86-year-old Peter’s woes with a faulty smart meter that sent his bills soaring show why so many people are shunning them, writes JEFF PRESTRIDGE

Some press places of work of economic providers firms are sensible at checking out queries that I move onto them from readers – many much less so.

British Gasoline, a part of Centrica, is at the moment among the many good guys. It just lately resolved a long-standing problem that 86-year-old buyer Peter Carr had been unable to type out – and who got here to me searching for assist. It’s not the primary buyer grievance I’ve despatched its manner and, for positive, not the final.

It involved a sensible meter that had gone ‘dumb’, leading to Peter, a pensioner and carer to his spouse Margaret, receiving estimated payments that have been off the size (and that he paid earlier than getting the overpayments refunded). Since September 2023, he had tried to get the problem rectified, however was pushed from pillar to put up.

In January, I intervened.

Earlier this month, Peter contacted me to say that the problem had now been rectified. After a little bit of a wait, a British Gasoline engineer turned up at his Manchester residence, and consequently his good meter is now totally practical.

He has additionally obtained a ‘small compensation provide’ from British Gasoline which he has accepted.

Peter, a former instructor in engineering at an extra training faculty, advised me: ‘With out your assist, I’ve a definite feeling that the issue would by no means been sorted. I’m so grateful for the effort and time you will have put into helping me.’

Sensible although it’s that British Gasoline enthusiastically tackles the shopper points that I carry to its consideration, it’s a disgrace that I’ve to become involved. Absolutely, the corporate ought to be tackling all buyer issues with the identical zeal, regardless of whether or not they’re initiated by prospects or come by way of members of the Press.

British Gasoline shouldn’t await the likes of myself to come back knocking on its door earlier than taking complaints critically.

As for the decision from Centrica’s boss Chris O’Shea for households to be compelled into having a sensible meter put in, I can solely assume he has just lately had a bit of bit an excessive amount of laughing fuel.

As his firm’s personal information signifies, many households received’t contact them with a barge pole.

Some 600,000 British Gasoline prospects have advised the utility large they are going to by no means entertain one – whereas 36 per cent of its 7.5 million purchasers have ignored affords to have a sensible meter put in.

Absolutely O’Shea can be higher spending his time guaranteeing that these good meters his firm installs truly work – and once they go unsuitable, as in Peter’s case, they’re fastened promptly.

On Friday, Peter stated he can be spending his compensation on a slap-up meal for his grandchildren. Take pleasure in.

One other city deserted by banks  

Thanks for all of your emails about cities which have been abandoned by the excessive avenue banks – and the inconvenience prompted.

Peter Wakefield says he’s incredulous that the coastal city he lives in – Swanage in Dorset – has been left bankless after Lloyds shut final 12 months. He says Swanage is a thriving city, particularly in the summertime when vacationers spend cash in its outlets, cafes and pubs.

Though a Publish Workplace stays, the closest financial institution department (Lloyds) is now ten miles away in Wareham – a tortuous journey in the summertime when the roads are rammed.

Fifty miles west of Swanage, Lyme Regis has suffered an analogous destiny. It’s each bankless and bereft of a Publish Workplace – with residents and native companies now depending on a banking hub (neighborhood financial institution) in Axminster, 13 miles away.

Bankless cities are a rising characteristic of our nation’s panorama. TSB’s determination to axe 36 branches, confirmed a number of days in the past, will quickly imply that cities corresponding to Bude in Cornwall and Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire will even lose their final banks.

Others corresponding to Amble in Northumberland and Criminal in County Durham shall be dependent upon banking hubs – though these can take an age to arrange. Do banks care about our communities? I feel you and I do know the reply to that query.

Delay Repay prepare scheme must get on observe

The Delay Repay scheme supplies monetary compensation when trains are delayed or cancelled. I take advantage of it commonly because of the flawed service that South Western Railway and GWR present for my every day commute into London from Berkshire – after which again residence once more.

But generally the scheme is woefully insufficient. Final Sunday was a living proof as I attempted to get residence after a weekend watching soccer (West Bromwich Albion) and taking part within the AJ Bell Nice Run.

What was meant to be a simple one-and-a-half-hour journey residence from Birmingham to Studying changed into a nightmare as a broken-down prepare blocked the road at Banbury. The CrossCountry prepare I used to be booked on was cancelled as was the following scheduled service. After I finally acquired on a prepare, it crawled like a caterpillar to Warwick Parkway after which stopped.

Whereas the onboard workers have been nice and apologetic, that they had no thought when the prepare may transfer once more. They opened the doorways and allowed us to stretch our legs whereas we waited … and waited.

When one of many workers stated a restoration unit was on its manner from South London to take away the damaged down prepare, I made a decision to take up a proposal from a fellow passenger and share a taxi to Oxford – after which catch a GWR prepare on to Studying.

I acquired into Studying three hours late, considerably shattered however decided to get my fare reimbursed (delays of two hours or extra qualify for a full refund) plus my share of the Uber fare.

Inexplicably, Delay Repay rejected my on-line declare. With steam popping out of my ears, I contacted CrossCountry’s buyer relations division anticipating a verbal punch-up, however I used to be pleasantly stunned. He stated the system couldn’t address the break up ticket I had bought – and that he would course of the refund himself.

True to his phrase, an e-mail arrived in my inbox inside quarter-hour confirming {that a} full refund can be paid inside ten working days.

Sadly, so far as the taxi fare is anxious, he confirmed that I wasn’t eligible for a refund. Disgrace.

Break up tickets are sometimes the most cost effective solution to journey by prepare. On-line Delay Repay methods ought to routinely be capable to deal with claims from travellers utilizing such tickets.

How do you purchase cowl? 

My intestine intuition tells me extra households than ever now pay for automobile and residential insurance coverage on a month-to-month foundation. In any case, as premiums spiral skywards, spreading the monetary ache over a 12 months is sensible, particularly for these on tight budgets.

The response of many insurers, as shopper group Which? has highlighted in latest months, has been to impose curiosity fees on these hard-pressed prospects of greater than 20 per cent. As I stated on this column seven days in the past, it’s a tax on the poor and ought to be clamped down on by regulator the Monetary Conduct Authority.

Though I belief my intestine intuition, I would like proof. So I requested the august Affiliation of British Insurers (ABI) for the proportion of motor and residential insurance policies which might be paid for month-to-month – now and previously.

Regardless of boasting of its ‘in depth’ information publications masking every little thing ‘from motor and property insurance coverage to life assurance and pensions’ – and possessing a military of information and analytics specialists – the ABI couldn’t assist. It stated: ‘We don’t gather this information’. How unusual?

So, have you ever modified how you purchase cowl —and within the course of acquired stung by nasty curiosity fees? E-mail jeff.prestridge @mailonsunday.co.uk.