Energy companies don't refund until £150 in credit

mongmoney

rb10 wrote: »

Then don't let them estimate your bills.

If you submit a meter reading every month - even if they don't ask for one - then you'll never receive an estimated bill, and at the time of your review they will know exactly how much electricity you have used, so can set the DD payments accordingly.

I provide my meter readings when they ask for them. Do you recommend inputting readings every month even if they dont ask for them?

dunstonh

My issue is that we have to fight for what is our cash.

Why fight? Surely its just a phone call to ask for it to be sent back if you feel the credit is outside of the averaging.

I provide my meter readings when they ask for them. Do you recommend inputting readings every month even if they dont ask for them?

I'm with British Gas for both. They ask every quarter but usually ask the gas and electric in different months. Yet I supply both each time.

mongmoney

Lokolo wrote: »

So you'd rather paying say £100 a month in winter and then £30 a month in summer? It would create more complaints, with people saying "OH i didn't know you were going to increase it and now I've been charged £25 for a returned directdebit from my bank, I'm not paying it, it's your fault" etc.etc.etc.

And what energy supplier is this? After we left our student house with British Gas we got a refund of £30, but we were moving out rather than continuing.

It is EDF.
I worked the annual amount /12, thus a spread of perceived actual usage not £30 in summer and £100 in winter.
The point being that EDF would want more than what I work out as perceived usage. No wonder they make so much money!

Stompa

theGrinch wrote: »

if you are on direct debit they will increase your payments if you owe them far less less than £150. they are supposed to give you notice but I didnt get any notice, which clearly shows one rule for us and one for them. Im trying to get answers why they have increased my DD. I suspect many people will overlook it.

I've been with my current supplier for about 15 months now. I must have owed them more than £150 for at least half that time, but they have never changed my DD.

rb10

mongmoney wrote: »

I provide my meter readings when they ask for them. Do you recommend inputting readings every month even if they dont ask for them?

It's what I do.

I have no idea how often Scottish Power ask for meter readings, because around the start of each month I will always do a reading.

It seems to work well: I have calculated how much I think I should be paying each month based on past usage, and it's about 35 pence less than Scottish Power are charging me. You couldn't ask for a direct debit to be much more accurate than that.

rb10

Stompa wrote: »

I've been with my current supplier for about 15 months now. I must have owed them more than £150 for at least half that time, but they have never changed my DD.

You can always request that they review your DD amount ... and if you don't agree with it, ask them why they want your DD to be that amount.

I did this with EDF a couple of years back, it just took one phone call and they changed it to the amount that I wanted it to be at.

Norman_Castle

When I was edf the annual DD increase allways added up to more than my annual useage. Work out what it should be and if its well above what you think is fair phone them and ask them to either set it fairly, or justify their increase. I expect part of the lower cost of DD payment is funded by customers money being in edf's bank.
Their paper bills were also very misleading, title page would say "Your Gas Bill £-75." Which in fact meant the balance of your payment plan is £75 in credit. Designed to confuse?

Stompa

rb10 wrote: »

You can always request that they review your DD amount ... and if you don't agree with it, ask them why they want your DD to be that amount.

I did this with EDF a couple of years back, it just took one phone call and they changed it to the amount that I wanted it to be at.

Yes I could, but would there be any advantage (to me) in doing so? I'd prefer to owe them than have them owe me.

StephenM_2

I had an automatic refund a few weeks ago at the time of my annual review of my direct debits. The refund was the grand total of £7.06. The direct debits stayed the same.

I've a smart meter and get automated meter readings once a month, so I never get estimated readings.

noodle

The simplicity of a fixed DD also saves the company a lot of cost which, if we assume an efficient market (I know, I know) means benefit to the consumer.

For what it's worth, both my gas (Scottish & Southern) and electric (Green Energy) suppliers have always been happy to refund me instantly when I've been in credit, and vary DD amounts as I've asked... although it's been some time since I've needed to discuss the matter with either.