The Energy Ombudsman - Good or Bad ?

undaunted

jalexa wrote: »

Secondly do you have to accept the 'final decision' for Edf to be bound to comply?

Yes. A customer has 28 days in which to accept a final decision, the supplier is bound to accept.

If the customer does not accept they "lose the right" to that decision but can of course pursue any other avenue they choose.

Terrylw1

cing0 wrote: »

They energy Ombudsman also recommend paying up when you've been over charged to avoid debt collection. At least you won't get threatening letters while you starve.

Do they state this anywhere or is from experience? Just wondering because we always say on here that amounts other than the dispute should be payed. I know its recommended to pay what you expect to as to avoid a later large bill that the supplier may be pushy over to get their own back.

I doesn't surprise me that suppliers can hold back. Typically sneaky behaviour. Is their anything in the ombudsman rules that states compliance is mandatory and what action they can take if it isn't followed?

cing0

Terrylw1 wrote: »

Do they state this anywhere or is from experience?

That’s what the Investigation Officer said. An energy Ombudsman may be a little more circumspect recommending succumbing to threats.

dan-_3

I have been having problems with EDF ever since I switched to them away from Scottish Power. (full details on another thread).

When I ended up just going round in circles with EDF's truly useless customer service team, I chose to contact the ombudsman. I sent them all the details of my complaint in the form of a 'timeline of EDF incompetence' and backed up by pdf copies of all the e-mails and my bills.

They agreed to look at my case straight away, but when they sent me their write-up of my complaint, there were a couple of significant mistakes in it, which I corrected and sent back to them.

After a month, the Ombudsman case officer contacted me by phone to inform me that EDF had fixed the problem and were offering £50 goodwill payment. I responded that the problem was not fixed, that I was not interested in compensation, I wanted a written apology and the option to leave my 4 year tariff without exit penalties.

I was told that £50 was the best I would get, and that if EDF said it was fixed, then I was wrong and they were right. In the end, I took the money because I could't be bothered to deal with it anymore.

Overall, I was not massively impressed with the service, but it was the only way to get any result, because there is no hope of any conclusion when dealing with EDF directly.

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

backfoot, like all the other posters who have posted since
Post # 35,
I am also flabbergasted.

I completely agree with what you have been and are trying to do (Post #48).

I have been trying to think of something positive to contribute.

First, I agree that you should keep going - complaint against the EO etc.

Second, that you are directly informing Ofgem.

Third, I hope that eventually what you are posting in this thread will be used
as additional evidence that Ofgem are failing to protect Consumers.

Like others who have posted in this thread - and elsewhere - I now think
Ofgem are NOT being proactive in 'caring for the Consumer' / 'enforcing the Regulations'.

backfoot wrote:

undaunted,

I can't disagree with your analysis.

Perhaps I am an eternal optimist and eventually someone who is supposed to listen will keep to their side of the 'apparent' bargain.:)

So, in the spirit of what you said in Post # 54, keep going!:)

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

backfoot

Here is an update:

After much thought, I yesterday accepted the EO's Final Decision. The only reason is tactical to obtain EDF's response to my request for the 'calculation'. I seriously wonder what they will produce but if it isn't what I want, maybe we start again...:rotfl:

I have also just submitted a complaint against the EO, which has a defined process via an online form. A 'Manager' will look at this within 10 days.I can complain about certain defined aspects, but obviously not the decision itself.

I have also written to Ofgem detailing the issues which were at stake and how disappointing the process has been on a number of levels.

So, the shameful position,over a simple infomation request has escalated to involve EDF at various levels including their Legal Department, the Energy Ombudsman at three separate levels, and Ofgem.

To most fellow posters,providing the Direct Debit calculation, is at the heart of many complaints we see on the Forum. Something is seriously wrong if it takes all of the above to obtain it.

If it even comes now...:)

undaunted

backfoot wrote: »

Here is an update:

I have also just submitted a complaint against the EO, which has a defined process via an online form. A 'Manager' will look at this within 10 days.I can complain about certain defined aspects, but obviously not the decision itself.

