Complaining to Energy Ombudsman: Is it worth it?

keiran

Hello.

I'd like to complain to the Ombudsman but wonder if it would be worth my time/energy/hassle.

I switched to Scottish Power with a direct debit (d/d) of £45. On giving them my first meter reading, my bill showed a small credit, but the next day I got an email saying the d/d was going up to £78. I analysed their estimated figures of my future consumption and could not agree with them. They had also not taken account of my usage figures, which had been supplied to them by my previous supplier.

I rang them and they admitted a "system problem". The d/d was changed to £51.50 and they gave me a £20 credit.

I was unhappy with this and escalated the complaint, and received an email which agreed with my points but said they wouldn't increase the compensation. Additional complaints were: being kept waiting on the phone for 25 minutes before any one answering and not being given the required 21 days notice before the date of the increased d/d.

I would like the Ombudsman to review the case as I suspect this sort of practice is very widespread and power companies get away with it because of customers who are too busy, or can't understand their bills, or don't know how to challenge the increases.

And of course our regulators in general are quite toothless, and usually in bed with the companies they're supposed to be regulating.

I would have thought the compensation ought to be a minimum of £100, but the guidelines for complaining to the Ombudsman state that a complainant has to prove how the figure has been arrived at.

Any thoughts please from successful complainers about the merit of taking this forward, the likely award, and how to "prove" the level of compensation?

Also the deadlock letter says they'll keep the complaint open for 10 days to allow me to approach the Ombudsman, and then close the complaint. Surely I have many months in which to go to the Ombudsman?

Thanks in advance for your help

jalexa

keiran wrote: »

I'd like to complain to the Ombudsman but wonder if it would be worth my time/energy/hassle...

...Also the deadlock letter says they'll keep the complaint open for 10 days to allow me to approach the Ombudsman, and then close the complaint. Surely I have many months in which to go to the Ombudsman?

Just to comment on the points above. Only you can decide whether it is worth your time/energy/hassle. I am not *certain* how the Energy Ombudsman is funded, but, for example, financial organisations are levied a £500 case fee win or lose for every FOS reference. Whatever, I imagine an accepted case represents quite an administrative burden for the supplier. Revenge of sorts.

I don't think the "10 day" point has any relevance to a "deadlocked" complaint. You are right you have longer.

The Energy Ombudsman will decide whether there is a case to consider. I would have though it would be quite easy to construct a case that £20 didn't compensate for your time addressing an issue not of your making.

IMO the "£20" (and the agreed or reinstated monthly payment) is the wrong issue to make a stand on. You would be be better making a stand on the provision of an explanation (detailed numbers) compliant with SLC27.14.

27.14 The licensee must provide to each such Domestic Customer an explanation in clear, plain and intelligible language of the basis upon which a fixed amount (and any variation of that fixed amount) has been determined.

Tippytoes

Whether you have a valid claim or not.....they're all in bed in one another, so I wouldn't waste my time.

keiran

thanks jalexa,

Just to say they did do an "estimated future consumption" to determine my increased d/d

But it was a work of fiction, and took no account of my usage, which had been provided to them by my previous supplier!!!

fightyfish

i've worked for one of the big 6 - and in my experience customer usage data isn't passed when they switch. so the estimated annual usage would be just that.

yoda011087

keiran wrote: »

Additional complaints were: being kept waiting on the phone for 25 minutes before any one answering and not being given the required 21 days notice before the date of the increased d/d.

Why is £20 not enough for this inconvenience? Why is £100 a reasonable figure? This is something you will have to convince the Ombudsman of.

Under the Direct Debit Guarantee, a company needs to give you 14 days (10 working days) notice of a change to your payments, not 21.

Good luck, let us know the result.

chanz4

Scottish power re-asses every six months, if you give reads every month it will show your actual consumption and alter your dd. The energy regulator cant control payment plans. You wont get £100 from the e/o for that as you have not lost more than £20

Scottish_Power

Hi Keiran,

As you have already been issued with a letter of deadlock I may be unable to assist further, however if you e-mail me with your details I can review the case for you and if I can help I will.

