Atlantic price increase

Halfcat

Hi,
thanks for the reminder, been with Atlantic since Aug 07, and no sign of a rebate. email sent, Ill let you know.

ps do all customers get this I think I remember something about it when I joined, but so long ago I cant be sure

Halfcat

Pookie,

I admire your pro-active nature with increasing your DD. I just wish that they would do it for you. Do they really think that if they put the prices up £29% we will start using 29% less. Automatic price tracking could be an option for those on fixed DD (their favorite), not necessarily the right choice for everyone. through they do already alter DD pretty much at will, though you can challenge it.

Will agree that their customer service is usual very good. I have had a couple of issues and each time got it sorted out in one phone call to a person who seemed interested, intelligent and competent.

Only downside is that they have decided to only send a bill every 6 months to save paper, but I'm on paperless billing!!!!!! (It will be based on a reading, not estimates though)

Pookie_2

Hi Halfcat,
I must agree, it would be a bit more 'customer friendly' if they offered to adjust our D/D payments to cover the increase not wait for us to ask!

Quentin

From recent posts here it seems they would also be more customer friendly if they paid up their annual rebate rather than wait for their customers to be reminded and realise they never got it and have to start chasing for it!

chocolateteddy

I too am with atlantic and because I also read my meter once a qtr I know exactly what i use. I worked out how many Kwh Id used for both gas and electric in a year to give me an accurate comparison on the price comparison sites as different companies have no standing charge, pay xx for the first xxkwh etc etc and they all differ. The comparison site came up with npower and B.gas click energy as the 2 cheapest and I could save 10% a year by swapping but they don't take into account the D/D yearly refund which I have got every year so once that is taken into account I would be better off by £20 a year and the hassle of swapping just isn't worth it. I have never had any problems unlike B.Gas who I was with previous to Atlantic. I have online billing and when it is estimated I type in the correct figures and it generates a new bill. They did offer 6 monthly billing but I rang them and they kept me on qtr bils. I have nothing but praise for them and am going to stay loyal to them.... until a much better offer comes along.

caveat_emptor

Pookie wrote: »

I'm sorry, but do none of you look at your bills? I noticed the price increase on my Aug bill and increased my D/D payments accordingly to cover it. I think we all knew it was coming didn't we. Atlantic still work out the cheapest for me with the annual D/D bonus and I must say that Atlantics customer service is second to none so I think they deserve a break for this administration boo boo!
:T

Well good for you because Atlantic are the most expensive in the south east even with the DD bonus.

Xtina

I switched from Atlantic to EON before the price hike. Do I still have to pay the extra? They say I will have to pay about £200 extra - surely not if I've already gone (in October)?

petercurtis

It is unlawful to notify customers of a price change after the event, as Atlantic and other retail energy suppliers are doing. The up to 65 day delay is allowed in condition 23.4 of OFGEM's Gas and Electricity Supply Licence Conditions that requires suppliers to notify customers of a price change. They have to be told! The licence conditions are a private commercial agreement between OFGEM and the retail energy suppliers. It is governed by the laws of England and Wales, and Scotland and N. Ireland respectively, as are the agreements between the suppliers and their customers. All the suppliers say so in their terms and conditions.

The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 prohibit misleading consumers by act or ommission as to the price charged for goods and services and it is an offence punishable by fines and/or a prison sentence so to do. Customers are being mislead by the retail energy suppliers if the prices charged for the gas and electricity consumed by their households differ without their knowledge for any period from the prices last advised. Work out how much you have been overcharged since the date of the price change - the bill should separate the charges for fuels before and after the price change - and ask for a refund plus compensation. If your supplier prevaricates, get thee to the nearest small claims court.

Additionally, customers are paying for the billing service of their supplier as well as paying for the gas and electricity consumed. This service is subject to The Sale of Goods and Services Act (1982) and is unfit for purpose if it fails to meet the requirements of the trading regulations. This is an important point to make if you have to go to court and would warrant claiming a refund of part (say 10%) of the fuel bill.

Scottish and Southern Energy tried it on with me over the April price increase. When I eventually had to threaten legal action, it backed off. I got a refund of the overcharge and £25 compensation. I was given advance notice of the 25 August price increase which enabled me to take meter readings on the day of the change and avoid having to rely on an estimation of my fuel use before and after the price change date.

The suppliers know they are in the wrong and with OFGEM's connivance. They are not our friends. Incidently, changing energy supplier is futile and a waste of time. All the six major suppliers are members of the Energy Retailers' Association. Customers get the same treatment from all of them - I have dealt with four of them. If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck ...

1carminestocky

Quentin wrote: »

From recent posts here it seems they would also be more customer friendly if they paid up their annual rebate rather than wait for their customers to be reminded and realise they never got it and have to start chasing for it!

So you wouldn't recommend Atlantic, Quentin? (ticks one off list, just 5 more to go)

Gavioli_UK

petercurtis wrote: »

Scottish and Southern Energy tried it on with me over the April price increase. When I eventually had to threaten legal action, it backed off. I got a refund of the overcharge and £25 compensation. I was given advance notice of the 25 August price increase which enabled me to take meter readings on the day of the change and avoid having to rely on an estimation of my fuel use before and after the price change date.

They also tried to overcharge me at the April price increase.

Call centre adamant I could not be billed to an actual reading at the price increase date.

Escalated to Call Centre Manager who said "It was the industry practice not to use actual readings at a price increase.

Refered to Energy Watch. Within 2 days have a call from SSE special section who dealt with EW complaints. Thanked me for bringing it to their attention, and realised they had a training problem with their call centre staff who had not been briefed correctly.

I got £35 ex gratia payment (Original overchaged only around £5), and a number to use direct to the complaints dept if I have any problems in the future.

Interestingly at the August price rise they have used a staight consumption divide by the number of days to split the pre / post increase charges for my October bill. Because of the time of the year I feel this favours the customer, and has probably been done to reduce customer complaints which I am sure they had after the April increase.