📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

SSE changed my tariff

SSE have changed my gas tariff without any notification or any request to change tariff from me. Are they allowed to just change the tariff without telling me first? The first time I noticed this was on receiving my quarterly bill - it had been changed around a week before that.

They have moved me from a tariff with no standing charge to one with a standing change. This is going to make a massive difference to the costs as the property is currently unoccupied and no gas was actually used during the billing period.
«1

Comments

  • jalexa
    jalexa Posts: 3,448 Forumite
    edited 18 November 2012 at 8:17PM
    Tiggergirl wrote: »
    SSE have changed my gas tariff without any notification ...

    SSE would (or should) have sent notification. Have you asked SSE when and how? Of course they are bound to say yes, but can you think of any reasons why the notification might not have been successful? Were you previously receiving bills OK?

    Regarding migration to standing charge, you may need to get used to that as there is a move towards standing charge tariffs. BTW supplying to a premises which did not use any gas is not cost free to the supplier, so some charge or other is not unreasonable.
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    If your tariff has expired, then you would be moved over automatically to the specified default tariff-is this what has happened?
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • The tariff didn't have an expiration date, it was a standard no standing charge tariff that I have been on for a number of years while I lived in the property.

    I have contacted them for further details (no reply yet), however I wanted to check here to see if they were allowed to just do this without notification. The reason for asking here is that I find it pays to find out what they should have done before accusing them of not doing what they should.

    Regarding 'some charge not being unreasonable', I don't think nearly £100 a year is reasonable when no gas is being used.
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    No, then it isn't justified. And even if it was, they should have informed you-did you check your online account?
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • Wywth
    Wywth Posts: 5,079 Forumite
    Tiggergirl wrote: »
    I have contacted them for further details (no reply yet), ...

    SSE customer services are only usually open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 2pm Saturday. I suggest you give them a call during these times :)
  • jalexa
    jalexa Posts: 3,448 Forumite
    Tiggergirl wrote: »
    Regarding 'some charge not being unreasonable', I don't think nearly £100 a year is reasonable when no gas is being used.

    Unfortunately the costs incorporated in "standing charge" are highly regulated. They may (or may not) be "reasonable" but that is another matter.
  • Wywth wrote: »
    SSE customer services are only usually open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 2pm Saturday. I suggest you give them a call during these times :)

    I do realise that, however due to my work and travel hours Monday to Friday is out. Given that I discovered the situation on a Sunday I thought it would be better to email rather than wait until Saturday. Also I have found with SSE it is better to have things in writing, after several failed verbal promises from them in the past to lower the direct debits.
  • jalexa wrote: »
    Unfortunately the costs incorporated in "standing charge" are highly regulated. They may (or may not) be "reasonable" but that is another matter.

    My main question was on the fairness (to me) of them changing my tariff without notice, rather than how unfair it is to poor old SSE that I was on a no standing charge tariff. After all they offered that tariff originally and were happy with it until it was no longer in their favour.
  • Wywth
    Wywth Posts: 5,079 Forumite
    Tiggergirl wrote: »
    I do realise that, however due to my work and travel hours Monday to Friday is out. Given that I discovered the situation on a Sunday I thought it would be better to email rather than wait until Saturday. Also I have found with SSE it is better to have things in writing, after several failed verbal promises from them in the past to lower the direct debits.

    Where do you work that you cannot get access to any telephone at no time during the period 8am - 8pm Monday to Friday? :huh:
  • jalexa
    jalexa Posts: 3,448 Forumite
    Tiggergirl wrote: »
    My main question was on the fairness (to me) of them changing my tariff without notice,

    But you should have been informed because the change is "detrimental". Up to you to investigate why you have not received (or noticed) the required notice.

    Nobody here can tell you why.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 351.3K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 244.2K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 599.4K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.1K Life & Family
  • 257.7K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.