Natural gas Billing & Disconnection - CODE OF PRACTICE
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Natural gas Billing & Disconnection CODE OF PRACTICE BGE/NG/BPCOP/0121
bordgaisenergy.ie If you need any further help or advice please contact us: Residential gas contact details Tel: 01 611 01 01 Customer service Fax: 01 611 01 02 Residential natural gas Email: info@bordgais.ie Bord Gáis Energy PO Box 10943, Dublin 2 Deaf / Hard of Hearing Customers – Contact us via “Live Chat” on our website or “Have a Question?” form on our website or Social Media (Facebook or Twitter) – Mon to Fri (8am to 5pm) Business gas contact details Tel: 1850 427 349 Customer service Fax: 1850 427 350 Business natural gas Email: businessdirect@bordgais.ie Bord Gáis Energy PO Box 10943, Dublin 2 Please note that to maintain the highest level of service we may monitor and record calls. 2 CODE OF PRACTICE
Code of Practice Natural gas Bill payment 1 Introduction 4 2 Our promise 4 3 Your Bord Gáis Energy bill 5 4 Bill payment 9 5 Disputed bills 12 6 Payment difficulties 12 7 Disconnection procedures 13 8 Reconnection 15 9 Complaints procedure 16 10 Contact details 17 CODE OF PRACTICE 3
1 Introduction 2 Our promise As a customer of Bord Gáis Energy, • We will promote this code of you can expect the highest standards practice so you can easily get of service from us. However, like a copy. any other business, we rely on you • We will train our staff to deliver to pay your bills on time so we can the services outlined in this continue to provide an efficient and code and will keep our training economical service. up to date. You must pay for the energy you • We will issue clear and timely use. If, for any reason, you cannot bills to all our customers. pay your bill by the due date please • We will provide you with a choice let us know as soon as possible. We of methods to pay your bill. are committed to helping you agree a payment plan or installing a Pay • We will deal with all customer as You Go Meter (where suitable) in enquiries courteously and order to maintain your gas supply. fairly while in accordance We will only disconnect your supply with stated policy. if we have no other choice. • We will keep all the This code of practice explains your information you give us in bill, covers the various payment the strictest confidence. methods we offer and provides • We will work with you in finding guidance on how we will work with a suitable plan for settling customers who may be finding it your bills. difficult to pay a bill on time. • We will monitor the service we The code also explains the give to make sure we are keeping circumstances in which we will our commitments. disconnect your supply of gas. 4 CODE OF PRACTICE
3 Your Bord Gáis Energy bill Bord Gáis Energy bills you for Understanding your bill metered gas at your chosen Your bill shows you the latest meter tariff rate. reading and the previous one. The difference between the two readings Bills are calculated based on is the amount of gas you have been actual or estimated meter readings billed for in the billing period. received from Gas Networks Ireland A conversion factor is applied to the for your billing period or from amount of gas used to calculate the a meter reading you have energy content of that usage. submitted yourself. On your bill, you will see the number The price of gas of units used, the conversion factor The price for natural gas charged on applied and the energy content in your bill depends on the tariff you kilowatt hours (kWhs) together with have chosen for your level of gas the unit rate. Depending on your usage. We offer a range of tariffs chosen tariff a standing charge may which are set out in our tariff choices also be applied. leaflets which are updated frequently. The bill will also show any unpaid We will notify household customers balances from previous bills and, 30 days in advance of any tariff where applicable, any allowances changes, except where the customer to which you may be entitled, has entered into a flexible tariff such as the natural gas allowance arrangement which allows for tariffs administered by the Department of to change more frequently. Social and Family Affairs. In addition to charging for gas consumption, bills To obtain a leaflet on our up-to-date will also include charges for any other choice of tariffs please call us on service offered by Bord Gáis Energy 01 611 01 01 or view it online by that you have agreed to pay through visiting our website at your gas bill. www.bordgaisenergy.ie It is up to you, the customer, to choose what tariff is most appropriate for your use of natural gas. We provide information on tariffs and gas usage on our website or on request. If you believe you may be on the wrong tariff please contact us to arrange switching to a more appropriate one. CODE OF PRACTICE 5
