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

pochase

1. Use a spreadsheet and meter readings to track your energy cost yourself
2. Go onto whole month amount direct debit (variable direct debit) with monthly readings and monthly bill. You have to pay the usage fully, so budget for winter months.
3. contact support and ask them to trigger a bill

annemariee1978

Watch your bills like a hawk people!
I've just raised a complaint with OVO, only been with them for just over 2 months and 2nd bill on the trot they've used an estimated reading to raise a bill! Even though I supplied them an accurate reading within the window of their request.
At the start of August they did a revised bill with little fuss, that month they added 90kwh with their estimate inflating my bill by almost £40.
This month I had to phone up twice to get them to adjust my account and in the end have supplied a fresh reading today to get them to raise an accurate bill. The difference wasn't as much, but I am extremely frustrated that I am giving them readings every month and then they use an estimating one to push it up. How much money are energy companies sitting on if they are doing this to every single customer?!?

Every time I've phoned the customer services have given me a different answer in how I can prevent this. The first time was give the reading near the end of the request window to get an accurate bill. So I did on the 26th.
Last week they said give the reading around the 25th to stop it happening, today they said give it around the 23rd?!? Which is actually the day of the month I did give my reading in July. 

I'll have a complaints manager call me in the next week so lets see what excuse they give me then.

jem16

annemariee1978 said:

Watch your bills like a hawk people!
I've just raised a complaint with OVO, only been with them for just over 2 months and 2nd bill on the trot they've used an estimated reading to raise a bill! Even though I supplied them an accurate reading within the window of their request.
At the start of August they did a revised bill with little fuss, that month they added 90kwh with their estimate inflating my bill by almost £40.
This month I had to phone up twice to get them to adjust my account and in the end have supplied a fresh reading today to get them to raise an accurate bill. The difference wasn't as much, but I am extremely frustrated that I am giving them readings every month and then they use an estimating one to push it up. How much money are energy companies sitting on if they are doing this to every single customer?!?

Every time I've phoned the customer services have given me a different answer in how I can prevent this. The first time was give the reading near the end of the request window to get an accurate bill. So I did on the 26th.
Last week they said give the reading around the 25th to stop it happening, today they said give it around the 23rd?!? Which is actually the day of the month I did give my reading in July. 

I'll have a complaints manager call me in the next week so lets see what excuse they give me then.

I had this problem earlier in the year but have now got it sorted. My Billing period runs from the 19th of the month to the 18th of the next month. I always gave my readings on the 18th and the bills were always based on actual readings and never estimates. Then it suddenly changed and I brought it up with Ovo. Eventually got a reply from someone in their actual billing department as opposed to just Customer Service. 

Basically I was told to give my reading on the date my new Billing period began and this would mean my readings would be used and no estimates. So now I give my reading on the 19th and all is correct with no estimates. It worked also for my parents account whose billing period begins on the 22nd of the month. Used to give their readings on the 21st and same issue with estimates. Now I give them on the 22nd and actual readings are always used. 

annemariee1978

jem16 said:

annemariee1978 said:

Watch your bills like a hawk people!
I've just raised a complaint with OVO, only been with them for just over 2 months and 2nd bill on the trot they've used an estimated reading to raise a bill! Even though I supplied them an accurate reading within the window of their request.
At the start of August they did a revised bill with little fuss, that month they added 90kwh with their estimate inflating my bill by almost £40.
This month I had to phone up twice to get them to adjust my account and in the end have supplied a fresh reading today to get them to raise an accurate bill. The difference wasn't as much, but I am extremely frustrated that I am giving them readings every month and then they use an estimating one to push it up. How much money are energy companies sitting on if they are doing this to every single customer?!?

Every time I've phoned the customer services have given me a different answer in how I can prevent this. The first time was give the reading near the end of the request window to get an accurate bill. So I did on the 26th.
Last week they said give the reading around the 25th to stop it happening, today they said give it around the 23rd?!? Which is actually the day of the month I did give my reading in July. 

I'll have a complaints manager call me in the next week so lets see what excuse they give me then.

I had this problem earlier in the year but have now got it sorted. My Billing period runs from the 19th of the month to the 18th of the next month. I always gave my readings on the 18th and the bills were always based on actual readings and never estimates. Then it suddenly changed and I brought it up with Ovo. Eventually got a reply from someone in their actual billing department as opposed to just Customer Service. 

Basically I was told to give my reading on the date my new Billing period began and this would mean my readings would be used and no estimates. So now I give my reading on the 19th and all is correct with no estimates. It worked also for my parents account whose billing period begins on the 22nd of the month. Used to give their readings on the 21st and same issue with estimates. Now I give them on the 22nd and actual readings are always used. 

