Are Bord Gais forcing people onto pay meters?

melekalikimaka

wolfpawnat wrote: »

No, I was just explaining that there are cases where the client is not completely at fault. Simple as In my case the genius that arranged the meter site and the management company for not maintaining it correctly are to blame, not the residents or indeed the energy companies. I don't like difficult things unless they are sudoku's and crosswords btw, ut thanks for the inaccurate assumption

the responsibility is on the user to provide curate reads, if you do not you will be estimated, the management company are not to blame because your meter is hard to access, you are to blame because you feel the extra effort isnt justified, yet you will then moan about estimated bills?

foggy_lad

Edwin Obnoxious Duet wrote: »

You just don't seem to grasp that you are constantly looking for excuses and something to complain about. Your paper bill only arrived 3 days before due! 11 days in the post! Now you have an Post to complain about. My bills arrive the day after the issue date. Nobody is forcing pre-pay on any person other than the habitual bad debtors. Face it, if a customer never pays on time then the company owes it to all the rest of us to reduce costs and get money in on time.

I moved from Bord Gais because of their constantly late bills which left no time to ensure money was in the account for the Direct Debit! They are obliged to give notice for Direct debits and they are failing to do this!

wolfpawnat

melekalikimaka wrote: »

the responsibility is on the user to provide curate reads, if you do not you will be estimated, the management company are not to blame because your meter is hard to access, you are to blame because you feel the extra effort isnt justified, yet you will then moan about estimated bills?

The door to the meter is blocked by the thorn bushes the management company is PAID by the residents to maintain, so on that accord, yes they are to blame. The access is insanely placed, but not inaccessible, no.

Also, they are supposed to send me a text and email (I'd settle for one) as to when to submit readings, when they don't do this, how can anyone have it done on time? Are we supposed to guess when they want it for. Even if they sent me one email stating that I had to submit a reading every second month on X date then grand, I could make note and the onus would be on me then, but they don't. Sounds to me like people are just being argumentative for the sake of it, enjoy the weather lads and ladies

TheDriver

wolfpawnat wrote: »

The door to the meter is blocked by the thorn bushes the management company is PAID by the residents to maintain, so on that accord, yes they are to blame. The access is insanely placed, but not inaccessible, no.

Also, they are supposed to send me a text and email (I'd settle for one) as to when to submit readings, when they don't do this, how can anyone have it done on time? Are we supposed to guess when they want it for. Even if they sent me one email stating that I had to submit a reading every second month on X date then grand, I could make note and the onus would be on me then, but they don't. Sounds to me like people are just being argumentative for the sake of it, enjoy the weather lads and ladies

Just get a clippers and cut back the access to the meter, common sense?
Also take a reading each month and submit via the automated service so that they can estimate accurately if needs be. Company could be better but at same time, each customer needs to take responsibility too. Change to airtricity and you will know about bad customer service.........

wolfpawnat

I am with Airtricity hence the 4 phonecalls for one small screw up

I just came on to tell the OP that it is not just bord gais and it is not just in debt customers they are nigh on throwing it on. Which as I said is odd as they are doing themselves out of jobs.

The companies have to take their heads out of their asses and provide good services, they are paid well enough for them. And people need to realise that these bills have to be paid and they too have a responsibilty.

lala88

wolfpawnat wrote: »

The door to the meter is blocked by the thorn bushes the management company is PAID by the residents to maintain, so on that accord, yes they are to blame. The access is insanely placed, but not inaccessible, no.

Also, they are supposed to send me a text and email (I'd settle for one) as to when to submit readings, when they don't do this, how can anyone have it done on time? Are we supposed to guess when they want it for. Even if they sent me one email stating that I had to submit a reading every second month on X date then grand, I could make note and the onus would be on me then, but they don't. Sounds to me like people are just being argumentative for the sake of it, enjoy the weather lads and ladies

You have to sign up to be sent out a reminder to submit a reading they dont just send them out.

wolfpawnat

I know. I signed up. That's why there was annoyance on my behalf when a estimated bill came and I had a problem with them. I always got both a text and an email and it gave 3 days notice to give a reading so you had no excuse, but this particular time I got neither. As I stated, I am not unreasonable, I just want competent service for my money. Surely we all want that?

lala88

wolfpawnat wrote: »

I know. I signed up. That's why there was annoyance on my behalf when a estimated bill came and I had a problem with them. I always got both a text and an email and it gave 3 days notice to give a reading so you had no excuse, but this particular time I got neither. As I stated, I am not unreasonable, I just want competent service for my money. Surely we all want that?

