flow energy storing date of birth - DPA?

zaax

When I phoned Flow energy they wanted my DOB. As DOB has nothing to do with power companies can they actually do this under the data protection act as they do not have a reason for this

HappyMJ

They need your date of birth for credit referencing purposes. You use energy and pay for it later so they are providing you with credit so that is the reason they want your DOB.

macman

Or possibly as a telephone security check.

davidgmmafan

It is also a useful question to ask for security (you'd be surprised how many people have no idea what fuels are supplied, how they pay etc etc).

yangptangkipperbang

zaax wrote: »

When I phoned Flow energy they wanted my DOB. As DOB has nothing to do with power companies can they actually do this under the data protection act as they do not have a reason for this

The DPA has nothing whatsoever to do with what they store; only the way they store and use it !

GingerBob_3

They will undoubtedly tell you they want it for telephone security purposes, so ofter them a fake one and see what they say. Chances are they will insist on a geniune DoB. They want it for one reason only, so they can report you to the CRAs. I trust, and hope, you didn't give it to them?

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

GingerBob wrote: »

They will undoubtedly tell you they want it for telephone security purposes, so ofter them a fake one and see what they say. Chances are they will insist on a geniune DoB. They want it for one reason only, so they can report you to the CRAs. I trust, and hope, you didn't give it to them?

Fine, but when the energy co decides they don't want to supply you with an unlimited line of credit, don't be surprised when the PPM appears!

GingerBob_3

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

Fine, but when the energy co decides they don't want to supply you with an unlimited line of credit, don't be surprised when the PPM appears!

Yes, it could be difficult if you're moving to a new supplier. If not, and your current supplier is just trying to harvest your data to make it easier to report you to the CRAs, tell them to *** off.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

GingerBob wrote: »

Yes, it could be difficult if you're moving to a new supplier. If not, and your current supplier is just trying to harvest your data to make it easier to report you to the CRAs, tell them to *** off.

Indeed, the processes are incredibly lax, at the moment they rely on the bizarre system of noticing after a few years that people are in debt by £xxxx. Bluebirdman of Alcathays Energy would be credit checking every new customer, and every existing customer that went over to a new tariff, at the very least.

GingerBob_3

I blame the government for it. They allow these energy companies to carry out credit checks and report your account to the CRAs (not all do, as I understand it). They should be banned from doing this, along with other sharp practices they get up to.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

GingerBob wrote: »

I blame the government for it. They allow these energy companies to carry out credit checks and report your account to the CRAs (not all do, as I understand it). They should be banned from doing this, along with other sharp practices they get up to.

Ha! There should be far more credit checks. Stop this ridiculous system of allowing financially undisciplined people access to a credit meter that gets them into debt.

It would have the unintended side effect of being green - if more people had PPM's they'd use less. It's far more visible spending money at the corner shop, rather than leaving the heating on, windows open, and ignoring the bill that drops on the mat.