your natural gas bill Mr Lerrott Kuuco 6 Humoloiih Osteto 1 Billing period 09 Jun 20 Kluhsille 11 Jan 21 Daclih 15 Date of issue Co Dublin 11 Jan 21 Account number 2 3870130000 M E T E R N O. METER READINGS CONVERSION GAS USED GPRN AC B A N D PRESENT MINUS PREVIOUS UNITS X C O N V. FAC TO R kWh 2106746 135000 C 117503 A 1338 m³ 11.3625 15203 0500441 B 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A: Actual reading / C: Reading by customer or network correction / E: Estimated reading AMOUNT € We are freezing our residential energy prices until March 2021. Visit our Previous Balance website at €2,166.30 bordgaisenergy.ie to find out more about our Winter Large Residential User (10 Jun 20 to 11 Jan 21) Price Pledge Standing Charge 0.2596 for 216 days 10 €56.07 Unit Rate 0.0307 for 15,203 kWh Capacity Charge 216 Days 4.34416 11 €466.73 €938.34 Carbon Tax 0.0047 for 15,203 kWh €71.45 Total excluding VAT €1,532.59 VAT @ 13.5% €206.90 Total Including VAT How does your gas usage compare to last year ? 71,317 kWh last 12 months Customer service 128,850 kWh previous 12 months 01 611 01 01 Em ergency number 1850 20 50 50 Bord Gáis Energy Limited CREDIT FINANCE INCLUDED P L E A S E PAY BY TOTA L € One Warrington Place, Dublin 2 NONE Overdue € 3,905.79 VAT Number: IE 3234061GH OVERDUE - Call 01 6110106. Mon - Fri; 8am - 8pm or Sat; 9am - 5pm, to make a payment or set up a Page 1 of 1 repayment plan and avoid disconnection. 12 AIB Bank, 40/41 Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2 BANK GIRO CREDIT TRANSFER Account number: 13007016 Sort code: 93-33-84 BIC: AIBKIE2D CASHIERS IBAN: IE95 AIBK 9333 8413 0070 16 CASH STAMP COINS € & INITIALS TOTAL CASH € CHQs. ETC. € Customer account no. 3870130000 Mr Ierrott Kuuco TOTAL € 3,905.79 P L E A S E D O N OT M A R K B E LO W T H I S L I N E
Bill information 1 ill address B 9 AC Band The address the bill is sent to (Annual Consumption Band) for payment. Your estimated annual usage of natural gas fits within the 2 Account number band range notified (there are Please quote this number when 5 bands: A, B, C, Y and Z). Band contacting our customer descriptions are as follows: service department. A: Less than 6,000kWhs 3 Meter number B: 6,000 kWhs to 23,500 kWhs The meter number is unique to C: 23,500 kWhs to 73,000 kWhs the physical meter. If your meter Y: 73,000 kWhs to 750 MWhs is replaced the meter number Z: 750 MWhs to 5,200 MWhs will change. 10 S tanding charge 4 eter readings M The standing charge is included Your present and previous on every bill when you are on meter readings are shown. A “C” either the standard rate tariff or denotes the reading has been the reducing rate tariff. taken by a customer. An “E” indicates an estimated reading 11 Rate (which will be corrected by the The rate at which you are being next actual read). billed e.g. standard rate etc. 5 Units 12 Bank giro credit transfer This figure represents the This is the bank giro that you can number of units in cubic meters use to pay your bill. or cubic feet (M3 or ft3) which For easy reference we have included you are billed for. some useful information on the back 6 onversion factor C of the bill. The conversion factor used to • Contact details convert the gas from cubic • 24 hour emergency number meters or cubic feet to kWh. • Payment methods 7 Wh k The figure in kilowatt hours for • Moving home which you are being billed. • Servicing and repairs 8 PRN G • Meter reading (Gas Point Registration Number) • Complaints This seven digit reference number • Overdue accounts and arrears used to identify a gas meter • Gas Networks Ireland connection to the gas network. contact details CODE OF PRACTICE 7
3 Your Bord Gáis Energy bill (continued) Bill presentation please call us on 01 611 01 01 You may want to view and manage for further information and an your electricity account online at application form. www.bordgaisenergy.ie and click Bill frequency on ‘Register Here’. You can change • Residential customers, with the back to paper/ postal bills at any exception of customers on the time simply and at no cost. If you large residential user tariff, are have been receiving a discount for billed every two months. choosing an online “paperless” bill then you will lose it if you change • Non residential customers on back to paper / postal bills. the standard industrial and commercial bi-monthly tariff Special services are billed every two months. If you have difficulty reading your bill you can register with us on our • All other non residential special services register and receive customers are billed monthly. your bill in braille. Customers should not receive bills If you have hearing difficulties and outside of the regular billing cycle you have minicom equipment you unless there is a dispute and/or there can get in touch with us on has been a series of estimates and