Comparison site promised lower tarrif but sse decided it's not sufficient!

ConsumerKid

Hello,

I am new to this forum but I'm not sure what to do about my situation so have decided to post it up and get your feedback.

Back in Jan, I changed electricity supplier from Eon to M&S (SSE).

The reason I did this was because I came onto the MSE website and used one of the recommended comparison sites (energyhelpline.com). I put in the DD which I was paying Eon which was £76 per month. Energy Helpline told me that if I were to move to M&S, they could do it for £68, so I decided to move.

I've never changed electricity supplier before so I was on the phone to both Eon and M&S to make sure it all went smoothly.

Around 4 days ago I received a bill from M&S (who is really SSE) saying that I owed them £180 already even though I've been paying my DD of £68 every month!

I was really shocked by this so I called them up and they said they look into it. It's been a few days of calls and emails but basically they're saying that because I didn't come to them directly and I used a comparison site that they can't take responsibility for the pricing info I was given and that it looks very unlikely that the DD I have been paying will cover my energy usage!!!

They are completely blaming the comparison site for the inaccurate pricing and are now looking to up my DD to £84 per month. An extra £20 a month!!!

They said that this is to swallow up the debt that I have accumulated with them since Jan and the forecast for the rest of the year. I don't seem to be getting anywhere with their customer service, lots of not calling me back etc.

What can I do? I am now stuck with these jokers for the next 2 years but feel like I've been tricked into joining up with them.

espresso

The first thing that you should learn from this is that you should never give what you are currently paying to comparison sites, only give your annual kWh figure.

You know how much you use, so you can work out for yourself how much your DD needs to be based on the kWh unit price to cover your actual usage.

Comparison sites simply arm you with information so that you can use to decide who to switch to.

matelodave

If you just give a comparison site your existing DD costs then they'll usually manage to under estimate what you are using and give you a lower price - you must use your Kw usage, its the only way to compare.

When you've got your Kw info and their tariff info, then you do the sums to see if it works. using a comparison site only points you in the right direction, its also a good idea to try several comparison site as they all work in s lightly different way, even the Which? one can give strange recommendations if you don't understand what is being offered

You should be reading your meter regularly (at least once a month, weekly is better), recording it on a spreadsheet and giving the reading to your energy supplier once a month.

You will then then be able to determine how much you are using, you'll have the info to help you economise a bit and hopefully your payment will reflect what you are using and you wont get any big surprises.

You'll also have the info to help you get a better deal next time

Pincher

Life is all about who can impose their fantasy on the other party.

Joseph Stalin wants everybody to work for the general good. You should work as hard as you can, but get paid the same. Stalin got his way.

You want to pay a fixed amount, regardless of how much you use, in the All you can eat for £68 sense. Look up how Stalin managed to get his way, and do come back to regale us with how you managed to storm the SSE's Winter Palace and named it after yourself. All across the land, we shall rejoice and join you in your revolution and demand our right to all the gas and electricity we want for a fixed £68 per month.

keith1950

What can I do? I am now stuck with these jokers for the next 2 years but feel like I've been tricked into joining up with them.

They worked back from the amount of direct debit you said you were paying and probably correctly set your direct debit at £68.

You have now learnt that you should NEVER use your monthly direct debit amount on comparison sites, ALWAYS enter your kwh figures for the last twelve months and you will get a reasonably accurate quote.

It is totally unfair to call them jokers for this as it is your own fault for not taking the time and effort to get an accurate quote with kwh's.

What is the point of giving what might not actually be the correct direct debit amount to another supplier to work out a quote which will therefore also be incorrect.

victor2

ConsumerKid wrote: »

Comparison site promised lower tarrif but sse decided it's not sufficient!

You were sucked in as other posters have said.
I can guarantee the comparison site didn't promise you a lower tariff either.

ValHaller

ConsumerKid wrote: »

What can I do? I am now stuck with these jokers for the next 2 years but feel like I've been tricked into joining up with them.

If you compared on the basis of monthly DD, you have tricked yourself. Only ever compare on the basis of tariff.