SSE changed my tariff

Tiggergirl

Some (not all) of the replies I've had in this thread have been rather rude and unhelpful. I haven't asked anyone why SSE didn't tell me, just if they had to. I would have expected at least one knowledgeable person to have let me know if they had to give notice, and if so how much, and what my options were etc.

Instead I get told why a standing charge is reasonable which isn't what I asked. I've also been told to phone them, which isn't exactly going to give me the independent advice I requested here, and as I've already stated I don't have time/opportunity to call them during the week. I've not asked anyone here to investigate on my behalf, just to advise me what the correct process should have been.

Please remember guys that this website was set up to help consumers, not for you to pick a fight with anyone who happens to wander into 'your' corner of the forum with a perfectly sensible query about their consumer rights.

Wywth

Tiggergirl wrote: »

Some (not all) of the replies I've had in this thread have been rather rude and unhelpful. I haven't asked anyone why SSE didn't tell me, just if they had to. I would have expected at least one knowledgeable person to have let me know if they had to give notice, and if so how much, and what my options were etc.

Instead I get told why a standing charge is reasonable which isn't what I asked. I've also been told to phone them, which isn't exactly going to give me the independent advice I requested here, and as I've already stated I don't have time/opportunity to call them during the week. I've not asked anyone here to investigate on my behalf, just to advise me what the correct process should have been.

Please remember guys that this website was set up to help consumers, not for you to pick a fight with anyone who happens to wander into 'your' corner of the forum with a perfectly sensible query about their consumer rights.

Wouldn't it be better to get the answer to your queries direct from the horses mouth rather than relying on tittle tattle from anonymous users on an internet forum?

I'm really sorry if you consider the good responses made were rude as they were not what you were hoping to hear, but that does not make any of them poor advice.

If you don't want to receive good advice, even if it may not be what you would ideally like to hear, perhaps best not to ask for advice here. That's right, as you say, it's here to help consumers not to pick a fight with those who offer good advice.

My advice remains as per post#6 - call the supplier and ask.

jalexa

Tiggergirl wrote: »

Please remember guys that this website was set up to help consumers,

Indeed it is. A crucial component of that is OP feedback about the final outcome with the supplier. Looking forward to that.

BTW a few quotes from my posts...

#2 "SSE would (or should) have sent notification..."

#7 "Unfortunately the costs incorporated in "standing charge" are highly regulated. They may (or may not) be "reasonable" but that is another matter"

#11 "But you should have been informed because the change is "detrimental"

#2 "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"

You fail to understand that the phrase "some charge or other" is not advocacy of standing charge, but a recognition that there are fixed costs involved which if not paid by customers who are not consuming have to be incorporated in the energy costs of all, including anybody in fuel poverty.

SSE_2

Hi Tiggergirl,

I'm sorry to see that you were not aware of the changes we announced on 22 August 2012. All customers should have been notified in writing, by letter or email by 14 September 2012.

In our price increase announcement it was also detailed that changes were being made to standing charges and the way our discounts are given for Direct Debit and paperless billing.

Here is a link to our FAQs page on our website which should help explain this in more detail: http://www.sse.co.uk/KeepingItSimple/FAQs/

If you have any further questions or queries regarding this please do not hesitate to contact me using the email address on our profile.

Many thanks, Holly.

jalexa

SSE_company_representative wrote: »

All customers should have been notified in writing, by letter or email by 14 September 2012.

I recall this subject has been discussed in the forum previously. Having viewed the link I recognised the promise of "proactive" identification of detriment.

On the face of it the issue being posted about is not just an allegation of notification failure but implicitly a failure to "proactively" identify detriment.

Obviously the OP will need to make contact using your convenient link.

Wywth

jalexa wrote: »

#7 "Unfortunately the costs incorporated in "standing charge" are highly regulated. They may (or may not) be "reasonable" but that is another matter"

jalexa - could you kindly explain a littyle more on what these regulations are please?

At present there are a number of suppliers/tariffs that do not make any daily standing charge (shortened and well recognised/acknowledged within the industry to a standing charge)
Presumably these tariffs are exempt from such regulations (hopefully explained why within such regulations)

But in my searches for a better deal I have come across a wide range of daily standing charges for the same fuel. These may amount (iirc) to as little as about £40 per year in total to I think I remember about £180 per year.

That seems a whopping range to me for something that is the same thing (albeit from a different supplier) and is 'highly regulated'