a 1850 630 630. We can also make life corrected bill is required. easier by having a member of staff Where we become aware of an phone you with details of your latest unexpected delay in the issuance of a bill. This gives you the opportunity to bill that will exceed one full billing cycle, ask any questions that you may have. we will, where reasonably practicable, We will still send you your bill in the make contact with you to explain the normal way. reasons for the delay and the actions Alternatively, if you have a relative, being taken to remedy the situation. carer or someone who would Final bills will be issued on receipt normally look after your bills, then of a final read when closing your you might want your bill to be sent to account or moving house. them. Please give us their name and address with your written consent to Where a customer has switched have your bill redirected. supplier the final closing bill will be issued not later than six weeks from If you would like to be included the effective date of the change of on our special services register to supplier. Where a replacement meter avail of either of these services, reading is issued after the final bill 8 CODE OF PRACTICE
has been issued, this will be dealt be reflected in your next bill. Otherwise with as an exception. any discrepancies will be adjusted the next time your meter is read. Dual Fuel Billing If you have signed up to our Dual We recommend that you check Fuel Contract, we will send you 2 how much gas you are using by separate bills for electricity and gas. reading your meters regularly Any payments made by you under and providing meter readings on your Dual Fuel Contract will be made the 24 hour Dial-a-Read phone line against gas or electricity separately. 1850 427 732. Our Dual Fuel Contract usually requires paperless billing. You can change back to a paper bill at any 4 Bill payment time but will lose any discounts you receive for paying by this method. When you receive your bill, it is for Meter reading gas you have already used, or we Gas Networks Ireland provide the estimate you have used and we meter reading service for all gas therefore expect to be paid by the customers regardless of their supplier. date specified on the bill. They currently call to read the meter The named account holder is at your home four times a year. The responsible for paying the bill and other two times they estimate your we can only discuss account details consumption. In the event that they with the person/s named as account cannot gain access to read your holder, unless you give us written meter, their reader will leave a meter consent to discuss your account reading card advising you to register with a third party. a meter read using the 24 hour Dial-a-Read phone line 1850 427 732. ayment methods P You can also enter your meter You can pay your gas bill in a number reading on our website at of different ways: www.bordgaisenergy.ie • Direct Debit: Plan-Pay Direct Estimated meter reading Debit or Bill-Pay Direct Debit. You should compare any estimated Our Direct Debit options are meter reading on your bill with the very convenient if you have a reading on your meter. If you notice a bank or building society account; big difference, please contact us with you avoid the cost of cheques, your updated meter reading and this will postage stamps or the need to CODE OF PRACTICE 9
call to post offices, banks or other by giro transfer slip attached retail outlets. We have a Level Pay to the bottom of your bill. Bank option which allows you to make of Ireland customers may pay even monthly payments or we through any Pass Point ATM. have a Bill Pay option which takes the bill amount owed by Direct • elephone banking: Ask your T Debit every 2 months. bank for details. To set up Direct Debit simply • Internet: Register with us on call 01 611 01 01 or sign up online www.bordgaisenergy.ie at www.bordgaisenergy.ie and Please allow five working days for click on ‘Register Here’. payments to appear on your account. • Telephone: By calling our Payment schemes automated phone-based bill Alternatively, you may apply for one enquiry service on 01 611 01 01, of the following payment schemes: you can pay your bill 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When • Level-Pay Direct Debit: you use this payment service you With our Level-Pay Direct Debit can pay your bill using your Laser option you can spread your or credit card and check your payment evenly over the year account balance and your latest making it easier to budget your transactions. It can also be used account. To set up a paperless to verify payments received or to Direct Debit, simply call us on part pay an amount on a bill. 01 611 01 01 or register online • Cash: At retail outlets displaying at www.bordgaisenergy.ie the signs PostPoint or Payzone. • Pay As You Go Meters: • ost: Send your cheque, together P These are only fitted where it with a completed bank giro credit is appropriate and practical to transfer slip (attached to the bottom do so. This option is not currently of your bill) to Bord Gáis Energy, available in certain areas. PO Box 10943, Dublin 2. Please Please note there may be a do not send cash in the post. charge for the installation of a • Post offices: By cheque, cash or Pay As You Go meter. “Pay as you use” card. Minimum For further details on any of the payment per transaction ¤20. payment schemes above, please call our customer service team on • anks and building societies: You B 01 611 01 01. can pay at most of the main banks 10 CODE OF PRACTICE
