Add your feedback on energy supplier Extra Energy

MABLE

Tried to log into myextraenergy account today but not working. May be they are updating the various features so the account can be managed online.

huttonc

Turns out my supply started with extra energy yesterday and they failed to tell me
I emailed the person representing the company on this forum and my issue was resolved straight away
My user access has been resolved and that is when I found out my supply switched yesterday
I would recommend calling and establishing when your supply is due to switch
08009534774 / 03303034774
The myenergy section is down for maintenance at the minute
Friendly staff but reserve judgement at the minute

MABLE

huttonc wrote: »

Turns out my supply started with extra energy yesterday and they failed to tell me
I emailed the person representing the company on this forum and my issue was resolved straight away
My user access has been resolved and that is when I found out my supply switched yesterday
I would recommend calling and establishing when your supply is due to switch
08009534774 / 03303034774
The myenergy section is down for maintenance at the minute
Friendly staff but reserve judgement at the minute

I have already been advised they will takeover on 7 May. Also received an email today from my old supplier to say they are sorry I am leaving them.
Tough!!

AbbieCadabra

i signed up to switch on 03.04.14 & had my welcome letter/email from them 09.04.14, but nothing since. not heard from EDF either, but just checked my account with them & it says 'withdrawal initiated' for gas & elec contracts., no date specified for this but at least something is happening.

it's only been 3 weeks since sign up but i think i'll give EE a call next week, just to make sure i don't miss my switch date...

molerat

Note to ExtraEnergy company rep

Keep people informed of how the switch is progressing !

It seems the standard message is that the new customers do not know what is going on, you do seem to have the information well in advance but are not giving this to the customers. Updates would probably save your cs reps some work, I will be calling at the end of the week if I have not heard from either yourselves or my old supplier (who have already informed me about my gas switch to another supplier). My last switch to EDF gave me regular update e-mails so I was aware that something was actually happening and I had not been forgotten about.

bondy01

AbbieCadabra wrote: »

not heard from EDF either, but just checked my account with them & it says 'withdrawal initiated' for gas & elec contracts., no date specified for this but at least something is happening.

Could I add my voice to this. I started the switch on 10th April and got the welcome email on the 11th. Just checked my edf account and withdrawal initiated is also showing. As Molerat said "Keep people informed" (must learn how to multiquote parts of a post)

rogcal

One week on from registering my dispute with ExtraEnergy and exactly nothing has been done to resolve the matter apart from a brief email on the 17th from an Operations Support Manager assuring me that the matter was being investigated.

Yes, I know we've had the Easter break in between but almost 4 working days have elapsed without significant progress and we live in 24/7 world now.

I shall continue to refrain from explaining on here the reasons for having to make my complaint, as I feel that ExtraEnergy can do without bad publicity so soon after coming onto the energy supply market but my patience is wearing thin.

I did give the facts to Tracy the ExtraEnergy company rep last week with a request not to intervene, as I believed her colleagues would have resolved matters by now but as that is not the case perhaps she'd like to get involved now!

rogcal

Finally received a response to my complaint.

But first a brief outline of that complaint.

As part of the signing up process I spoke to Customer Services and asked if I would be able to pay each month for the actual amount of electricity I used based on monthly meter readings.

I was told I could change to variable tariff after one month. I took this to mean I could pay monthly for what I use and as this is how I have conducted business with my previous suppliers (BG, Atlantic Electric and Gas, OVO and EDF) over the last 10 years I accepted this statement as fact.

It turns out that this was not the case and quite understandably I felt I had been mislead and hence the complaint.

Following the call from the Operations Support Manager this evening it became quickly apparent that there would be no compromises and I was stuck with the contract.

Given that the main reason for wanting to pay for what I use each month is that the energy company doesn't get to hold onto my money as credit for the future i.e. the money they take each month is based on how much energy you may or may not consume in a 12 month period.

During the course of this evening's conversation, I asked how often they review the amount they take each month and was told every 6 months which led me to ask "could I ask for a refund of any credit every month" to which the answer was "no".

It appears you can only request a return of monies credited to your energy account once a year and then it will only be the balance of any money held in your account over the sum of £70.

So, in effect if you have a credit balance of over £70 at the end of the year they will return monies over that amount and keep the £70 as a rollover credit.

I then put it to the Ops Support Manager that the entire customer base of ExtraEnergy could potentially have £70 permanently credited to their account and not have it returned until account closure. She confirmed that this was technically correct.

So, it looks as though part of ExtraEnergy's business model is based on keeping hold of £70 x the customer base ad infinitum. Not bad at all when you consider that customers are in effect providing an interest free loan that could potentially be in region of several million pounds!

I'm off to another energy supplier as soon as I can and paying the exit fee will be a small price to pay to escape from Extra Energy.

p.s. I wonder how long it will be before my credit is returned following closure of my account!

p.p.s. I feel sorry for the staff at ExtraEnergy (bet they're on zero hour contracts). How long I wonder before the company folds and the poor souls are back on the dole queue!

AbbieCadabra

i think the majority of suppliers only refund over a certain amount, but £70 is far higher than some other examples i've found for the main suppliers - £5 min credit after billed to latest reading & level of payment is reviewed between 2-4 times per year (article in Which). it looks like Ofgem are trying to tighten this up so credit doesn't just sit there, but it's down to each individual company policy it would seem.

it definitely seems that you've been mis-sold though, i'd be making a complaint, CAB info here

can't say that any of this latest feedback fills me with confidence in ExtraEnergy, not a great start for a new company

MABLE

With interest rates so low I certainly will not be worried if my account is in credit by £70 and no way would I give up the service so early and pay £50 in exit fees. Bit like throwing ones toys out of the pram.