Will anything be done about this?

Any ramifications?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64491243

 

What would you like to be done ?

 

Following the rules of ‘ vulnerable customers ‘ would be a start.
The govt, British Gas and the sub-contractors all know this thing can and does happen. They’ve just continued as normal throughout this current ‘economic crisis, no doubt being led by targets. Reality is they only care about being ‘ caught’

 

Free energy for a year for all the victims of this.
More likely outcome is that the owners of the debt agency who carry out this work will receive a new year's honour of some kind in recognition of the Stirling work they've carried out.
Ah but Corbyn

 

Scum.

 

British gas heavily fined & compensation to their customers who have been treated treated disgustingly. That ok for starters?

 

Few years ago ,got over 400 pounds behind on electric,they made us have one,was horrendous ,we had to pay top price for electric and couldn’t keep up with getting the card ,loads of time we used the 3 pound emergency button then just ran out of electric

 

Criminal convictions for any employee breaking and entering. Huge fines for both companies involved

 

Just for starters, followed by renationalisation and shortly after that by complete eradication when all UK homes have been properly insulated and gas heating systems replaced by electric heating with power from renewables.
Quite a big ask I know but it has to happen if we want an inhabitable planet.

 

It seems to me that any company involved should be immediately closed down and all directors banned from ever owning, or part owning companies ever again.

 

Absolute frickin tossers. Nasty evil bastar.ds.
'Youre vulnerable are ya..? We'll just break into your home then and compound your problems'.
Twa.ts

 

I disagree about the fine. EVERYTHING the companies own should be seized.

 

Renationaise?

Agreed, but don't tell Syd.

 

Outsourcing takes the pressure off the gas suppliers. The chairman unaware that Centrica were carrying out such tactics. Well what a surprise. "You feckin well should have" Only stopping the practice once an undercover operation revealed what is going on. And these feckers get paid astronomical amounts yet claim ignorance. Ffs.

 

I'm imagining this government will probably hand out extra tax breaks to British Gas.

That'll teach 'em.

 

Shows my naivety. I always thought you needed a court order to make a forced entry into a property. How did they gain entry to change the meter if the occupant was not at home?

 

Locksmiths.

 

This really shouldn't just stop with the companies. The magistrates court, where these low-lives get their warrants from, are just as culpable.

The companies site the 1953 Gas Act as the reason for seeking the warrant, primarily the section which states that entry into a property can be authorised upon the receipt of a warrant for the purposes of making a property safe.

In a nutshell, the company lies to the magistrate, basically saying there is a gas leak at xyz address, the magistrate, let's be logical, knows full well that there isn't a gas leak in multiple properties (they file for multiple warrants at a time) yet grants the warrants on the grounds of safety, all the while knowing it's for unpaid bills.

Also, these companies actually hire the court room for the day and actually pay the magistrate for the day to sit and grant these warrants. The whole thing is corrupt.

 

"One agent claimed single mothers were their most common customers, adding: “If every single mum that starts getting a bit teary you’re going to walk away from, you won’t be earning any bonus.”

A manager overseeing debt collectors for British Gas told of manipulating customers by saying the police would kick in their doors and search their homes if they did not comply.

•An agent enforcing warrants for British Gas said of his colleagues: “If they go in and they see an elderly lady, they’ll be like, ‘oh an easy job for me.’ ”

Before starting as a debt collector, I had four days of video training. Describing the warrant process, the Arvato trainer said: “Honestly, it’s a little bit cheeky. Basically the government says you can’t disconnect residential customers so what we do is we install a prepayment meter and then if they don’t top up they self-disconnect. So we don’t actually disconnect them. It’s a bit of a laughable loophole.”

Article here, not paywalled.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...ter-debt-energy-bills-investigation-wrgnzt6xs