• Household budget scheme: For more details on our Security Operated by the Department Deposit rules, please see of Social & Family Affairs. This www.bordgaisenergy.ie/help-and- scheme generally has to be questions/Final bills/moving home/ supplemented by additional closing account customer payments to meet If you are moving house or closing your total bill costs. account with us, you will need to give us: • Credit Union payment schemes: • A closing meter reading Ask your Credit Union for details. Security for payment • Your forwarding address to allow We may ask you to give us reasonable us to send you your final bill security against future energy bills. • If you cannot provide us with a This security could mean that you closing meter reading, you will pay us by Direct Debit or you lodge need to agree to an estimated a cash deposit. There are a number reading with us, or, of different security requirements which depend on your situation and • Provide Access to Gas Networks your credit history. You may need to Ireland to read and lock the provide proof of ownership or your meter at your premise tenancy agreement when opening an • In the event that you cannot account with us. provide a meter reading, do not Bord Gáis Energy determines this accept our meter reading or deposit or guarantee. Where a cannot provide Gas Networks security deposit has been requested Ireland access to the premises, this Security Deposit must be you may be charged a special maintained for a period of 12 months. administration fee of ¤65 in order The security deposit will be credited for us to try to obtain a final read. to the next bill following satisfaction We will then issue you with a final of credit terms for a period of 12 bill within 6 weeks. This bill will state months continuously. Where you your closing balance. If there is a have not fulfilled our credit terms, we credit due, this will be stated on the will inform you of the steps needed to bill and that you must contact us to improve your credit worthiness, and receive a refund. We will refund any state what you must do in order for credit within 2 months provided that security to no longer be required. you have contacted us to tell us how/ where you wish the refund to be paid. CODE OF PRACTICE 11
6 Payment difficulties If the incoming customer registers an Please tell us straight away if you have account with us before the meter is a difficulty in paying a gas bill. The locked, we will cancel the meter lock. sooner you do, the easier it will be for us to offer help and advice. We will If you do not tell us you are moving be as flexible as possible in trying to or provide us/agree to a final read agree a payment plan with you, but you will be held responsible for we must ultimately receive payment any gas usage up to the date the for the gas that we supply. We may meter is locked or a new customer also offer you a Pay as You Go (PAYG) registers with us at that premises. Meter as a way of re-paying your debt All unpaid bills will be subject to our and keeping your supply on. normal debt collection procedures and/ Customers with payment difficulties or legal proceedings. We may withhold who contact us will be made to feel supplying gas or opening an account in that their case is heard sympathetically; your name until all outstanding debt is any offers of repayment will be paid. Unpaid debts will be transferred carefully considered. to your new account with us. We will assist customers in genuine If you move into a premises where financial difficulty in making a the supply is already connected, you payment plan and we will take must let us know straight away and account of your ability to pay must pay for the gas you use. If you when agreeing any repayment do not inform us that you are using arrangement. When considering a gas in a premises then we may charge payment plan with you, we will take you under a “Deemed Contract” into account the value of the debt under Section 16A of the Energy and the period of time outstanding, (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1995. your previous payment history, your ability to supply security for future bills and any other material factors 5 Disputed bills concerning individual customers. You must then honour the payment If you have any queries about the bill plan if you want to retain your or you do not agree with it, please gas supply. If you have entered into get in touch with us straight away on a payment plan, we will send you 01 611 01 01. details of the payment plan setting out a clear explanation in writing 12 CODE OF PRACTICE
