MSE News: Hidden energy price hikes to be outlawed 21 September 2010 at 11:21AM in Energy 4 replies 1.2K views

Former_MSE_Guy

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"Energy firms won't be able to wait months before notifying households of a price hike, the Government has pledged ..."

Read the full story:
Hidden energy price hikes to be outlawed

Ken68

I think the energy companies idea was to reduce postal costs, by sending out notification with the next bill. Savings with 1 million customers....... £250,000.
A charge which will now be passed on to customers.

Premier_2

I've heard this before ... several months ago. As you say, it was mooted by the previous administration.

As was pointed out then, delaying advising customers for months could allow the customer to get the previous cheaper price by them to change supplier (terms apply).
In fact I benefitted from this, but I didn't pay the reduced price but eventually got the energy for free as the supplier failed to bill me correctly for almost 2 years, so invoking the 12 month back billing rule

This change, if it now goes ahead, will wipe out the possibility of getting cheaper (or even free if you are lucky like I was) energy for several months. A victory for consumer revenge by closing a loophole they could could take advantage of? I don't see it really, but a vote for common sense (where else can suppliers tell you of a price increase months after they have supplied you?) and one I'm sure the suppliers will relish; their finance guys will ensure any price change takes account of the added cost involved in telling their customers of such change promptly. It may even put them off declaring price reductions if the cost of advising those reductions is so large.

Cardew

Agree with the above two posts, albeit it is only the more savvy customers that would have been aware of the loophole to get weeks of gas/electricity at the pre-increase price; a loophole that is now closed to the detriment of customers.

The extra notification costs will simply be borne by the customers - BG for example have some 18 million customers, I wonder how much it will cost them(i.e. us customers!) to prepare and send out letters; and how many will bother to read and/or understand the contents

In any case unless you live in Outer Mongolia with no access to the internet, you cannot fail to be aware of the reports in the media of the increases.

We will now have a case of Company A announcing an increase. Company B delaying their announcement in the hope of attracting droves of customers from Company A. As soon as enough have switched - guess what Company B does?

The original 65 working day notice made sense!

davidgmmafan

I don't have any problem with them not notifying or price reductions. On balance having to tell people about a price increase makes sense, every other thing you buy has to tell you of a price increase before they implement it.

I can sort of see the logic if a bill is due very close to the change, and am constantly amazed by people I still encounter who know nothing about the MASSIVE price rises which occured in 08. Its been on the tv, radio and papers. I know some people don't take an interest but still.

Rant over...

What's really needed is a regulator people believe in, and its not Ofgem.