Good luck with that (they just tend to support, justify & cover their own backs in my opinion, would be interesting to know how often they find in the complainants favour) There is the parliamentary Ombudsman but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you

As to beginning again you may struggle to get the Ombudsman to revisit something they've looked at

steve-L

backfoot wrote: »

Here is an update:

After much thought, I yesterday accepted the EO's Final Decision. The only reason is tactical to obtain EDF's response to my request for the 'calculation'. I seriously wonder what they will produce but if it isn't what I want, maybe we start again...:rotfl:

I have also just submitted a complaint against the EO, which has a defined process via an online form. A 'Manager' will look at this within 10 days.I can complain about certain defined aspects, but obviously not the decision itself.

I have also written to Ofgem detailing the issues which were at stake and how disappointing the process has been on a number of levels.

So, the shameful position,over a simple infomation request has escalated to involve EDF at various levels including their Legal Department, the Energy Ombudsman at three separate levels, and Ofgem.

To most fellow posters,providing the Direct Debit calculation, is at the heart of many complaints we see on the Forum. Something is seriously wrong if it takes all of the above to obtain it.

If it even comes now...:)

I wish you all the luck.....
My curiosity is let's say they come back with a completely off the wall calculation....
like:
We took the last years consumption in kWh (X)
Your bill is due on the 21st of the month so we increased this by 21%
We then went and saw Julie in accounts, Julie's birthday is on the 9th so we gave you a 9% discount.
Julie was born in 1972 so we added a fixed amount of 1972 kWh....

We then divided this by 11 to come up with your monthly use. I go on holiday in July and the month was only added in 50BC (somewhere about) so we decided to divide by 11 not 12.

The question is, even though this has no relationship anymore to your actual usage (other than the starting figure of X) what can you actually DO....?????

In reality they might say we used 'industry trends', 'long term weather forecasts', changes we expect from the recession with more people cooking at home...... or any other BS that is as relevant as Julie's birthday.... but what exactly can you then do?

backfoot

Your post illustrates the decision point I had to make.The data is time elapsed to be useful because EDf delayed it by over 8 months. There is no right of Appeal to the EO or any other body regarding the complaint itself.

Nevertheless I won and EDF have three actions arising and I will want to see them fulfilled. Further abuse by EDF will only provide evidence that they disregard the Regulations including the EO ruling.

The wider issue is that other complaints of a similar nature exist and as with previous Forum issues, there are monitoring processes which Regulatory Bodies conduct. An individual also has other routes to success as was demonstrated under Gas Sculpting and Exit Fees.

What I have done is followed the correct procedure throughout. It is my view that it has shown that the procedure has not worked to protect the customer on something that other Forum Users have supported. I would go as far as to say it is not fit for purpose.

My view is that the individual complaint is small in itself but symptomatic of a much wider failure of the Supplier and the Regulatory process.

There is plenty of mileage left and plenty of determination to help the body of customers currently being fobbed off.

Most would give up

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig

backfoot wrote:

The wider issue is that other complaints of a similar nature exist and as with previous Forum issues, there are monitoring processes which Regulatory Bodies conduct. An individual also has other routes to success as was demonstrated under Gas Sculpting and Exit Fees.

What I have done is followed the correct procedure throughout. It is my view that it has shown that the procedure has not worked to protect the customer on something that other Forum Users have supported. I would go as far as to say it is not fit for purpose.

My view is that the individual complaint is small in itself but symptomatic of a much wider failure of the Supplier and the Regulatory process.

There is plenty of mileage left and plenty of determination to help the body of customers currently being fobbed off.

Most would give up

Keep going! :T

I've added my emphasis. It is bad enough that EDF even attempted to think what they did was 'a good idea', what is worse is how much time effort you (or anybody) has had to make to attempt to get Ofgem to stop them.

It is worth re-reading the first few posts in this thread: you and snowcat53 'won' - but what action was taken?

25.6_Pre-contract_oblig