no later than one week after the b. providing information on any payment plan has been agreed. options you have to make payment and providing contact We will treat all information you give details if you wish to enter into a us in the strictest confidence. There payment plan are a number of state agencies, state sponsored bodies and recognised c. offering installation of a Pay as charities that offer household You Go Meter for re-payment of budgeting advice including the Money debt (where suitable) Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS), Before we initiate a request to Gas An Post Household Budget Scheme Networks Ireland to disconnect your and The Society of Saint Vincent de supply we will: Paul (SVP). If you are a residential customer, we will engage with the • Give you a minimum of ten relevant state agencies or state working days notice in writing of sponsored bodies, recognised charities our intention to disconnect you. or other financial advisers’ to assist with • If you are a business or large your arrears if you give us permission. gas user and have gone into Whatever the problem, we will do liquidation, receivership or our best to help. However, if you can examinership and/or where it is afford to pay your bills, but choose our opinion that there is a high not to, we must advise you that your risk of impending default, the supply may be withdrawn. notice period will be reduced to two working days or whatever has been agreed in your contract. 7 Disconnection procedures • The notice will specify the reason for disconnection. We have clear internal procedures which • The notice will detail the costs ensure that disconnection of supply for that will apply for disconnection arrears takes place only as a last resort. and reconnection. We have a clear escalation process to • The notice will tell you that follow before disconnection can take you cannot pay the arrears place. This process includes: to the person carrying out a. contacting you at least 4 times to the disconnection. inform you that you are in arrears (in writing, by phone or by text or email) • We will include our contact details so that you can discuss CODE OF PRACTICE 13
payment arrangements with us • Placing a meter lock on and avoid disconnection. your meter. • o disconnection calls will be N • Turning off the supply at the made on a Friday, Saturday, house entrance if we cannot Sunday, eve of a public holiday gain access to the meter. or a public holiday. However, • Disconnecting and removing disconnections for safety reasons the meter. can be made at any time. • Disconnection externally at the We will disconnect your gas footpath if access is refused. supply if: We will not disconnect your • We do not receive payment from supply if: you within the terms of your contract and arrears continue • You agree, and keep to a to accrue on your account. payment plan agreed with us. • You do not respond to our notice • ou agree to have a Pay As You Y for disconnection. Go meter installed. • You do not agree to have a Pay • The bill due is not for the supply As You Go meter installed. of gas. • here you do not agree to any W • You have logged a complaint payment plan or where that with us and the complaint is payment plan is broken. related to disputed bill charges. You will however, be required • You request disconnection. to pay the undisputed element • In the event of an emergency of the charges billed and any or where a safety issue arises, subsequent bills that follow. Gas Networks Ireland may • During the winter months of November disconnect your premises to March, if you are registered on without notification. our special services register You will be charged for the costs • For failure to pay a bill which associated with the method of is not related to the supply of disconnection and reconnection of gas; your supply. Disconnection of supply • For failure to pay a bill based will be done by either: on a regular estimate unless it is fair and reasonable in the 14 CODE OF PRACTICE
