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extraenergy

MABLE wrote: »

rogcal wrote: »

We were not very happy about it as we have never disclosed it on here.

MABLE,

I'm really sorry about that - I messed up yesterday. Please accept my apologies.

Regards,

Attiya.

MABLE

extraenergy wrote: »

MABLE wrote: »

MABLE,

I'm really sorry about that - I messed up yesterday. Please accept my apologies.

Regards,

Attiya.

I'll forgive you only if you get my bill to me asap:)

You are doing a good job and I thank you for that.

youravinalarrrf

extraenergy wrote: »

I understand your frustrations and I know that our Senior Management Team are fully aware of the comments on this forum and will be responding accordingly very soon (hopefully today, but tomorrow at the latest). I know they will be providing a response around the online functionality.

Thanks for the reply. I'm glad that your Senior Management Team finally appear to have seen sense at last! Let's just hope for Extra Energy's sake that it's honest, truthful and factual and what your long suffering customers want to hear and not more of the usual corporate pink and fluffy lies and BS customers of utility companies have come to expect and hate to hear.

I think I now understand what you've said regarding meter readings although that is not how your customers interpreted what would happen from what's been previously said.

If I've got it right in effect what you're saying is Extra Energy do not arrange for the meters to be read, the company doing the meter readings (G4S maybe) in a customer's area on behalf of the utility companies just carry on with their schedule regardless of the utility supplier involved?

Now maybe a good time for you to try to explain the "waiting for bills to come from Germany" mentioned in post #468 below? PS Don't mention zee war! :rotfl:

Snowbelle wrote: »

I've been trying to get a bill for several weeks now and am being completely fobbed off - its not really acceptable since I'm substantially in credit and have been told I have to wait for the bill to come from Germany before they can adjust my direct debit. I've been told there is no facility to refund overpayments.

Is there any way that Martin could get involved in this please?

I will email you regarding the expected meter reading date. The last time they were read by G4S was 25/11/2013 and they've not been since.

AbbieCadabra

based on the latest info re: 6 monthly billing, i'll assume my normal billing months will be April & October if an actual read was scheduled for October, although this was not explained when Attiya telephoned me some weeks ago, which is odd as it was something i specifically questioned. Perhaps Attiya is still receiving training herself at the moment or the correct info is finally filtering through to frontline staff?

however, the promise of a bill in early November still hasn't materialised...

any further update on the online account management, still coming soon is it??

extraenergy

Dear MSE members,

I’d like to offer a formal and personal response from myself, Jo Robertson, Head of Operations at extraenergy, in the hope that I can renew your confidence in our business.

I’d firstly like to reassure you that the majority of our customers are very happy (our supplier’s service rating is ‘70% great’ with moneysavingexpert) so I take your feedback very seriously, especially when it’s highlighting shortfalls in our levels of service.

As a business our main objective is to save customers money by being the most competitive supplier on the market. At the same time, it’s not our intention to skimp on service and I’d like to apologise if you feel we haven’t hit the mark in this area. Like any start-up business we have our challenges and things don’t always go to plan, BUT, we’re working hard to get it right and we’re almost there.

Having read through every comment on the forum I see the two biggest concerns are the online portal and billing which I’d like to address individually:

My extraenergy
I’d like to apologise for the delay to increasing the functionality on our online portal. I know this is frustrating and I’m disappointed that we’ve not been able to provide what we promised a number of months ago.

Here is a summary of our current position:

• Meter readings: Customers can currently enter reads to help ensure the accuracy of their statements.
  
• Bills and payments: Customers can download their bills and statements, and as soon as they are available we’ll send you a notification email. To date we’ve generated nearly 6000 bills / statements. We’re also testing functionality that lets you see all payments, credits and bills associated with your account, so you can track these in-between statements.
  
• Manage my Direct Debit: This is being tested and allows you the flexibility to change your Direct Debit date and control the amount you want to pay within our safe guidelines, helping you to avoid large bills.
  
• Make a payment: The ability to make an online card payment is currently being tested. In the meantime if you call us we can take payments over the phone.
  
• My details: Customers can currently update their personal details e.g contact details, password etc.

Our main objective is to ensure the portal is working correctly before making new functionality live. This has been much harder than anticipated, but we’re confident it’ll be live shortly.

Billing
Please be assured that we do have a functioning billing system (not SAP). The company developing our billing system is German (hence the reference to Germany in post #468). We’re checking every statement and bill as we believe it’s most important that each one is as accurate as possible. This has meant we’ve been slower at sending these out than intended – but we’re not far behind catching up.

Attiya has explained how our billing and metering processes work (I appreciate it’s not a simple process) and if you’ve any further questions around your specific circumstances please contact her on the blogresponse@ email. Attiya is trying very hard to help forum members and I’m sure you’ll agree she’s doing a great job.


