Having just heard the latest news concerning the 5000 jobs being cut at British Gas by Centrica the company that owns it, I have two observations on the subject.
Firstly and most worryingly are my concerns for the safety of all the British Gas customers who rely on British Gas to provide sufficient cover to maintain the pipes and infrastructure delivering the gas as it is a rather explosive product and with 5000 fewer employees who will be looking after these pipes etc; unless of course it has been sub contracted out to the cheapest bid already, although with an explosive product like gas I would personally prefer it was being maintained by the best firm rather than the cheapest.
My second concern as a British Gas customer is one of cost for surely if they have been employing 5000 people who are totally unnecessary to the business this must be reflected in the price they are charging for their gas, I wonder if I might be in line for a refund?
I am a retired actor, although to be honest I only retired because I wasn't getting any work due to losing my agent when I became a full time carer to my mother who had dementia. and the option of becoming an unemployed actor/waiter at my age was ludicrous, especially as my waiting skills are non-existent.
Having said I’m retired, I don’t think there really is such a thing as a retired actor for I am still available for work, I just don’t have an agent or any connections with regards to obtaining any worthwhile work.
I have over the years done student films when there is nothing else available, always low paid (if at all) the only incentive was always the promised copy of the finished film for your show reel which nine times out of ten always failed to materialise.
I spent many years looking after my aged mother and shortly after her death I was lucky enough to run into an ex-girlfriend of many years ago and our romance blossomed once again, resulting in us getting married in 2013.
My move to the countryside inspired me to write The Diary of a Country Bumpkin which tells of my continuing dilemmas in dealing with the rigors of the countryside from the unexpectedly large number of pollens, fungal moulds and hay products waiting to attack the unsuspecting townie.
I enjoy writing, see my play Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori on The Wireless Theatre Company, The Plays Wot I Wrote and The Battle of Barking Creek both available on Amazon.co.uk and am very fond of classic cars so my ideal occupation would be acting in a film I had written set in the 1930s/40s, we live in hopes.
I am delighted to say that since venturing to the countryside where space is not quite the premium it is in town, I have due to the availability of two double garages acquired more classic cars to form a small collection the pride of which are a 1947 Bentley Mk VI and a 2000 Bentley Arnage.
My various blogs and websites are continually evolving and I’m sure that by following the appropriate links you will find something which will edify or amuse.
I have written a number of different books all available on Amazon, so don't be shy should you feel the urge to purchase. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Joe-Wells/e/B06XKWFQHT/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
I wouldn’t hold your breath for a refund Joe.
Fat cats get fatter I’m afraid. British Gas lost my vote years ago and it was a fiasco when we moved here having to open an account I didn’t want for a company I didn’t want to use. I’d contacted them as a courtesy for changing providers, and wish like hell I hadn’t bothered. They then lost my payment, found it twice, credited me with one I hadn’t made and gave me a cheque in reimbursement which I never cashed because I wasn’t entitled to it. The final readings were passed on to my new supplier incorrectly and couldn’t be changed as they were higher than they actually were.
I know how you feel, we had a dispute where our meter went wrong gradually over a period of years so we didn’t realise we were paying so much and later when the meter was checked by an independent company who declared the meter completely broken we realised we had been overcharged by quite a few thousand pounds and after months of arguing with the Gas Ombudsman we got absolutely nowhere. To say the least we were not happy but unless you can take them to court, even then you have no guarantee of winning and it costing a fortune in lawyers fees, so we cut our losses and accepted defeat very reluctantly!
We’ve got smart meters now (under protest but I wanted a cheaper fixed rate tariff and it was a condition) and I check them every week to make sure nothing is amiss. Our consumption is very low, 3 kwh a day on average for electricity all year and the same for gas in the winter months (Summer it works out at about 3 units a week) so our charges for both is less than £600 pa.
It’s definitely worrying. So many big companies in the UK are going under and the job cuts are going to affect a lot of people. British Gas have always been (in my opinion) expensive, but instead of lowering the prices in line with letting go of such a high number of staff, they’ll probably raise them and blame coronavirus. Less businesses using the energy, but surely more homes using it now too, so I don’t know how they can be so badly affected financially. Strange times!
Caz xx
From their press release about half of the jobs to go will be among the company’s leadership, management and corporate staff. This will include half of the senior leadership team of 40 who will leave by the end of August. They are not hanging around and, since modern managers seem very reluctant to take any decisions nowadays, it does not bode well for the future of the company.
The Diary of a Country Bumpkin 
Safety? Maintenance? Refund? Hahahahahah!
I wasn’t holding my breath on that happening either!
I wouldn’t hold your breath for a refund Joe.
Fat cats get fatter I’m afraid. British Gas lost my vote years ago and it was a fiasco when we moved here having to open an account I didn’t want for a company I didn’t want to use. I’d contacted them as a courtesy for changing providers, and wish like hell I hadn’t bothered. They then lost my payment, found it twice, credited me with one I hadn’t made and gave me a cheque in reimbursement which I never cashed because I wasn’t entitled to it. The final readings were passed on to my new supplier incorrectly and couldn’t be changed as they were higher than they actually were.
I know how you feel, we had a dispute where our meter went wrong gradually over a period of years so we didn’t realise we were paying so much and later when the meter was checked by an independent company who declared the meter completely broken we realised we had been overcharged by quite a few thousand pounds and after months of arguing with the Gas Ombudsman we got absolutely nowhere. To say the least we were not happy but unless you can take them to court, even then you have no guarantee of winning and it costing a fortune in lawyers fees, so we cut our losses and accepted defeat very reluctantly!
We’ve got smart meters now (under protest but I wanted a cheaper fixed rate tariff and it was a condition) and I check them every week to make sure nothing is amiss. Our consumption is very low, 3 kwh a day on average for electricity all year and the same for gas in the winter months (Summer it works out at about 3 units a week) so our charges for both is less than £600 pa.
I think it must be an age thing to check everything, it never ceases to amaze me that young people never check things like their bank statement!
Oh I’m well in advance on that, I keep a book and spreadsheets!!
I’m not quite that organised but I do check everything too.
It’s definitely worrying. So many big companies in the UK are going under and the job cuts are going to affect a lot of people. British Gas have always been (in my opinion) expensive, but instead of lowering the prices in line with letting go of such a high number of staff, they’ll probably raise them and blame coronavirus. Less businesses using the energy, but surely more homes using it now too, so I don’t know how they can be so badly affected financially. Strange times!
Caz xx
Very strange!
From their press release about half of the jobs to go will be among the company’s leadership, management and corporate staff. This will include half of the senior leadership team of 40 who will leave by the end of August. They are not hanging around and, since modern managers seem very reluctant to take any decisions nowadays, it does not bode well for the future of the company.
I have the feeling I wouldn’t leave most modern managers in charge of a cocktail party in an off licence!