Help with Extra Energy please!

bartman

I switched to Extra Energy last September with their Fixed Price September 2015 tariff. The Direct Debit was set up, and payments have been taken each month. However, I have now logged into my account, and see that no bills have been produced and I am £432 in credit.
I now realise that they have never requested meter readings from me since the switch, and presumably neither have my meters been read by anyone else. I have messaged them via their website, but having read of the problems others have had with their customer "service" I don't anticipate an early response.
I intend to take readings tomorrow and send them, but I am concerned about the situation. In particular, I am considering swapping to a different supplier as I could make a decent saving even after taking the hit of £50 early exit penalty, but I don't know whether the problem with the account would be likely to cause problems with a swap.
Can anybody advise me on this?

cklass

From Extra Energy's website:

​Customers paying by Direct Debit will receive a statement from us every six months. If you provide meter readings, these will be taken into account when you’re billed or your Direct Debit is reassessed.

So your first bill isn't due until March, however, based what a number of posters on here have said, it may not arrive in March because Extra Energy hasn't been sending out bills as promptly as they should be.

You should submit your meter readings to help ensure that you receive an accurate bill when they do eventually send you one. You should also keep a record of these readings in case there are any discrepancies.

You shouldn't encounter any problems that prevent you from switching to another supplier. Extra Energy's customer service apparently leaves a lot to be desired and some members have reported problems such as getting their credit balance refunded, so the process might be a bit of a hassle to complete.

Here's the thread where other Extra Energy customers have been discussing their issues: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4861746

There's an Extra Energy rep who occasionally posts there. If you have any questions, there's an email address for her in the thread.

bartman

Thanks, I can see now that this is a common problem with this company!
I shall take the readings and submit them, then after that I think I need to put an icepack on my head and try to work out whether I am in credit or not. At least then I'll know whether I'll need to chase them up for a refund if I swap.