Bord Gais MPRN mess

bluefirefly

My story is quite complicated and long..But i need a way to tell people how unhappy i am!!!!!

First of all. I was always with Electric Ireland for electricity ,Bord Gais for gas.No problem for years!

One day in JULY 2015. Bord Gais called me. Telling me there's this amazing deal and all i need to do is say yes and they'll do all the hard work. So without thinking i was YES.

OCTOBER - Received an electricity bill from Bord Gais. Thats fine.
At this stage I am actually trying to do up the place to rent it out.

About a week later, I also got a bill from Electric Ireland!Billing for same period. Called Bord Gais up , and noticed one big thing....the two bills were both issued to me and the same address....but with TWO DIFFERENT MPRN numbers.....

A couple days later, a senior advisor called and asked me when I sign up to the deal did the sales person confirm my MPRN. I told her NO.And she said she'll rectify that situation for me and lodge a complaint.

At the end I ended Electric Ireland and signed up with Bord Gais. I got a bill around November and the MPRN was correct. So thats the end of that I THOUGHT!

DECEMBER - Tenants moved in, management company emailed me that they have signed the tenants up with Electric Ireland

JANUAURY 16 - Management company forwarded me copied of the final bills from Bord Gais for both electricity and gas. Got my refund. Happy Days!

MARCH 16 -- Nightmare begins around bank holiday weekend when i checked my online banking and saw Bord Gais had taken two payments out from my account. Total amount was 628.15euro! I was super shocked!

When the bank opened up on Tuesday I immediately ask for a SEPA refund as i know it'll take Bord Gais ages to give my money back!
However now 7-April , i only got back one transaction, 364.81 is still due back!

29th March 16 - Called Bord Gais. They said the MPRN is still under their system under my name...but under a different account number...in which this account is active since JULY 2015.
I gave the account number of the last bill i had , they checked it but somehow my address has disappeared from that account.But they verify THAT account has been closed but existed from October2015

PROBLEM -One account number can have many MPRNs under it,but an MPRN can only be under ONE account from ONE supplier. So i asked how can that be? And if you looked at the time line. Bord Gais NEVER had my correct MPRN back in JULY!!? I only told them in OCTOBER

also the incorrect MPRN they've given me apparently has the same first line of address as my property but is in Dublin...mine is in Carlow....till this day 7-April 2016. ESB has confirmed it is under my name still.But this is a side note as i'm not being charged anything however still fighting Bord Gais to take my info off.

Called management company about this issue. They assure me they had done their job. And given me dates of the change.

30th March 16- Called ESB under BG's request as they claim they NEVER got a change of supplier from anyone.So they want me to find out who is the supplier for that MPRN now.
ESB said the account is not under my name so cannot disclose any information. But she told me in December there was a change of supplier and that is when it was no longer my name!
Called BG, CS dropped notes and will escalate complaint...Meanwhile management company got the bills off tenants from Bord Gais..The billing period is from 09 September 2015 -10 March 2016

PROBLEM -I ended my contract with Electric ireland on 14th October, I was billed correctly by BG from there till Dec under a different account. As my problem stated before. MPRN can't be billed the same period TWICE by two different companied..nor by the same company like BG!

But eitherway. I just had to wait till they get back to me. thats fine.

6th April - A letter showed up in my workplace. ESB has my name back on the MPRN! I called ESB, apparently BG has put in a name change request on the 30th March.....I called them to complain on the 29th March...a little coincident?
I told ESB CS that it's funny because on the 30th March I rang them and the account was NOT under my name. I asked her was the previous name the name that was on from Dec 15 ans she confirmed yes.
So from Dec 2015 it was under my tenants name , which checks out with my story . However I believe BG has messed it up by doing this name change!!

I called Electric Ireland to see if the MPRN was active in their system. They confirmed that I ended my contract with them in October. But then someone else had signed on the MPRN from Dec - Feb .
I have now asked my management company to get on contact with the tenants to see who they're with now.

Anybody knows whats the consequences of this? like when ESB have my name under that MPRN but my tenants presuming with a different supplier under that MPRN as well? actually maybe there wont be any effect as I'm clearly under a different MPRN in Dublin since July 2015!

So yeah guys, thats my complaint! Hopefully will get my other money back soon , got a big credit card bill coming up soon:(:(

Really mess up stuff with Bord Gais.

racso1975

Yeah seems to be some mad stuff going on. I got an email from them this morning at 4am stating my online bill was ready. Got really pissed as had not got phone on silent and am such a bad sleeper. Sent them a snotty email then at around 11 to ask why they would send such a notification at such a stupid o'clock time.

Then at lunchtime it finally clicked with me.........I'm not even a feckin board Gais customer anymore:mad: while also feeling

Owryan

racso1975 wrote: »

Yeah seems to be some mad stuff going on. I got an email from them this morning at 4am stating my online bill was ready. Got really pissed as had not got phone on silent and am such a bad sleeper. Sent them a snotty email then at around 11 to ask why they would send such a notification at such a stupid o'clock time.

They always seem to send their bill alert emails at a crazy am hour.

Clauric

At this stage, I would do three things.

1) Write a letter to BG, titled FORMAL COMPLAINT. Explain the situation, telling them what you want rectified and how. Give them 10 working days to resolve the matter. Don't deal on the phone with them any more.

2) Contact the Commission for Energy Regulation. Explain the situation, and ask them to speak with BG, and help them resolve the issue.

3) Make a formal complaint to the Data Protection Commissioner. Explain the situation, and that BG are constantly changing personal data on accounts. Ask them to conduct an investigation into the matter.

BG, if they are smart, will rectify the problem quickly, especially with the two regulatory bodies looking at them.

In the mean time, you probably need to make sure you have all your dates and actions sorted out, and recorded. Also, don't speak with BG again on the phone. Only in writing.

bluefirefly

Thankyou very much for reading my long problem!

On 7th April my agent informed me that my tenants actually signed up with Bord Gais in February!!!

This mess is just rolling bigger and bigger!

By letter do you mean email or actually letters by post?

I have all my dates down and thank god for the agent for keeping bills and letters digitally for me as well!

But my money is still not back in my account yet.which is really annoying.
I went to SEPA site and my case would be authorised direct debit. As i never officially cancelled my dd with the bank. The site said it should be same day refund. But im waiting for almost 2 weeks now..
But the other refund happened withing 3 days!

Should i complain to someone too? I'm afriad BG is withholding my money and not agreeing to this refund. But i thought the reason for SEPA is the company just had to do it?

bluefirefly

So 11th April .

Contacted CER. They said until I got a solution from Bord Gais they cannot do anything. They sent me a copy of the complaint form...
Contacted Data Protections Commissions. HE told me to write to BG about removing my name from incorrect MPRN and give them 3 weeks time to do so. If they don't then come back to them...Told them BG changing account name on the correct MPRN...nothing they can do..

so....at the mean time. I'm writing up a detailed email to bord gais is lodge a written complaint. trying to get all the documents together.
I was missing the first correct BG bill, so have emailed BG to send me copy. I email ESB, and will email Electric Ireland to proof there is a change of supplier.

Thx guys. Wish me luck !

seagull

You're probably better printing out your complaint and sending it by registered mail, rather than sending it all in an email. Or do both. At this stage, you want to establish a proper paper trail so you can escalate if needs be.