

Well, I signed up 18months ago (1.5 yrs) and paid €300 at the time..
I don't like Direct Debts :mad:

Just got the €300 credited to my account, so all ok on that front.
I guess they are trying to force people onto DD

Well direct debit isn't that bad. I have all my bills direct debited to my account. Bord Gais, Electricity, NTL. You don't have to worry paying bills.
They do so because they don't want hit and run by customers specially tenants.

Ste.phen

hobochris wrote: »

I got on to them and asked if I move to another apartment then does the security deposit transfer with me. They said that if I move before the 18 bills are paid then I have to pay another deposit.

Yes, but you'd get your first deposit back when you close the account

astrofool

You should also be able to move house and transfer the account with you to the new meter, and not have to start the 18 bill sequence again (presuming the new place has gas).

It is a ridiculously high price for a deposit however (just paid it myself after moving).

baldbear

I'm renting and the persons name that is on the bill is moving so now we will have to have to pay €400 or €200 for a direct debit. This is a right pain in the hole explaining it to new house mates plus a lot of hassle.
Is there any way of getting out of it? like getting landlords name on the bill as a guarantor or something like that?:(

ast

It’s a bit of a pain but I don’t think that you have much of an option …

But I do wonder would they actually cut you off if you didn’t pay it? I’m guessing no; anybody care to find out?

good_sir_knight

tried to avoid paying it myself for a few months because i felt hard done by paying the fee for unlocking and all but did keep up to date with the actual charges. then got a letter last week saying if i didnt pay it in full within the month id be disconnected and possibly murdered. so i decided to pay half of the €400. i called bord gais and told them i cannot afford to cough up €400 for a deposit and the rep told me that i could have a chat with credit control and agree a fee of €200.

andrewh5

They tried this one on with me when I moved in June. I had been paying by DD and had not paid a deposit before. I told them that demanding a deposit from me would place them in direct breach of the contract I held with them as there had been no problems with any of my payments. I then told them I would report them to the financial regulator. They very rapidly backed down.

Terrlock

If you sign up with bord gais and then imediately switch to another provider like flogas will bord gais then give you back your security deposit?


I find 200 euro deposit a bit much.

jimogr

Terrlock wrote: »

If you sign up with bord gais and then imediately switch to another provider like flogas will bord gais then give you back your security deposit?


I find 200 euro deposit a bit much.

Did you find an answer to this?

Max Power1

Terrlock wrote: »

If you sign up with bord gais and then imediately switch to another provider like flogas will bord gais then give you back your security deposit?


I find 200 euro deposit a bit much.

They will. But why would you pay a deposit to BGE if you dont intend staying lonmg enough for a bill to be issued. Indeed why would you sign up with BGE at all if you intend to move elsewhere?

jimogr

In any case flogas need a larger deposit of €250

Max Power1

jimogr wrote: »

In any case flogas need a larger deposit of €250

not if you own/"own" the house though...

Victor

Terrlock wrote: »

I find 200 euro deposit a bit much.

I'm sure Bord Gáis find unpaid bills a bit much.

Martty81

I've just rang Bord Gais to transfer a bill from Flogas to Bord Gais where I already have an electricity account. I've had the electricity account for almost two years and am paying by DD. I've had no issues with this whatsoever and every bill has been paid without issue. Now they are telling me that to set up a gas account is a different account altogether and they want a €200 deposit to continue by DD arrangement. They won't even put the two bills together and will be sending me two separate bills bimonthly, one for gas and one for electricity.

The only way I can get the deposit of €200 waivered is if I get a guarantor to go on the account with me and this guarantor will have to stay on my account until I close it. I get the €200 deposit back after 7 bills, i.e 14 months. Isn't this ridiculous?

Is there anything I can do to not have to pay this amount or get a guarantor? Should I ask to speak to a manager or am I just banging my head off a brick wall?

I'm furious about this as I don't have any credit issues of any sort. I would agree to a credit check if they asked. In there recessionary times, there has to be a way around this!

Paddythenut

Martty81 wrote: »

I've just rang Bord Gais to transfer a bill from Flogas to Bord Gais where I already have an electricity account. I've had the electricity account for almost two years and am paying by DD. I've had no issues with this whatsoever and every bill has been paid without issue. Now they are telling me that to set up a gas account is a different account altogether and they want a €200 deposit to continue by DD arrangement. They won't even put the two bills together and will be sending me two separate bills bimonthly, one for gas and one for electricity.

The only way I can get the deposit of €200 waivered is if I get a guarantor to go on the account with me and this guarantor will have to stay on my account until I close it. I get the €200 deposit back after 7 bills, i.e 14 months. Isn't this ridiculous?

Is there anything I can do to not have to pay this amount or get a guarantor? Should I ask to speak to a manager or am I just banging my head off a brick wall?

I'm furious about this as I don't have any credit issues of any sort. I would agree to a credit check if they asked. In there recessionary times, there has to be a way around this!

I moved into my apartment 3 years ago and I set every bill up as DD but I flat out refused to pay any deposit so I pay bord Gais when I get a bill and every two months they send me a letter looking for a deposit but they haven't cut me off(perhaps i shouldnt tempt faith) so I wouldn't take it seriously.

Hailhail1967

Holy thread revival Batman.

Wondering if anyone got away with the deposit?

Just moving house and with all the bills it makes me sick to think of paying a deposit.

Lawrence1895

I had an account with Bord Gais between January 2010 and June 2011, paid 200 quid deposit. I moved to a different place with no gas in it, lived there until June this year. The new house has gas.

The funny thing is, I had an online account with BG, which was still active, even if I didn't pay any bills between June 2011 and June 2012, and I got the deposit back when in moved into the house without gas supply.

Until now, the just sent out the first bill for the new house, without asking for a new deposit. Maybe they just remembered me fondly

Grolschevik

Paddythenut wrote: »

I moved into my apartment 3 years ago and I set every bill up as DD but I flat out refused to pay any deposit so I pay bord Gais when I get a bill and every two months they send me a letter looking for a deposit but they haven't cut me off(perhaps i shouldnt tempt faith) so I wouldn't take it seriously.

I did that. If they do to you what they did to me, it'll turn out that they've used your payments to pay the deposit, and you're now technically in arrears for your gas supply bill.

I ended yup having to pay off arrears of 400 because of this. But I got my deposit back.