Energy Ombudsman compensation levels

undaunted

brumboi10 wrote: »

I came to the Ombudsman for help but now want help with the Ombudsman!!

Don't worry you can ask your MP to help you by referring that to the Parliamentary Ombudsman you know

Some would say they are special too

undaunted

button86 wrote: »

hi.

i had a complaint open and unsolved with Npower for 550 days.

my original complaint was opened because they failed to switch over my gas supply when i moved into my new house in july 2012.(its taken until may this year to work out that British gas has been supplying me with gas since that date) i just received a bill for £1622 from them yesterday.

after nearly 2 years of being given the run around by npower with no answers and generic "were trying to resolve the issue" letters they have offered me £200 as a gesture of goodwill/compensation.

i then called for the millionth time in 2 years and the women on the phone raised that to £250.

i have declined this initial offer because i don't believe it is enough to compensate me for the amount of time iv spent corresponding with them over 2 YEARS !!!! and the stress this has caused to mine and my sisters everyday life.

iv asked them for a deadlock letter now for the 10th time in as many days. which they'v informed me there going to send me (finally)

can someone please advise me !!!!!!! if i take it to the energy ombudsmen can they award me less than Npower have offered me already (£250) ????????

i would feel like iv really shot myself in the foot if i declined there final offer and went to the EO to then be awarded less...

You may have lost a little in differing costs bewteen the two co.s but unless you can show it's substantial I'd be inclined to agree with chanz4 on this occasion (and we often look at things differently) £250 seems a good offer and one the Ombudsman is unlikely to increase if you go down that route I suspect

cing0

I've never seen a compensation offer over £100 by the energy ombudsman. You can get 2 identical complaints - one with £25 goodwill recommendation by an investigation officer, one with £100.

You can accept an offer and still go to the ombudsman but they would probably not recommended any more (in line with practice at other ombudsman services).
Since your complaint started 2 years ago, your actually out of time as you should have brought this to the Ombudsman 9 months ago - https://www.ombudsman-services.org/downloads/OS_factsheetLP.pdf
The answers pretty obvious now.

button86 wrote: »

i had a complaint open and unsolved with Npower for 550 days.

meldrew58

Started complaining about npower's chaotic billing and statements (7different amounts on 7 consecutive days) back in February 2013. After exhaustive dialogue they arbitrarily awarded me a total of £175 but I was unhappy with the way in which they handled this so complained to Ombudsman in May 2013. Decision on August which I disputed, "final" decision in October which I rejected. Since then have gone through the fog-like tiers of management in the Ombudsman's office trying to get satisfaction. Ombudsman staff seem unnaturally cosy with staff at npower so didn't expect much. One middle manager sniffily said that he would have awarded less than npower had actually paid out. Throughout' they have consistently ignored several key points of the complaint and refuse to even acknowledge their existence in various correspondence. Have reached the last part of the trail now, in that I have reported EO to the 'Independent Assessor' and await a response. It's a new bloke called Chris Gill and I have had acknowledgement but still waiting for decision - some weeks and counting! Can anyone explain why we are paying for the Ombudsman since they don't seem to have any teeth nor inclination to use them. Energy companies must be laughing themselves silly that EO can do no more than tell them they've not behaved very well - why should they care?

chanz4

meldrew58 wrote: »

Started complaining about npower's chaotic billing and statements (7different amounts on 7 consecutive days) back in February 2013. After exhaustive dialogue they arbitrarily awarded me a total of £175 but I was unhappy with the way in which they handled this so complained to Ombudsman in May 2013. Decision on August which I disputed, "final" decision in October which I rejected. Since then have gone through the fog-like tiers of management in the Ombudsman's office trying to get satisfaction. Ombudsman staff seem unnaturally cosy with staff at npower so didn't expect much. One middle manager sniffily said that he would have awarded less than npower had actually paid out. Throughout' they have consistently ignored several key points of the complaint and refuse to even acknowledge their existence in various correspondence. Have reached the last part of the trail now, in that I have reported EO to the 'Independent Assessor' and await a response. It's a new bloke called Chris Gill and I have had acknowledgement but still waiting for decision - some weeks and counting! Can anyone explain why we are paying for the Ombudsman since they don't seem to have any teeth nor inclination to use them. Energy companies must be laughing themselves silly that EO can do no more than tell them they've not behaved very well - why should they care?

