Add your feedback on energy supplier Extra Energy

Sandybanks · 9 February 2017 at 2:50PM

Its been 2 weeks since EE agreed that I don't owe them anything. Yet still receiving emails and texts from the debit collection company despite me sending a copy of the EE statement that shows the account in credit!

I understand the utility companies have been quick to mark your credit file with a black mark for non payment. They dont need a court order for that do they?

I-LOV-MONEY · 9 February 2017 at 3:37PM

If they agree that you owe them nothing, how can they 'black mark' your credit file? Contact Experian about a right to retribution. Also surely if they are doing that you could possibly sue them for deformation of character? (I am not a lawyer though!).

Ignore any letters from the debt collectors. There is no debt for them to collect, and it would be the company (EE) that would take it to court if they thought you still owed them money. Debt collectors won't get paid unless they get some money, that is why they try and pursue you, hoping you will give in !

footyguy · 15 February 2017 at 6:04PM

footyguy wrote: »

...
After more discussion, they asked if £25 goodwill gesture would allow them to clsoe the complaint.

I suggested probably not. They then said well £30 is the most we can offer anyone, and that they are sure the ombudsman service will not award any more. They claim the ombudsman has never told them to offer anyone more than £30...

footyguy wrote: »

So I've now had an email from them saying we have bunged you £50 and closed your complaint against us.

I wonder what the ombudsman will say about that as a system for handling complaints? :cool:

Edit: And now I have phone message left from them asking me to contact them urgently about the complaint I raised ...

I now have a final resolution by the ombudsman service.

The ombudsman concluded that maladministration by Extra Energy led to a significant shortfall in customer service and a resultant unacceptable handling of my complaint. The ombudsman found that this maladministration caused undue delays in Extra Energy resolving my complaint, and even on occasions giving me incorrect and/or inappropraite responses.

The ombudsman felt, in the circumstances that Extra Energy should pay me a total of £100 goodwill gesture due to their failings (so don't accept any bull from Extra Energy that "the ombudsman has never told them to offer anyone more than £30")

Extra Energy were also ordered to issue me with an apology in writing for the shortfalls in customer service.

Extra Energy have sent me that apology by email :cool:
This, they say, was something they wanted to do because after looking at my case again they agree that their service had fallen short.

(Shame it needed the boot of the ombudsman service up their derriere to make them realise that )

lisa110rry · 16 February 2017 at 12:16PM

Hurrah footyguy! Despite the fact that I left Extra Energy a year and five months ago, I still read this thread because I truly cannot understand how this company is still going. They are a complete shower!

bettyboo71 · 28 February 2017 at 8:43PM

We moved 17 months ago. ExtraEnergy were the suppliers for the previous tenants, but I had already seen enough negative news about them to know that we were changing suppliers straight away. The changeover went smoothly and I forgot about EE

Today they sent me a letter, with my name on it, welcoming me to my new home, and stating that they are the suppliers for this property and have set up an account for me. It states that 'if we do not hear from you within the next 30 days, we'll assume that all of the information we hold is correct and our bills will reflect this'.

So I phoned the number on the letter. The first person I spoke to informed me that 'as the account is in the name of 'the occupier', and you are not the named customer, I cannot discuss the account with you, but I can take a payment'. I asked to be put through to someone who could discuss the account with me, but instead he just put me back into the queue, so the next person I spoke to was in exactly the same position. He did confirm the correct date for when they ceased to be suppliers for this address - but he stated that my name is not on the account, which is funny, as I was the customer on the account when it was closed. He also tried to reassure me that, as they have no payment details for me, no money would be taken. I think they possibly did have bank details for me previously, so am not convinced by this either.
Again, because I am not the named customer, and therefore could not go through their data protection checks, I could not be transferred to their complaints team or to a manager or supervisor. At this point, I informed him that details of their letter and our conversation would be posted on social media, etc and he tried to pass me to a supervisor, but they refused to take the call. He gave me an email address, which is just feedback at... and we ended the call, because I know it isn't his fault, and there is clearly nothing more that he can do.

I have contacted our current suppliers, who confirmed that here has so far been no attempt made to transfer our supply. He put a note on the file to say there is the possibility of an erroneous transfer, which should hopefully help if EE try to transfer it.

I emailed EE (although the comments on here haven't filled me with much confidence), making it clear that I do not wish to transfer and that I will cause a lot of fuss if they try to transfer me. I also cc'd in ofgem. I know they are unlikely to do anything t this stage, but felt they should be aware that EE are doing things like this.

I'm not really looking for any particular help at this stage, as I am confident that I can deal with whatever they try to do. However, if there is anything that I haven't mentioned that anyone thinks I could or should do, suggestions are welcome. I will update as necessary.

footyguy · 1 March 2017 at 12:41PM

bettyboo71 wrote: »

We moved 17 months ago. ExtraEnergy were the suppliers for the previous tenants, but I had already seen enough negative news about them to know that we were changing suppliers straight away. The changeover went smoothly and I forgot about EE

Today they sent me a letter, with my name on it, welcoming me to my new home, and stating that they are the suppliers for this property and have set up an account for me. It states that 'if we do not hear from you within the next 30 days, we'll assume that all of the information we hold is correct and our bills will reflect this'.

