Southern Electric Billing

MrCrusher

Hi All

I realise this has been covered but that thread was becoming a little messy.

Anyway, I've just received my gas and electric bills and the price decreases had not been applied or even listed so I contacted SSE to query it.

According to the couple of customer services call centre staff I spoke too, even though the current advertising and supplied literature states the prices have been reduced from Mar 1st for Gas and from Apr 1st for the ELECTRIC, the price reductions will NOT be applied to your bill until the start of the NEXT complete quarterly billing period.

At NO point in the pamphlet enclosed with my bill received 25/04, does it mention that the reductions will not be applied to the customers bill until the beginning of the customers next complete quarterly billing period after 1st Mar and 1st Apr.

In my own case, the reduction was only applied to my gas bill on 19/4/07- 7 weeks after the stated date. Reductions were applied to the electric bill on 12/04/07- almost 3 weeks after stated.

I don't just find this deliberately mis-leading, I would question this as possibly being illegal-(in my own opinion of course) and I said as much to the customer services agent when at first, they were reluctant to apply the reduction. Said bills have now been amended.

SSE also state on the pamphlet that they were quick to drop their gas and electric prices, actually being the first to drop the gas price.

In theory Yes, in practise-NO. Judging by the above policy, some customers could be billed at the higher price until around the end of May for gas and the end of June for electric.

These points do not even take into account the price increases on 1st Jan 07 of 12.2% gas and 9.4% electric then the subsequent reductions of 12.4% gas in Mar07 and 5% electric in April. I was given these figures by the customer services rep so assume them to be accurate.

NOT much of a price reduction is it?:rolleyes:

olly300

Contact http://www.energywatch.org.uk/ and make a complaint.

Also do you still have the pamplet? If so and any explanation is well hidden in the small print I'm sure the ASA http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/how_to_complain/ would like it and would like to know what happened to you.

You don't complain then the companies will keep doing this.

dc

When there was only BG and the elctricity utilites around, the price reduction always only came into effect from the start of the next bill post any change. That was common practice.

Perhaps SE and others havent changed their approach, (well not yet ) not realisising that others have changed.

oldwiring

You may find this thread interesting, as it has details of correspondence to and from Southern Electric on matter.

Cardew

MrCrusher wrote: »

I don't just find this deliberately mis-leading, I would question this as possibly being illegal-(in my own opinion of course) and I said as much to the customer services agent when at first, they were reluctant to apply the reduction. Said bills have now been amended.

You are absolutely right about it being misleading; and of course the majority of customers will not realise what is happening.

I doubt it is illegal as they have informed you in writing they were going to 'rip you off'; albeit it was couched in terms that meant a lot of people simply didn't understand the implications.

GaryS

I added the following post to another thread on exactly this matter.

"I have just come off the phone to SSE.
Both my Gas and Electric bills had been charged at the higher rates from March 1st and April 1st up to the date of the bill - 12th April.

They have now amended the bills to reflect the new lower charges from the dates specified, a saving of over £75.00.

** Saving includes approx £25.00 for estimated bills, so £50.00 lower with new prices."

I am waiting for my amended bills to arrive.

GaryS

New bills have now arrived.

Both show "amendment" and have balance of £0.00.

divadee

have just had a quite harsh word with a manager at southern electric about this, he fully admitted that the wording in the initial letter celebrating there price decreases were misleading and he said he will get someone to call me back asap (prob be tuesday with the bank holiday) that can deal with the price decrease he doesnt have the authority to put the credits on my account.

I said if the credits are not applied then i will be going to energywatch with my complaint as southern electric have just admitted that they have been misleading with their customers. he aahhed a lot and said i will sort it out for you dont worry.

i will let you lot know if i have any success!!!!

GaryS

Not sure why the manager could not apply the discount, I had mine sorted over the phone within a few minutes.

The new bills have arrived showing a "discount" and NOT a price reduction.
The new totals do however match what I was advised during my initial call.

divadee

GaryS wrote: »

Not sure why the manager could not apply the discount, I had mine sorted over the phone within a few minutes.

The new bills have arrived showing a "discount" and NOT a price reduction.
The new totals do however match what I was advised during my initial call.

thanks gary if they dont call back on tuesday then i will be calling them!!!!!! i cant believe they ahve done this.

The only thing the manager did say that i can sort of agree with, how do we know how much gas and electricity you have used since the 2 dates the price decreases, which i replied if you had asked i would of given you meter readings.

i said to work it out cant you just work out an average??? if i have used 1000 units of electrity divide it by 3 (for the quarter) and then just give me the reduced rate on the 333.33 units for april!!!

Cardew

divadee wrote: »

The only thing the manager did say that i can sort of agree with, how do we know how much gas and electricity you have used since the 2 dates the price decreases,

They have a very sophisticated computer program that can calculate(estimate) the consumption before and after the date of the price change.

They have no difficulty it estimating it when there is a price rise!