£175 is quite high compo level, £50-75 I would of awarded you. Not sure if you know this but some suppliers do have staff working for the eos to handle the high volumes

shanouck

I have spent over a year on complaining to British Gas to remove a meter as i was not using Gas, so i wanted it removed to avoid the surcharge, This how ever was not removed and for the past year i have been charged a surcharge for having the meter sitting on my property doing nothing !! I cantacted the E/O after 6 months and after British Gas didnt respond to my complaint, 3 to 4 phone calls a day i was getting from British Gas about the gas i was using and NOT paying for, also letters stating i was using GAS... i have not used GAS the letters are incorrect , it was for a surcharge not gas as i dont use GAS, it has been a year now and i was sent letters from a Baylifts company , i stopped this - due to the fact that i am ill as well as my friend and that they would be breaking the Baylifts standard act - vulnerable household. and now after a year the E/O has said that British Gas are offering to remove the £92 bill as well as remove the meter and as well as remove the bad credit rating, and also got what i feel as a kick in the teeth compensation of ....... £20 !!!!!!!!!!!!! i am sick over that little amount as a year of stress and been bullied by British Gas , no way does that cover that, serious heart problems my friend has and he has been sick with worry , and all the compensation we get is £20 !!!! again it feels like the Bad energy companies WIN !!!! And continue abusing the system as they see fit, do they give the E/O special low rate power to there offices ? makes you think , what do they do to have the E/O in there favor ? I find £20 disgusting !!!! there really is NO JUSTICE at all for us mere poor abused people of this country.

naedanger

button86 wrote: »

if i take it to the energy ombudsmen can they award me less than Npower have offered me already (£250) ????????

It is possible but very unlikely that the Ombudsman will offer less. (I can only see them reducing the award if they think you materially misled the supplier.)

However I suspect they will not increase the award by much e.g. maybe another £50 or so. Personally I agree the compensation is small in relation to the hassle npower have caused but I don't think the Ombudsman offers much for this. Nevertheless I think you should claim and justify what you think is reasonable. But don't expect to get it. But at least your complaint will be heard independently from the supplier.

chanz4

cant see it myself, seen worse complaints get less

naedanger

meldrew58 wrote: »

Started complaining about npower's chaotic billing and statements (7different amounts on 7 consecutive days) back in February 2013. After exhaustive dialogue they arbitrarily awarded me a total of £175 but I was unhappy with the way in which they handled this so complained to Ombudsman in May 2013. Decision on August which I disputed, "final" decision in October which I rejected. Since then have gone through the fog-like tiers of management in the Ombudsman's office trying to get satisfaction. Ombudsman staff seem unnaturally cosy with staff at npower so didn't expect much. One middle manager sniffily said that he would have awarded less than npower had actually paid out. Throughout' they have consistently ignored several key points of the complaint and refuse to even acknowledge their existence in various correspondence. Have reached the last part of the trail now, in that I have reported EO to the 'Independent Assessor' and await a response. It's a new bloke called Chris Gill and I have had acknowledgement but still waiting for decision - some weeks and counting! Can anyone explain why we are paying for the Ombudsman since they don't seem to have any teeth nor inclination to use them. Energy companies must be laughing themselves silly that EO can do no more than tell them they've not behaved very well - why should they care?

I too have a complaint with the Independent Assessor.

The fact that I have complained about the Ombudsman implies I am not fully satisfied with their service. In my case I was happy with their original decision but not with the lack of service thereafter, when npower failed to implement the agreed decision and the Ombudsman didn't seem to care.

However even although I was not completely satisfied with the Ombudsman (who I suspect does not know how to deal with suppliers that ignore his rulings) I believe we would be in a much worse position if they did not exist. At least the fact the Ombudsman exists means the suppliers have to make some effort to deal with complaints, even if it is only once the case gets to the Ombudsman. But if the Ombudsman did not exist I think some suppliers would just totally ignore complaints e.g. by not answering calls or correspondence.

However I do think the Ombudsman is too cosy with the suppliers from hearing about other cases on this forum.

naedanger

cing0 wrote: »

Since your complaint started 2 years ago, your actually out of time as you should have brought this to the Ombudsman 9 months ago - https://www.ombudsman-services.org/downloads/OS_factsheetLP.pdf
The answers pretty obvious now.

I am not having a go at the poster of the above comment as it is completely true, and I have heard posters on here have had appeals to the Ombudsman time barred.

But to me this is just further evidence that Ombudsman (although better than nothing) is not up to the job. Time barring should not be permitted if the supplier does not highlight the time bar to the complainant. Yet that does not seem to happen. (I believe the Financial Ombudsman does require that customers are told of the time limits, or otherwise they will not be enforced.)