I know that occasionally we get posts complaining of poor service that they've received. Well, I thought that to counter this, I would write down my experience with trying to get hot water in the UK. If you think that over-charging for installlation is bad, read this:
I moved into the flat at the start of June. It had been unoccupied for some years and needed a new gas meter that would work with current coinage. I asked specifically for a normal direct debit meter, similar to the electricity one that bills my bank account. However, the chap arrived 4 hours late and installed a pay as you go one anyway. I phoned up British Gas (the last known supplier) and asked for it to be replaced properly, especially as I had no way of topping it up. After a week, I received a card to use with it which didn't work. At the same time, they were billed me and claimed I had a direct debit meter installed. Fast forward 4 weeks and 2 other cards later, neither of which worked. I still had no gas, no way of topping up the meter, they still insisted I was being correctly billed for gas I was using and refused to give me a normal meter, even though I had a normal electricity meter and owned the property. At this point I switched to EDF Energy instead. EDF have since said it will take 28 days until I am allowed to have a direct debit meter, even though I already have one for my electricity, which they supply. They also claim that if the card isn't working, it's a broken card because the meter (according to them) is highly unlikely to be the broken link in the chain. They also still refuse to replace the meter until 4 weeks has past. I will be away in China on business at that point so assuming I get back and arrange installation, I should hopefully have gas by the end of September. Thanks to all this incompitence, my mother and sister (who were planning on visiting London and housesitting/holidaying at my flat) have had to cancel this arrangement. However, as my sister has already arranged a 2-week internship with the BBC, she is going to have to stay in a Hotel or somehow put up with my living conditions: currently, I am living in the flat, although I have no access to gas (I'm cooking using an electric hob I bought in Argos) and I have no hot water so am having ice cold showers in the morning. Because it is central London, it also takes me around 3 hours to do laundry by the time I take a train to a laundrette.
Bascially, I'm just trying to say lay off B&O staff when things arn't perfect, most industries have their good and their bad, and B&O is for the most part a lot better than most. Oh, and if anyone is a lawyer and thinks I have a good court case for breach of contract or distress and fancies suing an energy company, let me know