If thats the case you should have told them you had stopped getting them, surely you would have noticed they had stopped?

wolfpawnat

lala88 wrote: »

If thats the case you should have told them you had stopped getting them, surely you would have noticed they had stopped?

I noticed them only after the one bill which was estimated and I told them, they claimed ignorance so I gave them the correct readings, which took them 4 calls to sort, but finally they sorted them. Done and dusted.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

wolfpawnat wrote: »

I noticed them only after the one bill which was estimated and I told them, they claimed ignorance so I gave them the correct readings, which took them 4 calls to sort, but finally they sorted them. Done and dusted.

So you could get readings!

lala88

wolfpawnat wrote: »

I noticed them only after the one bill which was estimated and I told them, they claimed ignorance so I gave them the correct readings, which took them 4 calls to sort, but finally they sorted them. Done and dusted.

In another post you said you couldn't take a reading?

Femme_Fatale

If "they get the money anyway so it shouldn't matter if it's paid just before the next bill" had any merit to it, why have a bill due date at all? There is a due date, which customers agree to when signing up. They can contact the supplier to change the due date to later if finances are tight, but if they're just going to choose their own date to have it paid without telling the supplier, they can't complain if the supplier contacts them to tell them the bill is overdue. How is the supplier supposed to know when/if they'll have it paid unless they are advised beforehand?

As Srameen said, you don't have to wait until you get the bill to start paying it. Once a customer clears their bill by its due date, for instance, 15th January, they have until early March to pay bits and pieces into their account before the next bill arrives; then another two weeks to clear it in full. And if that's not enough time (and in fairness, it is still a good chunk of time) contact your supplier. Simples!

Submit a meter reading as soon as you get an estimated bill. I can't access my meter either - I have to contact the management company, which gets someone to take the reading, then it's emailed to me. It's a bit of a nuisance tbh, but the management company doesn't want any resident having free reign of the meter shed thanks to some gobshyte trying to tamper with a meter before.

wolfpawnat

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

If "they get the money anyway so it shouldn't matter if it's paid just before the next bill" had any merit to it, why have a bill due date at all? There is a due date, which customers agree to when signing up. They can contact the supplier to change the due date to later if finances are tight, but if they're just going to choose their own date to have it paid without telling the supplier, they can't complain if the supplier contacts them to tell them the bill is overdue. How is the supplier supposed to know when/if they'll have it paid unless they are advised beforehand?

As Srameen said, you don't have to wait until you get the bill to start paying it. Once a customer clears their bill by its due date, for instance, 15th January, they have until early March to pay bits and pieces into their account before the next bill arrives; then another two weeks to clear it in full. And if that's not enough time (and in fairness, it is still a good chunk of time) contact your supplier. Simples!

Submit a meter reading as soon as you get an estimated bill. I can't access my meter either - I have to contact the management company, which gets someone to take the reading, then it's emailed to me. It's a bit of a nuisance tbh, but the management company doesn't want any resident having free reign of the meter shed thanks to some gobshyte trying to tamper with a meter before.

I think that is why they don't want anyone at ours either. Well the gas one anyway, the electricity one is fine. That is easily accessed.

I should clarify for others, I have taken accurate electricity readings, and I have not been able to take gas ones since April, but they are charging me a little for gas and since I have not been using it, it means when I finally do get the ability to go back to my meter, it will have estimated more than I used, so money off the next gas reading so it's like paying in advance. It was a ridiculous electricity estimate that annoyed me, but was clarified.

As for the bill thing, as I said, I don't see a problem as long as the bill is cleared BEFORE the next bill is out. These days people are juggling finances, so it can be hard to get everything paid by the due date. This does not refer to me as I pay the vast majority of my bill before it is even issued.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

wolfpawnat wrote: »

As for the bill thing, as I said, I don't see a problem as long as the bill is cleared BEFORE the next bill is out..

Please read some of the earlier replies. Paying just before the next bill leaves a portion of the bill with 4 months credit. You already have had considerable credit when the bill issues. Delayed payment of utility bills is thought to add up to 3% to the cost of energy. Cash flow is vital to businesses. Imagine telling Tesco you'll pay for your groceries just before you come in for next weeks shopping!