So I phoned the number on the letter. The first person I spoke to informed me that 'as the account is in the name of 'the occupier', and you are not the named customer, I cannot discuss the account with you, but I can take a payment'. I asked to be put through to someone who could discuss the account with me, but instead he just put me back into the queue, so the next person I spoke to was in exactly the same position. He did confirm the correct date for when they ceased to be suppliers for this address - but he stated that my name is not on the account, which is funny, as I was the customer on the account when it was closed. He also tried to reassure me that, as they have no payment details for me, no money would be taken. I think they possibly did have bank details for me previously, so am not convinced by this either.
Again, because I am not the named customer, and therefore could not go through their data protection checks, I could not be transferred to their complaints team or to a manager or supervisor. At this point, I informed him that details of their letter and our conversation would be posted on social media, etc and he tried to pass me to a supervisor, but they refused to take the call. He gave me an email address, which is just feedback at... and we ended the call, because I know it isn't his fault, and there is clearly nothing more that he can do.

I have contacted our current suppliers, who confirmed that here has so far been no attempt made to transfer our supply. He put a note on the file to say there is the possibility of an erroneous transfer, which should hopefully help if EE try to transfer it.

I emailed EE (although the comments on here haven't filled me with much confidence), making it clear that I do not wish to transfer and that I will cause a lot of fuss if they try to transfer me. I also cc'd in ofgem. I know they are unlikely to do anything t this stage, but felt they should be aware that EE are doing things like this.

I'm not really looking for any particular help at this stage, as I am confident that I can deal with whatever they try to do. However, if there is anything that I haven't mentioned that anyone thinks I could or should do, suggestions are welcome. I will update as necessary.

When you moved to this new home, did you contact Extra Energy who you admit were the suppliers to set up an account with them? Did you do this before you attempted to switch supplier? Did you then receive a final bill from Extra Energy after the switch occured? Did you settle it?

If not, I wouldn't be quite so confident as you are that you are able to deal with this...

Whilst I'm no great fan of this supplier, I suspect it is not Extra Energy who is in the wrong on this occassion, sorry.

bettyboo71 · 1 March 2017 at 1:46PM

Yes I contacted them, we never set up an account with them because the change of supplier was arranged before we moved in, yes we had a final bill, yes it has been settled. What is it that you think I've done wrong?

footyguy · 1 March 2017 at 1:57PM

bettyboo71 wrote: »

Yes I contacted them, we never set up an account with them because the change of supplier was arranged before we moved in, yes we had a final bill, yes it has been settled. What is it that you think I've done wrong?

Well, it seems you took over responsibility and payment of bills before you became responsible for the property.
The previous tenant (or landlord if it was unoccupied) should be so pleased with your generosity.

However, taking over responsibilty and payment for the bills of a property when you should not be responsible for them can cause issues ...

But then you say you never set up an account ... but did get a final bill. How??? :huh:
Also, you cannot switch supplier unlesss you have a supplier.

In regards the latest switch of supplier notified to you today check the meter/MPRN numbers etc are the same that EE have told you compared to what you are currently paying your existing supplier.
If EE say they have taken over the supply, and the current supplier say they are still supplying (with no notification of an attempted switch) then something is a bit odd - sounds like one of the accounts does not relate to your address ... lets hope for your sake it is the EE one that has the incorrect address.

bettyboo71 · 1 March 2017 at 2:08PM

No. We took over the supply from the date that we started our tenancy. The changeover completed 15 days after we moved in, and that was the period that we paid for.

Perhaps I need to clarify things that I said in my initial post. EE have sent a letter addressed to me stating that they are setting up a new account in 30 days. Their staff confirm that they do not currently supply the property, the date that they stopped supplying it is the same as the final date of the bill we paid, and they state that my name is not linked to the account on their system. So this is not about any error or problem with the termination of any previous account when we moved in.

It is fairly common for someone to initiate a change of supplier for utilities prior to moving in to a property. Having previously worked as a customer service adviser for one of the big six, I am quite familiar with the process.

You do seem to be making a lot of assumptions about things that I might have done. If something is not clear from what I have said, please ask, but do not assume.

footyguy · 1 March 2017 at 2:20PM

bettyboo71 wrote: »

...
It is fairly common for someone to initiate a change of supplier for utilities prior to moving in to a property. Having previously worked as a customer service adviser for one of the big six, I am quite familiar with the process. ...

If you worked as a customer service adviser for an energy supplier, why were you knowingly letting people do this??? :huh:

It really is not as common as you make out. Only the un-informed would attempt to do so. So may issues can arise ... as you now seem to be experiencing.

But you seem to think you can handle it, so I'll leave it at that and wish you the the best. Good luck!

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