Ricky Tomlinson gas ad.

I love the one where they trek half way up a mountain to read a meter and then realise the shouldnt be there

I would have loved to see them putting in the trench for that one ??

does this mean that the writings on the wall for calor

moehne

Always makes me think of the "That's Life" epic on "We've got no gas!"

Everyone's got to earn a living.

--=20 Hywel I do not eat quiche

And how long is that guaranteed for?

Or 40 if you diy.

Mark S.

And a very good job he's doing too. Any organisation that employs a bully like that (the character, not actor) as a teacher deserves to fail.

I don't think the character is a bully - he seems convinced that he's doing a great job of training the "cadets" really well.

It would be interesting to see if the house they filmed actually had gas! Or even a phone line for them to connect up to the internet to read their own meter....

Is that the one where BGas kept sending bills to old folks home and threatening them for non-payment when the gas had been disconnected years before?

BGas were useless when in public ownership, even worse now. I have 3 documented cases of my own and family hassles with them. In all cases they admitted they were wrong.

1. Tried to bill me for gas for a house I had sold 6 months previously. Their meter reader called on the day I moved out but they "lost" the reading.. They had to largely write that one off.
2. For 12 months my aged ma-in-law was sent bills for the wrong meter in her semi-sheltered accommodation. I was there once when meter reader came and it was obvious he couldn't tell the difference between 25 and 28. Another loss for BGas.
3. They have failed to bill another relative for electricity for a whole year where they should have been dual fuel supplier. They've just agreed £40+ compensation for this error. I think there were many customers affected by this and they were fined a whopping amount by Ofgen

Quite frankly if the standard of training is 'may need to get wet' I am very uninmpressed - '101 imaginative locations for stop valves' or 'how to make that lump of rust no one's moved for 30 years cut the water' would be far better lesson plans.

It probably wasn't even a house. The camera always lies...

Similar - it was a private household in the case I remember. Got to the point where BG finally sent a man to read the meter....at which point householder scremed (in their little dramatisation) "We've got no gas!".

I should imagine the tabloids have already reasearched that one

You don't need a phone line for internet access and haven't for a long time. A mobile phone will do, or a satellite link or wireless. I have used the first, have the last and am aware of half a dozen or so sat links in this area (mind you don't know if they are pure satellite or just use the sat link for downstream data).

"Dave Liquorice" wrote | Mike Hibbert wrote: | > It would be interesting to see if the house they filmed | > actually had gas! | I should imagine the tabloids have already reasearched | that one

If this is the advert in question:

A SCOTTISH Gas TV advert which shows Ricky Tomlinson battling his way across a moor through wind and rain was actually filmed in Ireland, it emerged yesterday. The advert aims to promote the company's on-line meter-reading service.

Funny thing, advertising/endorsement revenue and principles. I lost all respect for Jamie Oliver when he became a puppet of Sainsbury's, quietly dropping his previous encouragements to use independent delis and markets and assaults on the supermarket's pursuit of fruit/veg aesthetics and uniformity at the neglect of flavour.

surely that particular accolade must surely go to Bliar.

'cos that's what some artistic media type thought would make good television.

If you get BG to supply the system, an awful long time......

-- Richard Sampson

email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

A lot less than a Sergeant major.

BGs admin pre-privatisation was all paper. Now with computer databases the wrongs can be virtually omitted. Remember they were the largest service organisation in the country serving 13 million consumers, with 13 million meters. The faults were always blow to high heaven by the right wing press. Now they have computers they are even worse.

In typical B Gas style they have excellent training facilities.

I have had the "privilege" of seeing their IT operation. Mainly at the Mitchum gas works site now ( The AA's computers are in there too). Its a shambles, a hodge-podge of different systems cobbled together with home-grown add-ons..