circumstances (to be decided Gas Installer if the meter has been by us); removed or if any work has been done to the gas installation. • Where a customer is a member of any category of We may also, under our terms and customer that the CRU may conditions of gas supply, require specify from time to time. that you provide a security bond and/or commit to paying future Disconnection of a premises with no bills by Direct Debit. This will guard registered account holder: against the inconvenience and cost of possible disconnection in the • If it is discovered that you or future. We will notify you in writing the previous occupant at your of any conditions associated with premise did not close their a security bond/deposit required account correctly with us, we will upon re-energisation (including the issue a letter informing the new circumstances in which we will re-pay occupant that the premise will this). be locked due to no new account In certain circumstances, we may holder being registered. ask you to agree to the installation of a Pay As You Go meter at your premises before we reconnect you to 8 Reconnection prevent any further debt being owed. Where a disconnected customer has reached an agreed settlement Where disconnection has taken with us, you are entitled to be place, we will make every effort to reconnected under our Standard come to an agreement with you so Terms and Conditions of Supply. that the supply can be restored at the earliest opportunity. Before we reconnect your supply all arrears and the costs associated with the disconnection and reconnection must be paid in full. However, we will enter into payment plans and reconnect you, if you have not previously broken a payment plan or repeatedly been disconnected or failed to make payment of bills at all. You may need to supply a declaration of conformance from a Registered CODE OF PRACTICE 15
9 Complaints procedure We aim to give you the best possible If following a review and written service. If however, you are unhappy response from one of our customer with the service we have given you, service managers you are still not please call us on 01 611 01 01 and satisfied, and have received written we will try and resolve it over the notification of the closure of the telephone. Alternatively, you can complaint from Bord Gáis Energy, write to: you may contact the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. Customer service The complaint should only be passed Bord Gáis Energy to the Commission after it has gone PO Box 10943, Dublin 2 through the Bord Gáis Energy internal Email: info@bordgais.ie complaints escalation process. The office of the Commission It is our aim to settle any concerns for Regulation of Utilities can be as quickly and as fairly as possible. contacted by the following means: If you write to us with a complaint, Address: we will respond to you within ten Customer Care Team, Commission working days. for Regulation of Utilities, If you are unhappy with the response The Exchange, Belgard Square you receive from the first point North, Tallaght, D24 PXW0 of contact, you may have your complaint reviewed at a higher level. Tel: 1890 404 404 Fax: 01 4000 850 Our commitment is that all complaints will be either resolved Email: customercare@cru.ie within eight weeks or an action plan will Web: www.cru.ie/customer-care have been agreed with you. In all cases, we will keep you informed about the progress in resolving the matter. We have a code of practice on handling customers’ complaints. To receive a copy please call us on 01 611 01 01 or you may view it online at www.bordgaisenergy.ie 16 CODE OF PRACTICE
10 Contact details We would prefer you to phone rather Other useful contacts than write because it is quicker, more Money Advice and Budgeting Service direct and easier to answer your (MABS). MABS is a free, confidential questions straight away. However, and independent service for people in if you wish to write, our address is: debt or in danger of getting into debt. Customer service MABS Helpline: 076 107 2000 Bord Gáis Energy Monday to Friday 9.00am to 8.00pm PO Box 10943, Dublin 2 Email: helpline@mabs.ie In order to maintain the highest Web: www.mabs.ie level of service we may record and monitor telephone calls. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Please ensure that you have your National Head Office account number ready when you 91-92 Sean Mac Dermott Street contact us as we can only discuss Dublin 1 gas account information with the gas account holder. Tel: 01 855 0022 Tel: 01 611 01 01 Email: info@svp.ie Fax: 01 611 01 02 Web: www.svp.ie Web: www.bordgaisenergy.ie Contacting us at: bordgais.ie/company/contact-us 24 hour Dial–a–Read: 1850 427 732 Call this number to register your meter reading – have your GPRN number (top right hand side of your bill) and meter reading to hand. Gas Networks Ireland will ensure your reading is recorded for your next bill. Gas Networks Ireland 24 hour gas emergency line: 1850 20 50 50 Gas Networks Ireland provide the emergency response service for all gas users. In the interest of public safety, all emergency messages are recorded. CODE OF PRACTICE 17
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