Power company hits consumers with “phantom debt”
CONSUMERS FACE 40 MILES ROUND TRIP FOR “TOP UP”
A PROSPECTIVE SNP councillor is mounting a campaign on behalf of electricity consumers whom he contends are being ‘ripped off’ by British Gas.
Ron Simon, who owns the Well Read Bookshop in Dunoon and is well-known in local music circles, is standing as an SNP candidate at next spring’s council elections.
He is concerned over the way British Gas (or Scottish Gas as it is known north of the border) as an electricity provider, is operating the changeover from existing prepayment meters, which use cards or tokens, to new ‘key’ meters, which are charged using an electronic key.
The problem, says Mr Simon, is that British Gas is telling customers that they have accumulated debt under the old system, and this charge has been carried on to the new key system.
But the Observer has uncovered yet another ‘glitch’. The ‘keys’ used in the new system have to be topped up. Under the old system this could be done at post offices, but currently they can only be charged at a Paypoint.
There are no Paypoint terminals in any of the rural communities, so anyone using this system and living in, for instance, Strachur, faces up to a 40-mile round trip to Dunoon to top up their electricity.
Mr Simon is taking issue with British Gas over what he calls ‘phantom debt’ which is being passed to customers.
He explained: “As I understand it British Gas are saying there was no way to build the increases into the token system, and they are applying it when people change over.
“But the increases they are imposing are huge. People who were previously paying £10-15 per week are now being expected to pay £50.
“Challenging these increases isn’t easy. British Gas has a call centre for customer enquiries. It’s in this country, but that’s all it has going for it. I’ve heard of people queuing for up to three hours trying to get their queries answered.
“One caller was told, by way of explanation that the reason for the increase was that “our ancestors abused it - we’re paying for it now...”
“...this from a company which last week was giving gas away to anyone who had the capacity to store it!”
“I spoke to someone this morning who’s on £119 per week. She’s spent £90 on electricity already this week - and still has gas to pay on top of that.
“They are sending out letters to complainants offering to reduce the ‘debt’ as a goodwill gesture. One lady I spoke to had hers reduced to £109 - but no-one has ever told her what the original debt was.”
Mr Simon says that this example is part of a pattern - anyone who complains gets a letter a few days later telling them that the debt has been reduced as a goodwill gesture, but he contends that those who stand their ground on the issue invariably have the debt written off.
He went on to say: “People using meters are the most vulnerable in society. They use meters because they are trying to budget, and they are having to shell out a further 85p per week for the hire of the key meter to pay for electricity in the most expensive fashion possible.
“The problem is that many people will accept this. There’s been huge rises in power charges to the consumer, and they’ll assume that this is the reason.
“The folk who are being stung here are the elderly, the vulnerable, the poor. Once again they are a soft target; British Gas should recognise that what they are doing is unfair and immoral, and write off the debt - if it is indeed a debt.
He added: “To add insult to injury, British Gas are refusing to allow customers to switch to another supplier whilst they are in debt, albeit a phantom one. Customers who have signed fixed price deals are being charged £75 to switch if they go early.”
Asked how many people were affected, Mr Simon said that the issue was countrywide. “I’ve had at least 30 people contact me about it,” he said, “and that’s just in Dunoon.”
Brian Gillings is one of those affected. He said: “I got one of the new keys a month ago, and got a letter yesterday to say that I owed them money - there was no mention of how much - but as an act of goodwill they were reducing this unknown figure to £156. If I didn’t respond within a week they would add it on to my key account.
“If I was incurring debt why did they wait until now to tell me? They’ve been reading my meter every quarter, so they had plenty of opportunity to keep me informed.
“Until the changeover I was paying around £10 a week - now I’m paying double that.
“There’s another equally important change. I used to top up in the post office, now I have to use a Paypoint. I live in Strone and the nearest paypoint is in Dunoon - how customer friendly is that?”
Jim Mather, MSP, is dealing with British Gas on the issue. “I’d like to see them show some sense and compassion here,” he said. “They are piling unnecessary stress and costs on to their customers.”
A British Gas spokesman said that there were many more Paypoints in Scotland than there were post offices, which he said could not support the new key system, but when told that there were none in Cowal outside Dunoon, he said that customers could if they wished go on to a credit meter.
He concluded by saying that the company would be looking at ‘practical solutions’ to address the problem. We suggested it might be a good idea to freeze the meter changeover until that had been done.
On the debt issue, he said: “Scottish Gas is the only energy supplier tackling the problem of outdated metering technology with a total meter replacement programme, which provides a permanent solution to the problem. This involves removing the old token meters (which can only be recalibrated by accessing the customer’s home) and replacing them with modern electronic key meters which can be recalibrated remotely.
“Our aim is that all our token meters (including those which have been recalibrated) will have been replaced by October next year
“We do write to all our customers telling them about any price changes, so that they will be aware of the changes to tariffs. Where we have customers on token meters, we have been specifically encouraging them to make provisions for the price increase until such time as their meter is exchanged, or recalibrated.
“We have taken the decision to limit the back charging of customers who have debt (as a result of non-calibration) to a 12 month period.”


