warm home discount scheme

MissJC

MissJC wrote: »

I tried to send my documentation today but it seems the email address supplied doesn't work!
I got a Mail Delivery Failed message back.

My mistake! I had too many attachments on one email so it was too big for their server. I have to spread the attachments over 2 or 3 emails instead.
It wouldn't surprise me if that confuses everything and they end up losing some of the documentation!

Simon7685

I checked my meter today and updated my spreadsheet which works out my usage for me. I built it when I was with BG to keep track of my usage. My bill is due on 07 April and naturally I am very concerned about my payments being put up. My calculations incidcate that after the WHD is applied I will owe them £25. As this is from October 12 to April 13, I don't think that is bad going and shows my payments are correct.

However if they don't give me the WHD I would owe them £155, so this is why getting the WHD is going to affect what they do with my DD after the bill. I cannot pay any more than the £98 a month I pay now, so decided to bombard them with questions!

I emailed them asking directly whether they were going to pay me the WHD. Then I went on to their live chat and asked directly, I was told to ring them on 08000272700, so I did. I explained my situation and advised how worried I was, all I could get out of them was they are checking all applications now and if payment is due it will be creditied to my account by 31st March. she would not commit to telling me if I was going to get it or not:mad:.

I really think this is shambolic, they must know by now, yet will not tell people one way or the other. They just do not seem to understand how worrying this is for people. When I was with BG and applied last April, I did not hear anything, so rang them in June, they had not received the application, so did it over the phone and with in 4 weeks wrote to me confirming I would get it by the end of March. Why oh why can't all companies act in the same way????

I now expect a fight on my hands over my payments after this next bill as they are going to say my usage over winter means I am not paying enough. We use 75% of our annual usage between October and April but they are not going to accept this I know because they only have 6 months usage details to base their figures on.

I really think these companies should be forced to be more approachable and provide much better communication than they do:mad:

saintscouple

shammyjack wrote: »

Just had a 12 minute conversation with Scottish Power on the dedicated number for Warm Home Discounts 0800 027 2700.

They are a small team of less than 12 but had this to say.

SP take a 10% random sample of all applications . These are sent for verification and all the rest are paid automatically.

The 10% selected for verification were checked with DWP and any needing further information or who had filled in forms incorrectly were contacted before Christmas 2012 .

According to the Rep I spoke to all the other 90% who applied before Christmas , those who have re=submitted correct information and any who applied after Christmas up to the cut off date WILL receive payment .

Payments will not show in your online account but will be credited to your next bill. I was advised that submitting meter readings after 31/03/2013 to generate a bill will show if you have received your discount .

Thanks for providing the telephone number, I've just had a conversation with a nice chap there who said payments will be made by the end of the month. I am on key meter and credit will be done by message direct to the key when I top up. He said they have just been issued with a list of eligible customers who are going to receive the payments, and my name is on the list, so happy that payment will be made. I will be just using the same paypoint outlet and make regular smaller top-ups to ensure I get the key updated as soon as the message comes through.

mrsmetropolis

I received a letter today from British Gas with a bar code on it so the Warm Home Discount can be scanned and added to my prepayment electric key. I'm so glad I've finally received it!
Hope everyone else receives theirs too!

tinacee1

I have been sending information to CHARIS (trying to get the Warm Home discount) since the 15th March 2013. I feel that customers who were given late notification to provide extra information have been treated disgracefully.


I sent this reply to the email they sent to me this morning. I am disgusted about how I have been treated.The document that the DWP sent to me during the week that I requested covers April 2012 date. As far as I'm concerned (and a member of the Gas Home Care Team agreed with me) this is evidence enough.
I agree with 'owlsrace' when he/she said "In my view, this scheme has either been grossly mishandled by British Gas OR they waited until the last minute to notify claimants in the knowledge that very few would then be eligible to claim it."
I feel as if I have been 'robbed'. Myself like everyone else is struggling to pay bills and to keep myself warm and fed. I feel very low and depressed by all this.
Has anyone else had this problem.

