Add your feedback on energy supplier Flow

jrio

malc_b wrote: »

Just noticed this thread. I posted my experience in a new thread as a heads up to others (oops).

Anyway, flow's web seems a bit rubbish. I switched myself and my mother a couple of days later. She didn't seem to receive the email from flow and I had to ask for that to be resent. Next the readings I put into flow's page to collect the changeover readings did not take, for both of us! This is known problem apparent so my advice is phone the readings in. Of course here's an idea, if it is known problem flow why don't you fix it, hmm?? In my case I put my changeover reading into both my old, EDF, and flow. When flow invented the figures, sorry I mean estimated the figures, EDF said that doesn't agree with ours. No final bill, no return on excess in EDF. Now I'm waiting for some 3rd party to validate the readings which can take a week or so.

All told I'm not impressed that out of 2 reading submitted on their website there was 100% failure to get the right readings across. Nor that when EDF questioned this they didn't contact me but just rejected EDF's message. Not impressed.

It made no difference for me. I phoned and submitted on the website(the latter taking 3 attempts before being accepted) and they still had no record of receipt.

Subsequently they used the 1st Oct readings(switch date was 24th Sept, readings given on 23rd) as the start of supply and generated a statement on 24th Oct using estimated readings, which made no sense.

I've given readings on 31st Oct and will be extremely irate if there is any difficulty in producing a statement.

2010

alanwsg wrote: »

I've discovered it's best to do it on the last day of the month, then they use that reading for the next bill which appears on 2nd/3rd of the month. Otherwise they make an estimate.

I have been putting my readings in on the last day of each month.
Yesterday I received an email from Flow (the first ever about meter readings) asking me to put readings in between 24th/26th of each month so I will receive more accurate statements.
As the statements run a full calendar month, I can only assume that Flow will take note of my readings then ignor them and estimate the readings on the last day of the month.
BTW, after entering my readings on the last day of the month, I get a statement produced anywhere between the 11th/24th of the following month, not the 2nd/3rd.

jrio

Flow have a major problem which they show no signs of solving.

Their systems don't record meter readings submitted via the email link, the website nor the phone. Staff are left in the embarrassing position of having to advise customers to send an email with readings.

It seems incredible that a company based around customers submitting regular monthly readings is unable to register them via the 3 main methods.

Their method for estimating a month's readings also seems to bear little relation to previous use.

alanwsg

Strange co-incidence : I just got off the phone to them about this very issue...

Electricity meter readings seem to recorded & used fine for me.

Gas meter readings are recorded but NOT used in the statements, only estimates are used. The system definitely does record the readings I give it as it shows the previous reading when I go to enter a new one.

The guy I spoke to said "yeah, yeah, we know, they're working on it, it'll all sort itself out when they fix it", which is probably true.

Personally, I'm not that bothered as the estimates are not far out, but it would be nice if it worked properly.

gjs1701

I have the same thing - gas readings are shown on my bill. Electricity ones aren't.

But their estimates are ok, so I'm not worried - yet.

2010

As I said previously I`ve always put my readings in on the last day of each month, until an email asking for 24/26th.
The gas have always taken ok and have shown to have been accepted.
The electric were stuck on 30th September for the last three readings.
I put the readings in, Flow ignored them and estimated them.
I emailed them and they seem to have sorted it out as both meters are showing 26th December, the last time I entered readings.

In future I`m going to enter my readings on the last day of each calendar month despite Flow saying the 24/26th.
Last month I put them in on the 26th and then Flow estimated them on 31st.
The statement period runs for the calendar month so entering on the last day should give an accurate statement.
I must say the statements aren`t far out and Flow always reply to emails and try to be helpful on the phone.

I could, according to MSE cheap energy club, save £47 a year switching to First Utilty but the horrific stories about their (non) customer service has put me off and they charge a £60 exit fee if you want to move.
Although FU are the cheapest MSE seem to be pushing Co-op energy for some reason which would be £13 dearer for me a year.

gjs1701

Has anyone had a December bill from Flow yet? Usually it appears a few days after the end of the month, but I have had nothing yet.

jrio

gjs1701 wrote: »

Has anyone had a December bill from Flow yet? Usually it appears a few days after the end of the month, but I have had nothing yet.

Yes, but only after phoning them last Wednesday and it was run overnight(7th Jan) using estimates and not the actuals I supplied on NYD. They still can't record readings(I only use electric) sent via the email link which I used, the website nor the automated phone system.

The estimates are utterly useless. For December it shows me using less overnight power(for Economy 7) than November and is underestimated by nearly 400 units!

2010

AFAIK, Flow only have 30,000 customers but seem more interested in getting their new boiler launched (Jan 26th) than getting their meter readings right.

topicalcat

Have been with flow since last April, only had one month last summer when system would not record my gas reading. They fixed it with one email. Since then system working perfectly. Do my reading about the 26th as requested via the link which works fine and they estimate to the end of the month as you say. Their link works perfectly for me. Their estimate is usually accurate (I know because I log readings weekly on a very clever App to keep track of all my readings) and their estimate to month end is accurate to a couple of units and in any case gets updated the next month so it is only ever pence out.

I agree the statement dates for the monthly bill seem a bit hit and miss but the bills are accurate, the cost is reasonable and I have been very happy with the service I get. I would guess that it is a seperate team dealing with sales of the new boiler so that would not impact on the energy business? Did you see they came out well in the latest Which magazine survey on energy companies.