PASSENGER ONLY FOR DUNOON – GOUROCK?
CALEDONIAN MacBrayne stated yest-erday that the Gourock to Dunoon service could be operated as a passenger-only service, following Argyll and Bute Council’s decision to place a weight restriction on the pier in order to carry out essential repairs.
The council has con-firmed that from November 1, they will restrict access to the pier to vehicles of no more than 13 tonnes
This restriction means that coaches will not be allowed to carry passengers across the pier, nor will articulated lorries and large laden box vans be accepted on the route.
The ferry company has expressed its concerns about the impact of the restrictions on the route and the effect this will have on the company’s reputation and revenues, at a time when the route is being offered for tender and the whole CalMac network is soon to be similarly offered. CalMac has also confirmed that the company will carry out a Risk Assessment on the current operation to ensure that safety is not being compromised.
CalMac Managing Director Lawrie Sinclair said: “We are dismayed about the effect this will have on our customers for four months over one of the most difficult periods of the year in terms of weather. It is of considerable concern that the situation has reached this critical stage at such an important time in the decision-making process relating to the future of this service. It is also of concern that the council has already informed the Scottish Executive that a recent survey of the current side-loading linkspan at Dunoon pier indicated that its operating life will expire in 2007.”
CalMac also confirmed that Argyll and Bute Council has asked to have vessels currently serving the island of Bute redeployed to service the new linkspan at Dunoon and to have amendments made to operating practices at Dunoon.
Mr. Sinclair said: “The company cannot use a facility which is not fit for purpose. The works which have to take place at Rothesay to enable us to provide the high quality service we want to operate with new vessels is going to cause considerable disruption on that service as well.
“It is in nobody’s interest to start trying to rob Peter to pay Paul and we will continue to operate the service in the best interest of our customers. The situation at Dunoon is hugely regrettable, but I hope our customers will understand that we are not in a position to do anything other than deploy the fleet in the only way open to us and that could mean a passenger-only service on Gourock to Dunoon for up to four months.”
Maintenance of the structure has proved increasingly expensive in recent years, and the existence of the new linkspan a couple of hundred yards away prompted the leader of the council to plead - unsuccessfully - with the Scottish Executive to allocate a suitable Calmac vessel to operate from the new facility.
Had the work not been carried out, then the pier would no longer have been able to serve heavy vehicles.
The Chairman of Bute and Cowal Area Committee Councillor Brian Chennell said, “Although there have been expressions of concern on the financial implications of the work being performed, especially when there is an unused new linkspan nearby, in the interests of public safety and to ensure continuance of a vehicular service from Dunoon town centre, it is considered that this work must progress as soon as possible. It is hoped that there is minimal inconvenience to commuters during this period.”


Councillors defer Portavadie plan
At last week’s meeting of the Bute and Cowal Area Committee, councillors voted to defer a decision on the expansion of the marina at Portavadie for one month in order to enable discussions to take place regarding improvements to the access road.
Although most councillors are thought to be behind the proposal in principle, concerns were expressed about the ability of the current infrastructure to cope with increase in traffic which the new development would inevitably generate.
An application has been lodged for up to 250 berths, the construction of shoreside buildings including 19 letting units, offices, changing rooms and a bar/restaurant, the formation of 255 parking spaces and a private sewage works. A new boatyard will also be built, incorporating a storage shed, hardstanding and slipway.
Councillor Douglas Currie said: “I welcome the new development, as do most councillors. But one concern is that 255 car spaces implies 255 cars and I feel that the current road, especially between Millhouse and Portavadie is not capable of supporting such amounts of traffic.” Councillor Currie also said that consideration should be given to the existing residents in Portavadie who could find that access to their properties would be affected at weekends.
In reply, Alan Lothian, the council’s Area Roads and Amenity Services Manager commented that the road had been upgraded, using AIE funds, for the Portavadie - Tarbert ferry service and that it was capable of carrying the amount of traffic expected, but would be at its limit.
Councillor Dick Walsh agreed with his fellow councillor, saying that the levels of traffic would have a significant impact on the area. He added that a Section 75 agreement, a legal agreement between potential developers and the planning authority, could be used to establish some planning gain whereby the developer would assist with the improvements to the access infrastructure, which would benefit the local community.
Improvements to the concrete road which currently serves Portavadie could include the provision of extra passing places, improved sightlines and possibly taking the road into public ownership.


Work to start on “old” linkspan
WEIGHT restrictions will be put in place on Dunoon Pier on November 1 to allow strengthening work to be carried on Dunoon Pier.
A restriction of 13 tonnes will be put on the pier until vital strengthening work is completed.
The council claims that less than four percent of the traffic using the pier will be affected by the restriction, and that when the work is completed the limit will be raised to 33 tonnes.
However, Argyll and Bute had hoped to avoid spending large sums of money on the old pier. Maintenance of the structure has proved increasingly expensive in recent years, and the existence of the new linkspan a couple of hundred yards away prompted the leader of the council to plead - unsuccessfully - with the Scottish Executive to allocate a suitable CalMac vessel to operate from the new facility.
Had the work not been carried out, then the pier would no longer have been able to serve heavy vehicles.
Despite the existence of the new linkspan, capable of operating the most modern of vessels, the tender specification for the Dunoon-Gourock route does not insist on its use, and there is every likelihood that the successful bidder could continue to operate streakers to the existing Dunoon Pier.
The Chairman of Bute and Cowal Area Committee, Councillor Brian Chennell, said, “Although there have been expressions of concern on the financial implications of the work being performed, especially when there is an unused new linkspan nearby, in the interests of public safety and to ensure continuance of a vehicular service from Dunoon town centre, it is considered that this work must progress as soon as possible. It is hoped that there is minimal inconvenience to commuters during this period.”
There will also be a 5mph speed limit on the pier from 1 November.