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'Do you think you've been mis-sold gas and/or electricity? Please let me know' blog

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  • Miroslav
    Miroslav Posts: 6,193 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Hi Miroslav

    I'm sorry our rep gave you the wrong information in your local supermarket.

    In July 2009, we removed the Standing Charge on gas prepayment meters but not the electric. This is still in place.

    If you believe the rep deliberately gave you incorrect information then I would encourage you to raise this with our Sales Compliance team as a complaint.

    We take such matters very seriously and this team will investigate, report back and put measures in place to prevent a repeat.

    Just a quick heads up Miroslav; debt on a prepayment meter will not necessarily stop you changing supplier. Provided the current debt is less than £200 and there are no ongoing disputes, you can change supplier and take the debt with you.

    This is through a process known as the Debt Assignment Protocol (DAP). A process brought in by Ofgem and covering all the main suppliers as part of the licence agreement.

    If you would like to arrange a switch under the terms of the DAP, please contact your preferred supplier and ask them to start the process.

    Hope this is of interest. Give me a shout if you need any more info as will be happy to help.

    Malc

    Thanks for responding Malc.

    I shall attempt to contact your Sales Compliance Team.

    Thanks for the info on the debt. If I may ask you on this thread, it appears some of the debt could be due to incorrect prices on my key meter. I have numerous letters stating that it should update on my next top up of the key and then a few weeks later I get the same letter again. I don't know how to check my meter to see if it is right. There are only 2 buttons - one white and one blue and I know one of them switches the meter off. I'm concerned that if my meter is not set at the right prices i'll be incurring more debt but also don't understand why I get these letters all the time if the letters tell me that my meter is going to be updated.

    I've called E.ON several times, but they tell me it's nothing to worry about and that my meter will update.
  • cmjj
    cmjj Posts: 11 Forumite
    Home Insurance Hacker!
    As a follow-up to my previous post, I sent 2 very focused emails to Scottish Power, after they continued to maintain that my DD needs to increase by £43 per month. I told them I didn't accept what they were saying, and that I was contacting MSE, and lo and behold, this morning I got another email, telling me that my DD would be returned to what had been agreed.

    An interesting PS to this is that, as part of the original offer, I was told I had boiler cover with it. I said at the time I didn't really need it and wouldn't be using it, because we have a really reliable insurance policy with our local water board for all our heating and plumbing, and so when SP rang to remind me that I needed to have an annual service as part of the boiler cover agreement, I told them I didn't need one, as we already have....etc etc etc. OK, they said, we'll make a note of that.
    A month later, and another phone call to the same end. Same response from me and same assurance that they'd make a note of it. So, this morning, when I had a letter with an Annual Service reminder, I rang them and said, very slowly, 'No. Thanks. I. Don't. Need. One. I. Have. A. Very. Reliable. Heating. Insurance. Policy. Already.'
    'Oh, really sorry,' she said, 'you spoke to me before and I wrote that on your screen. I'll make sure that this is the first thing they see when they look at your screen in future. By the way, as you don't need the boiler cover, shall I see if I can find something else we can provide for the money? '
    This was the first time I'd heard that the boiler cover was charged for. No-one mentioned that in February when I took out the policy, so another misselling situation, plus I've not only had the threat of our DD increasing, but also I've been paying for something I wasn't told would cost me, and which I told them 3 times I didn't need.
    Scottish Power is really the pits. They will have to do some rapid reparations to stop me taking this much further.
  • Scottish_Power
    Scottish_Power Posts: 1,263 Organisation Representative
    Hi cmjj,

    I presume the tariff you have gone of is our Platinum Fixed tariff, our standard homecofort boiler care is included in this, it is not charged for seperately.

    If you want me to discuss your complaint with you please e-mail me your details to [EMAIL="onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com"]onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com[/EMAIL]

    Kind regards

    Graeme @ ScottishPower
    Official Company Representative
    I am the official company representative of Scottish Power. MSE has given permission for me to post in response to queries about the company, so that I can help solve issues. You can see my name on the companies with permission to post list. I am not allowed to tout for business at all. If you believe I am please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com This does NOT imply any form of approval of my company or its products by MSE"
  • Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc
    Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc Posts: 6,558 Organisation Representative
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Miroslav wrote: »
    Thanks for responding Malc.

    I shall attempt to contact your Sales Compliance Team.

