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Gas & electric company woes
MetManMark
Posts: 61 Forumite
in Energy
All
Some advice please...
We bought a house that had previously been used as offices. When we got the keys (July) one of the first things that we did was to notify the gas and electricity companies (they were different) that the house was now being used as a residential property. Our purchase was dependent on the 'change of use' being approved by the council. The electricity provider was pretty useless but did eventually change us over to the residential tarif. However the gas provider messed us around largely because their residential and commercial businesses are separate and appear unable to speak with each other. As a result we were unable to change supplier as any new supplier needs the old account to be registered as residential.
This has gone on for 6 months now and we have been paying commercial rates for gas, only because the supplier is not sufficiently competent to switch us over the residential tarrif.
We have made dozens of calls to both the residential and commercial arms of the company and had a number of demands for payment as well as conflicting bills and threats of bailiffs if we don't pay (which has never been an option. We have complained both on the phone and in writing and they have never given a satisfactory answer.
On top of this they spell our name incorrectly.
Because they have not responded to our complaints we have contacted the ombudsman and informed them that we have done so. They have now offered us £100 credit as a final offer for settlement of all this. I am tempted to tell them to push off and to see what the ombudsman has to say. Has anyone got experience of stuff like this? Would like to know whether we should just take the £100 or whether we should hold out for more? Bear in mind we have been paying commercial rates for 6 months and they have prevented us switching suppliers (which is surely naughty?).
Cheers
Mark
Some advice please...
We bought a house that had previously been used as offices. When we got the keys (July) one of the first things that we did was to notify the gas and electricity companies (they were different) that the house was now being used as a residential property. Our purchase was dependent on the 'change of use' being approved by the council. The electricity provider was pretty useless but did eventually change us over to the residential tarif. However the gas provider messed us around largely because their residential and commercial businesses are separate and appear unable to speak with each other. As a result we were unable to change supplier as any new supplier needs the old account to be registered as residential.
This has gone on for 6 months now and we have been paying commercial rates for gas, only because the supplier is not sufficiently competent to switch us over the residential tarrif.
We have made dozens of calls to both the residential and commercial arms of the company and had a number of demands for payment as well as conflicting bills and threats of bailiffs if we don't pay (which has never been an option. We have complained both on the phone and in writing and they have never given a satisfactory answer.
On top of this they spell our name incorrectly.
Because they have not responded to our complaints we have contacted the ombudsman and informed them that we have done so. They have now offered us £100 credit as a final offer for settlement of all this. I am tempted to tell them to push off and to see what the ombudsman has to say. Has anyone got experience of stuff like this? Would like to know whether we should just take the £100 or whether we should hold out for more? Bear in mind we have been paying commercial rates for 6 months and they have prevented us switching suppliers (which is surely naughty?).
Cheers
Mark
0
Comments
-
Wait for the Ombudsmans decision, but quickly work out the cost differential of what your 'Commercial Contact' costs have been, against what you would have paid on a Domestic tariff and send it to the Ombudsman as a further submission0
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