MY EMAIL TO CHARIS (this morning)

I am very disappointed with your recent email this morning . I have been trying to contact you repeatedly on your 0800 number since 15th March. It goes straight on to answer machine. The Home Energy Team representative told me to hold the line as he was going to try to ring your number to see if he could get through but had the same problem as me - straight onto answer machine. As far as I am concerned I have submitted all the evidence to your organisation to substantiate my claim for Warm Home Discount. The letter I requested from the DWP and which they sent (I emailed it to you) does not specifically state April 2012 but they have gone even further and put down the start date 2007 (which obviously includes April 2012) up until 4th April 2013. I have been in touch with the Home Care Team special line for the elderly and disabled for days now and rang them again when I received your recent email. He agreed that I had provided the information you have asked for and could not understand why the dates on the letter were in dispute. He also aknowledged that the time-frame was very short to get the information to CHARIS. He said he agreed that it had been handled unsatisfactorily. He cannot understand why you will not accept the DWP letter which I asked them to send to me with confirmation of dates.
Due to all these problems with time limits, being unable to speak to someone at CHARIS, he agreed with me that the cut off date should have been extended because of these problems none of which are the customers fault. This is a really terrible state of affairs, as the discount was needed because of the cold winter we are experiencing. I woke up to almost a foot of snow outside my front door this morning in Lancashire so I am unable to get out as the weather has affected public transport.
If this situation remains unresolved I have told the British Gas Home Care team representative that I will be contacting my MP and issuing a complaint to the Energy Ombudsman. This fiasco has left me feeling frustrated and angry.

CHARIS EMAIL TO ME THIS MORNING;
Good morning,
Thank you for your recent email and evidence attach. This is the type letter we need but we need it to show entitlement from April 2012, do you have this one?
Unfortunately the scheme will close today for evidence and if it is not received you will not be entitled to the payment.
Amanda

Simon7685

If I were you I would seriously consider going to the media about the way you have been treated. I would also be contacting my MP. They may sound like pointless things to do but if you can get the media on to it, BG will not like the adverse publicity. I would also email BBC Watchdog and Rip off Britain.

The whole scheme is grossly mismanaged, I have still had no contact from Scottish Power advising me whether or not I am getting the payment, despite knowing I qualify for it myself. It is not right the way people are being left dangling wondering whether or not they are going to be given the payment and then having a few days to supply information after they have sat on the application for months.

Scottish_Power

Hi Simon Can you e-mail details to [EMAIL="social@scottishpower.com"]social@scottishpower.com[/EMAIL] we can check for you? Thanks David

Simon7685

I remember highlighting when this scheme started that it was a rip off compared to the social tariff system that it replaced. A lot of people poo poo'd the idea and some even said I did not know what I was on about. Sadly I think the more time goes on the more right I am being proved.

It is missmanaged, missallocated and substantially more expensive than the social tariff system. People are fooled because they see £130 being credited to their accounts, as opposed to a cheaper overall tariff. the bottom line is the energy companies are making hundreds more from most people as a result of its introduction and that is if they give it to those that are actually entitled.

I have just calculated this winter against last winter, with a week to go to the end of March, the results are frightening. Here are the figures for me for the period 01 December to 31 March.........

01 December 2011 to 31 March 2012 - B/Gas Essentials (Social Tariff)
Used 8628 units total cost - £379.15

01 December 2012 to 25 March 2013 - SP fixed to Oct 2014 Tariff - which was and still is the cheapest tariff available to me.
Used 7787 units total cost - £591.71

So with one week to go I have used 841 units less but it has cost me £212.56 more. Assuming I use the same amount of energy in the one week remaining as I did last week the difference will be £251.56 less the WHD (if they pay it) means my energy use this winter has cost me £121.56 more.

591.71 + 39.00 (this week) = 630.71 - 379.15 = 251.56 more less WHD 130.00 = £121.56 more and used 331 units less in 120 days.

Putting it another way, after WHD this winter has cost £1 a day more to heat than last winter!!

Warm Home Discount is a missmanaged, ill conceived mess that is going to get a lot of people into a lot of debt during its lifetime!!!!

Rant Over!

Simon7685

scottishpower_company_representative wrote: »

Hi Simon Can you e-mail details to [EMAIL="social@scottishpower.com"]social@scottishpower.com[/EMAIL] we can check for you? Thanks David

I rang and emailed the WHD team last week and they would only go as far as saying it would be credited by 31st March if I was getting it.

It will impact massively on my monthly payments if I do not get it as my bill is due on 7 April, without it I will be about £200 in debit, so SP will want to put my payments up even more, which I will not be able to afford. Under the old social tariffs I paid £76 a month under WHD I have to pay £98, a 27% hike!

I will email the details now but I won't hold my breath.......

hippygran

Still not heard off British Gas about ours, so looking a bit unlikely now! Even though I have a letter telling me I am registered, and will receive the £130 'unless they contact me further' :eek: