Energy Misselling successes

cluelessabout£jargon

Hi, wondering if anyone has a similar experience or can advise.

In 2011 my parents moved to British Gas, they came to read the meter and asked them to pay a monthly direct debit of £95. Each year they have written to them saying they have reassessed their account and the monthly amount didn't need to be adjusted, the most recent time being January 2015.

Recently they switched providers only for British Gas to attempt to take over £3150 from their account without any warning, no letter of explanation, nothing...fortunately the funds weren't available so they couldn't take it. Astonished they called several times and have been passed from pillar to post over a 2 week period, eventually BG have admitted the direct debit gas been £65 short since day one, for 4 years and were originally demanding they pay the amount in full or they'd be passed to the debt collection team. Considering they have paid their direct debit on time every month and been "model customers" I find it outrageous the way they're being treated. Eventually they've agreed to pay £65 a month over 4 years but I still want to take this further, it's BGs fault that this has accumulated since 2011 so I feel as a gesture of goodwill they should drastically reduce it...has anyone else had a similar experience when leaving BG? What's the best thing for them to do next?
Thanks in advance for any help.

carlaj

I have switched energy suppliers several times over the years with no problems. But last year in December I switched back to First Utility after leaving them briefly for 6 months for another supplier. Whilst they have been able to handle the electricity switch OK, (albeit putting me on a different tariff to the one I selected), they have been completely unable to cope with the gas switch. They initially sent me a bill in December for supply of gas from April to December (when they weren't actually supplying me with gas at all) and since then have failed to give me a single gas bill, despite multiple expensive calls to their contact centre and raising complaints on their website. Every time they say 'wait 4-6 weeks and it will be sorted', but of course it never is. They are quite happy to take my direct debits mind you! I also cannot submit any gas meter readings as they can't allocate me an account that shows my gas meter to enter a reading against.
I am on the point of raising a complaint with OfGen, it has now been over 7 months since I 'switched'. I can't even switch somewhere else until they sort out the billing. But the second it is sorted out, I am switching to another supplier and I'm never going back to First Utility.

Summerwhiner

Has anyone come across a utility management company called Ecosave Energy Ltd? I was telephoned by this company which at the time I believed was on behalf of E-on, my electricity supplier. They told me that their prices were going up and asked me to sign an agreement to pay the new charges. I said I would like to shop around to see if I could get a cheaper quote, at which point they said that NPower would be cheaper, which I then started to think was suspicious, They said they could organise the swap for me, and then told me that they were EcoSave Ltd, but acting on behalf of E-on. They said that because I hadn't responded to E-on's letter regarding the price increase, which I had not received, E-on had asked them to contact me. I almost signed up with them, but as they needed my meter number, which I didn't have, I contacted E-on.They stated that I had a fixed rate contract which still had a year to run, and whose prices were considerably lower than I was about to sign up to. They had therefore not sent me any letter regarding a price increase. E-on said they always deal with customers direct and Eco-save saying they were acting on E-on's behalf was a total lie. Although I haven't signed anything, I am concerned because they now have a large amount of my personal information including my bank details. The document I so nearly signed via an Echosign email authorises Eco-Save to terminate my present contract and resolve any objections my current supplier may have, so this could have resulted in my paying far more for my energy. I am very aware of scams, but I wonder how many people have been caught out by their underhand tactics, and believe they need to be stopped. I have reported them to Trading Standards.

nadiafox

Hi all

Really hoping for some advice if possible!

We moved into our property in Feb 2013 and have recently learnt the estimations have been incorrect to date. (We had been paying a direct debit of around 99 per month for two of us - both work full time all day)

We have not been contacted since 2013 for a reading, As far as we were concerned we were making correct up to date payments each month.

In December 2015 following a reading in May 2015 we have been hit with two bills at £900 each.

The lack of contact and readings has now resulted in a hefty amount outstanding, which quite simply we cannot afford to pay back. We feel this is an oversight on Eons part and pretty shocking that we are being asked to pay over £2500.

We are a young couple and this is the first time we have owned a property - both thinking the lack of communication with the energy provider was normal.

We have tried absolutely EVERYTHING to resolve this, and now have been passed to a 3rd resolution manager. Meanwhile Eon are attempting to take £1000 out of our account each month and we really have no idea what to do.

Has anyone had any similar situations? We really don't know where to turn and we aren't in a financial position to seek legal advice either.

Any advice is really appreciated hoping someone can help!!

Thank you!

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

nadiafox wrote: »

Hi all

Really hoping for some advice if possible!

We moved into our property in Feb 2013 and have recently learnt the estimations have been incorrect to date. (We had been paying a direct debit of around 99 per month for two of us - both work full time all day)

We have not been contacted since 2013 for a reading, As far as we were concerned we were making correct up to date payments each month.

In December 2015 following a reading in May 2015 we have been hit with two bills at £900 each.

The lack of contact and readings has now resulted in a hefty amount outstanding, which quite simply we cannot afford to pay back. We feel this is an oversight on Eons part and pretty shocking that we are being asked to pay over £2500.