    Thanks for the info on the debt. If I may ask you on this thread, it appears some of the debt could be due to incorrect prices on my key meter. I have numerous letters stating that it should update on my next top up of the key and then a few weeks later I get the same letter again. I don't know how to check my meter to see if it is right. There are only 2 buttons - one white and one blue and I know one of them switches the meter off. I'm concerned that if my meter is not set at the right prices i'll be incurring more debt but also don't understand why I get these letters all the time if the letters tell me that my meter is going to be updated.

    I've called E.ON several times, but they tell me it's nothing to worry about and that my meter will update.

    Hi Miroslav

    To check the settings on your key meter, please press the blue button.

    The display on the front of the meter will change each time the button is pressed to give you a particular setting. Keep scrolling through until you reach the settings you want.

    The Standing Charge can be seen at setting F. This will be shown as a weekly charge and includes VAT.

    Setting I shows the price of each kWh, again including VAT.

    If you have a two rate Economy 7 meter, the price of the night time units (including VAT) will be shown at setting K.

    To see the above settings, the key does not need to be in the meter. However, you'll need to insert the key to see settings after K.

    These include the amount of debt on the meter (setting S) and the weekly re-payment rate (setting T).

    Check the rates outlined in our letters/statements match the settings on the meter. Talk to one of our Prepayment teams if there are any discrepancies.

    Prepayment key meters are updated remotely by sending electronic messages to the meter. Messages are downloaded through the key when the meter is topped up.

    However, it sometimes takes several top ups before the message is put on to the meter; more if different retail outlets are used.

    Hope this is useful Miroslav. Give me a shout if I can help further as will be happy to do so.

    Malc
    Official Company Representative
    I am an official company representative of E.ON. MSE has given permission for me to post in response to queries about the company, so that I can help solve issues. You can see my name on the companies with permission to post list. I am not allowed to tout for business at all. If you believe I am please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com This does NOT imply any form of approval of my company or its products by MSE"
  • In February 2010 I was stopped in a supermarket by NPower who claimed they could offer me electricity for my partner and I at just £20 a month, while gas would be £50, giving a totol of £70 for both utilities. I explained that we were paying double that for electricity at present and they assured me it was correct - so I switched to them. Heard nothing for 18 months except the odd letter saying 'Relax! You don't need to do anything!'. Two months ago we received our first bill - apprantly we had been underpaying by £30 a month for 18 months, so we now owe NPower £600. So, not only had they quoted me an amount much lower than the real cost, but they had taken 18 months to notice. We were given 'compensation' of £60 but still owe Npower £540 which they are kindly letting us pay off at £20 a month, on top of the £100 increased monthly bill. We used to pay around £80 for both to EDF - why did I ever change? I believe I was deliberatly under-quoted by the sales agents to ensure that I switched to NPower, but after their internal 'investigation', apprently I wasn't. Can I do anyhting about this?
  • I am with Atlantic Gas and Electric (a subsidiary of Scottish and Southern Electric) and have just received a "while you were out" postcard headed `Southern Electric' asking me to phone 0845 0717 825 with my meter readings.

    On ringing this a foreign-sounding voice (Indian?) announces that this is `Southern Energy' (not Scottish and Southern and somehow Electric has become Energy) and would we please leave our address and meter readings - no mention of account number. The only other options are to re-record our message or quit the call.

    Do you think this is a scam to unwittingly have me switched to another supplier?
  • Miroslav
    Miroslav Posts: 6,193 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Hi Miroslav

    To check the settings on your key meter, please press the blue button.

    The display on the front of the meter will change each time the button is pressed to give you a particular setting. Keep scrolling through until you reach the settings you want.

    The Standing Charge can be seen at setting F. This will be shown as a weekly charge and includes VAT.

    Setting I shows the price of each kWh, again including VAT.

    If you have a two rate Economy 7 meter, the price of the night time units (including VAT) will be shown at setting K.

    To see the above settings, the key does not need to be in the meter. However, you'll need to insert the key to see settings after K.

    These include the amount of debt on the meter (setting S) and the weekly re-payment rate (setting T).

    Check the rates outlined in our letters/statements match the settings on the meter. Talk to one of our Prepayment teams if there are any discrepancies.

    Prepayment key meters are updated remotely by sending electronic messages to the meter. Messages are downloaded through the key when the meter is topped up.

    However, it sometimes takes several top ups before the message is put on to the meter; more if different retail outlets are used.

    Hope this is useful Miroslav. Give me a shout if I can help further as will be happy to do so.