I’d like to reassure you that we are an experienced and committed senior management team who, between us, has many years’ experience in the energy industry. I moved to head up the Operations Team at extraenergy because I wanted the opportunity to work for an energy company that is both competitive and delivers a high level of service. Whilst we haven’t been able to deliver this for some of you yet, please rest assured my team and I are 100% committed to making this happen.

I promise you that everyone at extraenergy is working hard to meet our customer’s needs – including catching up with statement delivery and improving online functionality.

Many thanks,

Jo Robertson.

rogcal

I'm saying nowt!:lipsrseal:

hoppytherabbit

The idea that you can give meter readings but not get a bill generated from them is beyond belief. Why give meter reading, it's pointless.


I am from a poor working household and like to make sure we don't get into debt. If you cannot take my meter reading and tell me if I am in credit or debt like all the other suppliers I have ever signed up too in the past then you should not be in business. Waiting 6 months to generate a bill in these modern times is pathetic. I have just phoned Extra Energy for this very info and all I get is we cannot tell if your in debt or credit? It's in our terms and conditions blah blah.


"Manage my Direct Debit: This is being tested and allows you the flexibility to change your Direct Debit date and control the amount you want to pay within our safe guidelines, helping you to avoid large bills." But I have to wait six blooming months to find out if I am in debt?


Martin Lewis should make this very clear that swapping to these idiots = no idea where you are bill wise for 6 months.

youravinalarrrf

extraenergy wrote: »

Our main objective is to ensure the portal is working correctly before making new functionality live. This has been much harder than anticipated, but we’re confident it’ll be live shortly.

Jo,

Thanks for the response but without wishing to state the obvious until you are willing to state the specific targets/timescales you are currently working to to provide the missing basic online functionality it really means very little from the perspective of the customer. As it stands I'm sure your statement can and will be perceived as Extra Energy being not much further forward than you were back on day one in April.

I don't think anyone (with the possible exception of yourself) would argue that the missing basic online functionality should have been in place and available from day one. The fact it was not (and as if you need reminding still isn't 7 months later) should almost certainly have prevented Extra Energy launching as a company and taking on any paying customers until it was.

With hindsight even a fool can see that you gambled on having 6 months to complete the necessary work before the first statements/bills were due to go out and took the decision to go ahead with the launch. As it turns out you were naive and have failed to commit the necessary resources to do what was required in the time you had available.

You need to remember that as paying customers we also took a gamble on Extra Energy and trusted what is stated on Extra Energy's website. As it turns out we have been badly let down because this work has not been completed on time and you are now seeing the consequences of that. It really is surprising that the Energy Ombudsman and Ofgem haven't already been involved.

So in this context your definition of shortly now means what exactly? By when exactly?

Please do not use any of the following terms.....In the coming days......In the coming weeks.....In the coming months.....Next year sometime......or even worse........shortly.

I'm sure you realise that the time for empty promises is over, you now need to start delivering the goods.

PS Attiya is doing an excellent job under very difficult circumstances and I'm sure that you will personally ensure that this is adequately reflected in her forthcoming pay rise and Christmas Bonus.

MEMBER02

hoppytherabbit wrote: »

The idea that you can give meter readings but not get a bill generated from them is beyond belief. Why give meter reading, it's pointless.


I am from a poor working household and like to make sure we don't get into debt. If you cannot take my meter reading and tell me if I am in credit or debt like all the other suppliers I have ever signed up too in the past then you should not be in business. Waiting 6 months to generate a bill in these modern times is pathetic. I have just phoned Extra Energy for this very info and all I get is we cannot tell if your in debt or credit? It's in our terms and conditions blah blah.



"Manage my Direct Debit: This is being tested and allows you the flexibility to change your Direct Debit date and control the amount you want to pay within our safe guidelines, helping you to avoid large bills." But I have to wait six blooming months to find out if I am in debt?


Martin Lewis should make this very clear that swapping to these idiots = no idea where you are bill wise for 6 months.

Well said,im actually in process of changing to eon from these jokers,been with them since around may/june probably ill be in credit(hopefully)but god only knows when ill get it refunded to me..

hoppytherabbit

H

MEMBER02 wrote: »

Well said,im actually in process of changing to eon from these jokers,been with them since around may/june probably ill be in credit(hopefully)but god only knows when ill get it refunded to me..

Jokers is the right word to describe them.

EE can post all the !!!!!!!! excuses they want here on these forums but the point is EE"s billing system is a joke. The online funtionality never happens and customers are left struggling with the mess they have left us with. If I was the boss of EE someone in the IT department would be out the door very fast. A simple system to generate a bill online from a meter reading is hardly rocket science. Either they don't give a stuff about us customers or have lacked putting in any investment in the company at all. 6 months and still no online billing. They need shutting down by the regulator or suspended from taking on more customers until they can get online working as they promised.

If EE don't get this online sorted in the next 4 weeks I will be off to a company that can ! A 5 year old could do better