Energy Direct Debits: Get money back & your payments lowered Discussion

E_Goldstein

I currently work for one of the Big 6 Suppliers and felt like sharing my two cents. Deep breath....:D

Firstly, energy companies don't always deal in 12 month payment schemes. For example, with my company depending on the date of the month and time of year you setup your payment scheme it can run at between 9-12 months.

These plans only calculate usage over their period (so you won't pay for a years uage in 9 months) but if you have any debt and are unlucky enough to be on a 9 month plan your missing out on up to 3 months worth of repayment time.

Also companies look to re-assess your direct debits twice yearly (unless you've just started with a company in which case we don't touch it for the first year), what this means is that if we thought you were going to use £800 in a year, then 6 months down the line it turns out your usage had increased the system will try and re-coup the difference in half the time. (The bottom line is the payment systems want you on a £0 balance by the end of your payment scheme).

More importantly, companies keep a close eye on their employees to see how they are changing Direct Debits. I have had a plethora of problems where by my logic and sound calculation has been scuppered because my managment doesn't want to have their name on a report saying we have overided the almightly system ("Hello, dave" anyone?) Each company usually has a % discount employees can use and some employees just aren't willing to lower your payments below this because they don't feel it's worth the hassle with their manager. (usualy 10-15% is normal)

My advice:

Make sure your bills are accurate (if we don't have accurate readings you can't blame us that your payments might be wrong) N.B. It is YOUR responsibility to get readings.
Make sure you haven't or aren't due to come out of a contract price (as this is a common reason direct debits jump)
Keep haggling, if you have the figures infront of you and some !!!!less employee is unwilling to meet you halfway keep going. Whilst there probably is some valid explanation for your direct debits changing make sure they give it to you and don't fob you off with "the system says..."

End.

sevenonine

I would like to switch as I am on a standard rate with my current supplier (EDF) and from comparison with other suppliers their gas and elec rates are much higher. I notice that some suppliers, eg nPower, have a standing charge and a lower rate per unit. How can I work out which would be to my advantage - no standing charge with higher unit rates or a standing charge with lower unit rates?

kjsmith7

sevenonine wrote: »

I would like to switch as I am on a standard rate with my current supplier (EDF) and from comparison with other suppliers their gas and elec rates are much higher. I notice that some suppliers, eg nPower, have a standing charge and a lower rate per unit. How can I work out which would be to my advantage - no standing charge with higher unit rates or a standing charge with lower unit rates?

Add up your kWh for the last year (not quarter, or that can give you a false saving due to the Winter period) and re-work out the bill with the unit rates you have been given. Best way! (Or, you can pop your kWh consumption and current supplier & tariff into a comparison web site and see what comes up.)

obmcfc

I have been with British Gas for 18 months (both gas and electric) in rented accommodation.

Realised last week was £188 in credit on gas and rang for refund they said I needed meter reading (which was fair enough)

Checked my account online today and it is now £111 debit although I haven't given them a meter reading yet or received a refund of any kind.

Guy on phone says online page is wrong I still am in credit not sure what is happening now, have to ring him back tonight with a meter reading when I get home

auss2k

After a year with them and changing over to the dual fuel Sign Online 18 tariff they have risen my payments from £45 to £146!!!

They blame the online switching company I used for setting the payments too low, I blame them for not checking them or addressing the issue in their six month mid term review.

on my fifth call to them, they stated that my current usage is £31 a month for electric and £42 for gas. that makes £73 a month they want to charge me exactly double that!

I have offered them £90 a month, a 100% increase on my current usage. at that level it should take two years to clear my debit to them. I think thats fair as I see it as their mistake.

Npower have said that they will call me back.

I'll post the results here...

auss2k

Npower have agreed a two year £96 Direct Debit, still 110% over what I was paying, this is based upon a £450 Debit.

This morning I recieved a requested summary of the bill showing a £250 Debit!

I phoned to ask for my DD to be reassessed and they are saying that my bill is wrong!

I have asked yet again for a breakdown of how they get their figures but am only offered a summary of the bill.

I am annoyed that they did not adjust my DD when they sent me their six monthly review and was told that they only do that when I have been with them for a year. Publicity I was sent and their website says six months.

I have informed them that I will begin to charge them £20 an hour if I have to keep calling them.

Dazzarazza

Hi guys

I have been in my property for a year, and been getting estimated readings.