    Malc

    Thanks again for the response Malc.

    It would appear that the key meter still hasn't updated. I use 3 or 4 different retailers for my top ups depending where I am on the day I top up.

    I'll have to contact the prepayment team to try and get this solved.

    Thanks.
  • Hello, I've never posted on here before so please be patient :)) Eleven years ago we were approached in our high street by a Rep from Npower he got our name and address etc and we said we would look into the deals available...next thing we know we are with Npower and not British gas ! the guy had erroneously signed the forms! we contacted Npower straight away we had to send in copies of our passports to prove it was not our signatures on the forms we asked to go back to British Gas. all settled or so you would think ...for over TEN years we paid a direct debit for our Gas but no one knew who our supplier was!! can you believe it !!..therefore we had been underpaying.. For Ten years we have been writing to British Gas and Npower we have a draw filled to the brim with letters from British Gas who every month threaten to turn off our gas supply even though we are paying them back at an agreed rate and every month we tell them the same thing and they look into it and say ahh yes we can see where this went wrong!!!! Mis sold Gas and Electricity?!!:mad: you bet we were ...( Do we win the prize for longest Battle with a gas Company?? ;))
  • This is what transpired in 2009:



    Dear Customer Service Director/Mr Gal!n (Chairman)

    I am writing to express my incredulity at the poor service I have received. I am sure when you see this you will understand that I would like a response and rectification to be confirmed asap.

    In August I set about transferring my electricity account from Scottish Power to British Gas. In early September I received a call from Scottish Power when a salesman made an offer to retain my custom with your company on special terms (Fix n Flex) with a one-off payment of £159 as a bonus. He said I could continue as a customer of Scottish Power and would not need to take any further steps regarding my British Gas transfer because Scottish Power would not complete the handover. The entire conversation was taped as I was informed by Scottish Power.

    At the beginning of this month, I received confirmation from British Gas that my account was being transferred and they debited £37.50. From Scottish Power I received a welcome as a new customer (even though I am not) with a leaflet that said ‘all I need to do is sit back and relax’.

    At the same time Scottish Power have sent me a final invoice (I am in credit). I emailed your customer service with a complaint and followed up with a call to them. The response was that I had been signed up as a new customer and someone will check.

    This is a total mess. I have been lied to over the phone and I am now out of pocket to British Gas, have had (or have I?) my Scottish Power account terminated and then been given a new Scottish Power account rather than the agreed transfer.


    I am willing to pass this experience on to newspapers, forums, and the ombudsman; however, I’d appreciate your comment as Customer Service Director/Chairman first.

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    The response >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


    Dear Mr xxxx
    Thank you for taking the time to speak to me on 13 October 2009 and today. Please accept my sincere apologies once again for the inconvenience this matter has caused and for the incorrect information you were given by the sales agent regarding the discount of £159.00.
    ScottishPower has been your supplier since 19 October 2009, and a new account has been set up under reference XXXX on the online Fix N Flex package paying monthly by Direct Debit at £38.75 per month.
    I hope this information is helpful, and please be assured that ScottishPower has a robust reporting procedure regarding misleading information given by sales agents, and the appropriate action will be taken to ensure this does not happen again. Should you require further assistance, I can normally be contacted by phone on 0141 xxxx between 8.00am and 4.00pm or by email at xxx@scottishpower.com
    Regards
    JW
    Customer Relations
  • I had a knock on the door a little over 12 months ago and it was a Salesman from EDF trying to get customers to switch. I had been thinking that I should look at changing as I had been with my current supplier for quite a number of years so was happy to listen to what the gentleman had to say.
    We went through my usage, what electrical appliances I owned and what I currently paid.
    I had been paying £89.50 a month but had a healthy credit balance of over £100, the salesman said that I could reduce my payments to £70 a month and that would be more than enough and that a further reduction in payments would probably be necesary.
    I was more than happy to take him up on this offer and was also promised nectar points as an added incentive.
    As of the 21st July my account was £264.45 in debit so clearly the savings I was offered have not been realised and as of yet the nectar points haven't been forthcoming. This is clearly a case of mis-selling and I have now written to EDF to make a complaint.
    I signed up for paperless billing last month but their on line account facility doesn't work half the time and I have been unable to access my bills until today so you can imagine my surprise that they have taken the £264.45 from my bank account to bring my account back in to credit! I will be leaving them at the earliest possible opportunity!
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