For your information the "keep the complaint open for 10 days" refers to the complaint within ScottishPower and this is as long as we will hold debt follow-up (if applicable). You have 6 months to contact the Energy Ombudsman if you wish.

My e-mail address is [EMAIL="onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com"]onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com[/EMAIL]

Kind regards

Graeme @ ScottishPower

jalexa

scottishpower_company_representative wrote: »

As you have already been issued with a letter of deadlock I may be unable to assist further, however...I can review the case for you and if I can help I will.

In that case what is the point (and status of) a "deadlock" letter?

For your information the "keep the complaint open for 10 days" refers to the complaint within ScottishPower and this is as long as we will hold debt follow-up (if applicable). You have 6 months to contact the Energy Ombudsman if you wish.

Useful info, but why not include that in the customer letter?

keiran

Thanks for comments all,

I am aware that financial companies have to pay a hefty amount for each complaint that is referred to the Financial Ombudsman, and this is a spur to their efforts at resolution. Most customers don't know this, and it should be widely advertised so that, as jalexa says, there can be revenge of a sort.

Can anyone confirm if it's the same for the energy ombudsman?


fightyfish,
I was clearly told that that Scottish Power had my previous usage figures from British Gas.
In any case these figures were provided by me when they quoted me during the switch.
Perhaps Graeme can confirm?


yoda,
The compensation should be more than £20 as there ought to be some "deterrent" element in the compensation so that these companies learn and stop bad practices.


chanz,
Scottish power told me that they could increase the d/d amount after every bill!
So that could mean, potentially, having a protracted conversation every 3 months with them , arguing your case for the d/d to be a sensible amount!!


Graeme,
Thanks for trying to help. I think if you'd been the Senior Complaints Advisor with my case, this would have been resolved. In my case, however, I was dealing with one who I think probably needs to be retrained.

Can you confirm/expand on any of the questions above?

Is there any point emailing you if I have the deadlock letter?

I actually think the "keep the complaint open for 10 days" thing is deliberately misleading, or at best, very poorly expressed.

I have checked the ombudsman's website, and it says "The deadline for bringing a complaint to our attention is nine months from the time you first told the company about it." . So not the 6 months you suggest!


Thanks for any thoughts

cing0

Just had the results of my 1st energy complaint at the Ombudsman which was upheld in my favour. So I'll briefly share my experience as the OS: Energy website is pretty crap.

Overall, the Ombudsman services are arrogant. However, the process is pretty quick and is faster than the overmanned Financial Ombudsman.

My tips for successful complaints at Ombudsman services: energy are:

Do all your communication with your energy supplier by email or in writing.
Once you have a complaint, follow the energy suppliers complaint procedure.
Suppliers usually have timescales for each step so if they don't conform, that can become part of your complaint.
Set out your case chronologically referring to correspondence and proof.
List any real losses / costs you have incurred.
The ombudsman will look in the complaint for 'shortfalls in customer service' where you have no tangible loss. Such examples are failure to respond to emails, losing meter readings etc. They also look for 'mismanagement' (system failings) and 'conflicting information' (lies).
Compensating for a persons time is still subjective so only claim for that if it can be accurately calculated. Otherwise, goodwill payments will be awarded relative to the energy used.

Fill in the ombudsman's form and put a summary of the complaint in the box provided. Attach with it your full complaint and evidence and email the lot with the signature form scanned after signing it. After this form is redrafted and revised by the Ombudsman, the whole process will take under 4 months.
Towards the end of the process, you may receive a letter from your suppliers Ombudsman Liaison staff which may indicate they are about to cough but by this point, they will already be down by the £334 case fee.

To succeed at the ombudsman, you need to have a combination of above and show loss (for example not receiving a discount promised).
Until the service is a bit less opaque and publishes its decisions (or customer post ones they receive), punters can only guess.

The following are maximum observed compensations payments from energy suppliers before OS: Energy involvement:

British Gas: £150+
Npower £100
SSE £50
Scottish power £50
EDF £25
EON £20

The following are energy compensation tariffs (i.e. what the energy companies pay for what).

£25 - minor transgression - using the wrong prices, mistakes etc
£50 - inconsistent information (lies).
£100 - combination of 1 or more each of the above.