We are a young couple and this is the first time we have owned a property - both thinking the lack of communication with the energy provider was normal.

We have tried absolutely EVERYTHING to resolve this, and now have been passed to a 3rd resolution manager. Meanwhile Eon are attempting to take £1000 out of our account each month and we really have no idea what to do.

Has anyone had any similar situations? We really don't know where to turn and we aren't in a financial position to seek legal advice either.

Any advice is really appreciated hoping someone can help!!

Thank you!

Whilst I feel for you, the facts are you've used the energy, and now you have to pay for it. Suppliers are only mandated to read them once every 2 years. It's vital you submit meter reads to ensure accurate billing.

If eon won't accept a payment plan, the easiest thing would be to have a Prepayment meter installed. Eon will be happy to do this free of charge. This way the debt will be collected at a much slower rate than it would otherwise be.

Good luck.

dianadoors

I went to court against NPower and whilst I didn't win I learned a great deal.
Firstly the Code that all large companies signed up to is WORTHLESS
It is not recognised by our courts.
Secondly,whilst I did not win I did cost NPOWER about 4,000 pounds.The judge agreed that I had been treated very badly but basically I couldn't prove fraud against themI did however prove that NPower had lied and
and that their legal team is as unscrupulous as NPower ,at one point
saying that I had received a letter whilst I proved that I hadn't!

I urge anyone thinking of using NPOWER NOT TO.
My nightmare with them began very soon after going,taking money from my account unl;awfully and later pretending that they had informed me.LIES and more lies.Any company but NPower!

System

dianadoors wrote: »

Firstly the Code that all large companies signed up to is WORTHLESS
It is not recognised by our courts.

!

I assume that you are talking about The BackBilling Code? It has always been a voluntary code with no legal standing; however, it is used by The EO as a benchmark when it looks at a complaint.

garyclay

Hi,

Just found out E.on have been billing me for the wrong meter. The billing was for next doors meter.

However they say that as I gave them readings from my meter I haven't been miss-billed as I have paid for what I've actually used.

Is this correct? I thought by law that billing for the wrong meter meant payments had to be refunded?

Thanks for any help!

Oadbylad

Hello...I moved into the property that in in now last June,it had a Smart meter and was on Eon's smart meter energy tariff, i had a word with neighbours and found that suppliers were hard to come by on this type meter but was horrified to find out what some of them were paying it varied for 45/95 per month
So after speaking to a telephone salesman who assured me that £40 a month by direct debt would be more than ample for a single person in my type of property and that the tariff and payment plan would be reviewed after 12 months
Now being a pensioner imagine my surprise when this May i recived by update as promised and i owed Eon £320 and that they were about to alter my direct debt to £95 until the debt was cleared
Now 95 a month out of my state pension was just not doable,so i paid it of on my credit card
I then received an email from Eon thanking me and telling me that my direct debt payments had been adjusted to
wait for it...........
£39.50!!!
I was gobbed smacked
Im a pensioner but surely logic says come next year i'm going to be another £6 further in debt
It beggars belief
Needless to say on the phone and switched my meter to E10 i know its not the perfect answer but i'm registered for a new smart meter as soon as
EDF my new supplier asses my usage and want me to pay £63.50 now this seem far more logical to me
So ive switched
To be continued me thinks
ps. ive a story to be told about mis selling by BT as well

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Oadbylad wrote: »

Hello...I moved into the property that in in now last June,it had a Smart meter and was on Eon's smart meter energy tariff, i had a word with neighbours and found that suppliers were hard to come by on this type meter but was horrified to find out what some of them were paying it varied for 45/95 per month
So after speaking to a telephone salesman who assured me that £40 a month by direct debt would be more than ample for a single person in my type of property and that the tariff and payment plan would be reviewed after 12 months
Now being a pensioner imagine my surprise when this May i recived by update as promised and i owed Eon £320 and that they were about to alter my direct debt to £95 until the debt was cleared
Now 95 a month out of my state pension was just not doable,so i paid it of on my credit card
I then received an email from Eon thanking me and telling me that my direct debt payments had been adjusted to
wait for it...........
£39.50!!!
I was gobbed smacked
Im a pensioner but surely logic says come next year i'm going to be another £6 further in debt
It beggars belief
Needless to say on the phone and switched my meter to E10 i know its not the perfect answer but i'm registered for a new smart meter as soon as
EDF my new supplier asses my usage and want me to pay £63.50 now this seem far more logical to me
So ive switched
To be continued me thinks
ps. ive a story to be told about mis selling by BT as well

Good morning Oadbylad,

I'm sorry that you haven't been very happy with us

Really when a new customer moves in to a new property the Direct Debit will be set at what we think you'll use, an estimated usage as we wouldn't have any history for you.

If the account had been falling in to a debit balance each quarter, this should have been shown on your bills. Were the bills charged to estimated readings or actual reads?

We can change the Direct Debit for you, even if it's not time for the review, you can also adjust your Direct Debit via the Direct Debit manager on your online account.

I understand that you've now changed supplier and I'm sorry to see that.

Thank you

Helena