Southern Electric and deregulation tarrif

Firefly

On Friday I was just about to go out when a cold-caller from Southern Electric (SE) knocked on the door. He said he wasn't cold calling but that the Government had asked him to call! How nice of them.

They were concerned that people didn't know about the "de-regulated tarrif rate" and it seemed that I was one of them. He thought I was with N-Power and I'm actually with E-on.

Apparently all the profits from E-on and N-Power don't stay in this country but go abroad so our electricity supply and users don't benefit from this at all. The nice man at the government sent Mr Southern Electric around to my house to tell me. They'd chosen him especially because all the SE profit stays here. If my tarrif was higher than theirs I might be entitled to a refund of the money I've been overpaid.

Also, it seems that I "look like an organised person who keeps her bills" and he wanted to see them.

Of course I didn't have time, so wrote a few notes that he saw. He agreed he was calling with regard to the 'deregulated tarrif rate' and I also wrote 'refund of overcharge if current tarrif is higher'. I told him I'd check this out on MSE and give him a call on the number he gave me if I was interested.

Having had a few moments to browse t'internet this morning it seems he really is talking claptrap.

There is nothing about this marvellous tarrif on the SE website or the refund I could expect.

I hate the thought of him cold calling all the OAPs that live locally as he really did emphasise the point about the government asking him to call!!!

Can you report sales tactics like these? If so, who to?

Joyful

Contact Southern and raise a complaint against the Salesperson. Yes he is talking claptrap!

Mind you I once had a similar situation but the Salesperson would not leave my doorstep. He was trying to bully me and I also was concerned about the Elderly. When I raised a complaint they would not give me any feedback at all but at least if everyone did that to all suppliers hopefully if their complaint levels rose they would reinforce their training to make sure the Salespeople were being honest.

It is a shame that this type of salesperson is out there as it brings down the honest ones.

Marcusp

hate the thought of him cold calling all the OAPs

why does everyone think that the minute someone becomes an OAP they lose all their sense and are gulligle?

From reading these forums it is not just OAPs that are gullible.

Having had a few moments to browse t'internet this morning it seems he really is talking claptrap.

You had to look on the internet to find out he was talking claptrap. Are you an OAP?

Joyful

I agree Marcusp. I speak to many OAP's who are very much on the button but I speak to many more who get confused easily. Especially when I see someone switching supply many times a year and being unaware of this.

ronald208

I am another OAP who is not confused and it annoys me when I see posting like this.

I hate the thought of him cold calling all the OAPs

Lets start a movement

NOT ALL OAPs are GA GA

spiro

Joyful wrote: »

Contact Southern and raise a complaint against the Salesperson. Yes he is talking claptrap!

And why not Trading Standards at the same time!

Firefly

Apologies to anyone who was offended. In hindsight it wasn't very appropriate and appeared as a sweeping generalisation. Perhaps it would have been more appropriate to say 'the vulnerable'. We do have a disproportionately large population of older folk who need a high level of care in my road in a supported living housing scheme, many of who I know and many for whom I would be fearful couldn't access appropriate information.

Sorry for this. <<<hangs head in shame>>>

Premier_2

Firefly wrote: »

... We do have a disproportionately large population of older folk who need a high level of care in my road in a supported living housing scheme, ...

Shouldn't the appropriate staff (wardens?) be preventing unauthorised cold callers knocking on the doors of those vulnerable people living in the supported living housing scheme???

volcano99

I have switched from Southern Electric to other companies since they were still an electricity supplier i.e. ages ago.

This evening a man knocked on my door in a uniform bearing a Southern Electric logo. When I opened the door, he briefly flashed his ID card and said that he's the District Manager. :eek: The reason that he's calling because my meters and energy supply are wholly owned by Southern Electric and nobody else. :eek: Somehow my details (shown on his clipboard) keep popping up in their computer that I am not a customer of Southern Electric.

Interesting!
This sounds like a threat to me. What if I still don't want to be their customer, will they cut off my supply and take the meters away?:eek:

Then he went on to say that I was paying too much for my gas and electricity....
Now his true intention became clear. :idea:

At that moment I interrupted him and said, 'Excuse me. I do not want a door-to-door sales call.' and I showed him the MoneySavingExpert 'NO COLD CALLERS' sign that I have already put up on my front window.:(

However he ignored me completely and said that there was a problem with my current supply and that was the reason that I am paying too much for my bills....

So I interrupted him again and said, 'Excuse me. I do not have any problem with my energy supply and I do not want any sales call like this ever.':mad:

Finally he got the message and said if there is any issue with my current supplier in the future, give Southern Electric a call.

Since I am not a customer of Southern Electric and somehow their complaint procedure is in place for 'customer' complaints only, how do I complain to them about this matter and ask them to stop 'cold calling' my house?

Does anyone has the CEO email address of Southern Electric?

Haarlem

I had a similar call last week and rang Customer Focus who were obviously very interested in recording the information I was able to pass on.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2729249

Premier_2

volcano99 wrote: »

...This evening a man knocked on my door in a uniform bearing a Southern Electric logo. When I opened the door, he briefly flashed his ID card and said that he's the District Manager. :eek: ...

I doubt he was what he said he was. It may even be the ID was fake.

If in doubt as to anyone's true identity, ask them to wait whilst you close the door and check their identity with their employer. Any respectable employer will understand this and verify or otherwise the identity of a caller. Likewise any genuine caller will be happy to wait outside whilst a homeowner conforms their identity.

If at all in doubt, or the response comes back that does not verify the identity of the caller, call the police immediately by dialling 999.
(Do this even if the caller has done a runner in the meantime - chances are he won't be too far away)