I only got bills every six months so never really put any thought into this. However on my last bill i decided to ask my flat management company to get me a real reading.

It worked out that I owe Atlantic £1166!! I have had the readings redone and this is correct.

I can only put it down to it being a harsh winter and my flat mate having the electric heating on nearly non stop all day, as he is at home all day and works weekends.

Now Atlantic have reset my DD to 5 times my previous cost at £196 a month as they have estimated my current energy use for the coming months to be £111.

I have informed them this is not a true case, as i reckon it is down to a harsh winter and me being naive with the electric heaters and that I simply can not afford this.

The guy was very helpful, but said he can't reset the dd and i said, i can make a arrangement to pay £400 this month and £400 next month, to clear part of the £1166 on balance.

His advice was to cal back around the 15th of this month to discuss an arrangement. before my DD is taken on the 26th August.

I am not entirely sure what arrangements can be made? At the end of the day I cant afford £196/month will me paying the £800 have a positive impact?

I have thought about changing suppliers, if I do so would the new supplier set a lower limit? Back to the £40?

Then I can just pay off the rest owed to Atlantic ie £366?

As a side note I am going to request another reading this week, to check against last months to check how many units i am using in summer.

Any help/guidance would be appreciated.

s5432

Does anyone know about energy companies holding on to credit on meters?

I switched last year and remember there being some credit on the meter as I was paying off a debt at a higher rate, but when I called to ask was told there was no extra credit. I am feeling some doubt and wonder how I can check, another difficulty is that the meter has been replaced since. Surely the energy companies keep records and we should have access to that?

jojooneill

I'm with Southern Electric (their online tariff but paid quarterly). The bill from September to December averaged at £70 a month. September - December was apparently the coldest months in living memory, whole country was at a standstill, I was stuck in the house for two days etc etc. £70 a month during these times.

I recently gave Southern Electric my monthly meter reading - they returned with a monthly gas bill from 29 December to 31 January as £147.80! I immediately queried this with Southern Electric who stated "gas prices do go up during the coldest months of the year, I can't remember September to December being particularly cold, January has been the worst". At this point I have to admit I did get annoyed with the customer services representative and asked him if he was indeed even in the country during Sept to December when my gas bill averaged at £70 a month with -12C temperatures. He could give me no explanation as to why my gas bill had increased from £70 month during the coldest months of the year to £147.80 a month during the not so cold month of January. The only feeble attempt that he could muster was "gas prices increased in December". Not by 100% to my knowledge!

Could anyone offer any help or advice on this?

Many thanks!

john_howard_fisher

Hi everyone

Hoping someone can help here please.

I have a house on rent. Tenant left property empty. Auto switched to British Gas Residential from previous tenant (who did not pay not our fault). The property is empty and we have never signed a contract with British Gas Business. We started receiving bills from British Gas Business and British Gas Residential.

Contacted British Gas Business and they said sorry and nulled the electricity invoice. Never heard anything again for eight months. Then bills start coming again for gas this time from British Gas Business. As mentioned no business done at the property.

Phoned / wrote / emailed British Gas Business. No reply. Contacted ombudsman with complaint. Received letter in post today in FAVOUR of British Gas Business!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Basically letter says:
British Gas Business carried out a change of tenancy at the property for August 2008 when it received confirmation that you were responsible for it. Its log notes confirm that it received this from British Gas Residential and supply transferred to it on December 2009. I understand that you not accept any contract with British Gas Business when you became responsible for the premises. This indicates that British Gas Business previously supplied the property. I consider that following your responsibility for the premises, you entered into a deemed contract with British Gas Business for the supply of gas. I am of the opinion that as British Gas Business was the supplier of gas to the property you are responsible for making payment.

You wrote on [date] to British Gas Business and they received correspondence on [date] but I find no evidence that it responded to you. I view this as shortfall in customer service.

Electricity bill they nulled they say we made a mistake.

Following my investigation British Gas Business should-
= apology
= credit £40 to remove admin charge
= confirm in writing credit rating not affected
= provide repayment plan
= provide credit £20 for bad customer service

no mention of replying to email saying we are looking into it after email sent. But waiting three months before next reply and only saying we don't know what bills you are talking about.

WE KNOW THAT:
= There has NEVER been a business here. :mad:
= We have paid Gas / Electric to British Gas Residential unfortunately in cash :mad:
= We did not change our gas / elec to British Gas Business :mad:

they want alot of money for something we have paid for already.

HELP MSE's????????