Ah ok, so you recommend doing it on the 27th? When I receive the request for a meter read it says I have 5 days to give a reading? I thought last month doing it on the 26th, which was the last day within the 5 day window request would hopefully stop the estimation, but obviously it did not.

jem16

annemariee1978 said:

jem16 said:

annemariee1978 said:

Watch your bills like a hawk people!
I've just raised a complaint with OVO, only been with them for just over 2 months and 2nd bill on the trot they've used an estimated reading to raise a bill! Even though I supplied them an accurate reading within the window of their request.
At the start of August they did a revised bill with little fuss, that month they added 90kwh with their estimate inflating my bill by almost £40.
This month I had to phone up twice to get them to adjust my account and in the end have supplied a fresh reading today to get them to raise an accurate bill. The difference wasn't as much, but I am extremely frustrated that I am giving them readings every month and then they use an estimating one to push it up. How much money are energy companies sitting on if they are doing this to every single customer?!?

Every time I've phoned the customer services have given me a different answer in how I can prevent this. The first time was give the reading near the end of the request window to get an accurate bill. So I did on the 26th.
Last week they said give the reading around the 25th to stop it happening, today they said give it around the 23rd?!? Which is actually the day of the month I did give my reading in July. 

I'll have a complaints manager call me in the next week so lets see what excuse they give me then.

I had this problem earlier in the year but have now got it sorted. My Billing period runs from the 19th of the month to the 18th of the next month. I always gave my readings on the 18th and the bills were always based on actual readings and never estimates. Then it suddenly changed and I brought it up with Ovo. Eventually got a reply from someone in their actual billing department as opposed to just Customer Service. 

Basically I was told to give my reading on the date my new Billing period began and this would mean my readings would be used and no estimates. So now I give my reading on the 19th and all is correct with no estimates. It worked also for my parents account whose billing period begins on the 22nd of the month. Used to give their readings on the 21st and same issue with estimates. Now I give them on the 22nd and actual readings are always used. 

Ah ok, so you recommend doing it on the 27th? When I receive the request for a meter read it says I have 5 days to give a reading? I thought last month doing it on the 26th, which was the last day within the 5 day window request would hopefully stop the estimation, but obviously it did not.

Yes if the start of your new billing cycle is the 27th then give it that day. Previously the 26th would have been the correct time but something changed with Ovo’s billing system. 

notdedyet

Direct Debit "discount"
For the last 15 years I have submitted electric and gas readings every quarter and had correct bills from SSE, Ebico and now British Gas, paid by "cash/cheque" (what's a cheque?..lol.) and I have paid online by direct bank transfer.
I've never trusted Direct Debit (verified yet again by previous posts on this topic...), even though offered it previously with suggested savings of <£40, the potential hassle was never worth it.
However, with new prices kicking in, British Gas has tempted me with "offer" to save >£200 by changing to DD. BG website suggests signing up for 6-monthly fixed DD - no way am I going for that; it might smooth your budgeting but means your paying for something upfront of receiving it and when they get it wrong.......
Pricing comparisons on MSE default to monthly DD. But Googling: Quarterly Variable Direct Debit, it would appear that BG can offer this (but I have to phone them to ask for it.....(why?).
As I understand it, (please correct me if wrong), I can submit readings quarterly (as now) and BG will use these to determine correct invoice amount and I no longer have to create bank transfer to pay; I do less work and save more than £200.
Questions:
Is Quarterly Variable Direct Debit available from all energy providers?
Is the discount/saving (in my case 7.94% = £228 pa), the same from all energy providers?
Is the saving the same for all forms of DD, fixed 6-monthly, variable monthly, variable quarterly?
Why is the DD discount so high?

[Deleted User]

It’s not a discount, it’s a different cap. It is the same for every supplier and should be the same for every type of DD.

 This happens because it’s been calculated that a supplier needs to spend less money dealing with DDs than they do handling cash (including bad debts and things).

Quarterly variable is not always available. Monthly variable is more common. A supplier does not have to offer either of these though, and some are trying to stop it seems.

Xs500

Re notdedyetl paying by quarterly direct debits, I suspect the energy company will want to take 3 months payment up front, as soon as the contract is made, so be prepared to have this money available. With monthly dd of course, only 1 month would be taken up front.

t0rt0ise

Xs500 said:

Re notdedyetl paying by quarterly direct debits, I suspect the energy company will want to take 3 months payment up front, as soon as the contract is made, so be prepared to have this money available. With monthly dd of course, only 1 month would be taken up front.

I've paid by monthly variable DD with different suppliers and never had to pay up front. The whole idea is that you pay for what you use.

swfcowls

Just had SSE tell me they are changing me from Variable Quarterly DD to Monthly DD, which apart from being more expensive to me, doesn't seem fair, especially as I've never had any issues with the VQDD, paying in full everytime. From someone having MH issues, taking this away from me, where i was in control of my money, to that of being forced to pay whatever they decide, isn't going to help with MH, just make it worse, worrying about it from now on. Does anyone have a number for SSE, as their website and APP are useless when it comes to wanting to contact them.