SSE providing false info / poor billing

shocker1616

Good afternoon all


I am after a little advise following a dispute with SSE please


Basically I have a £1, 000 debt with them as a result of them providing incorrect information when I updated my meter readings. The year earlier I had worked up a similar figure with them by paying by card on a quarterly basis and chose to move to a direct debit arrangement for "peace of mind" as they put it, all I needed do was update them with my meter readings and they would ensure the outstanding balance and monthly usage was adequately covered, so that by the end of twelve months I was all clear.


Once I realised how much I was spending on Gas & Electric (Averaging about £175 a month for both) I attempted to switch, which SSE blocked due to having the outstanding balance. The frustrating thing at this point was I would have been approx. £750 a year better off having switched.


Skip forward a year and I continued phoning monthly and adjusting my direct debits if required based on my usage (providing the readings as required). I was informed when phoning in Nov/Dec 14 that I had now cleared the balance and they essentially owed me money, I received a refund to my bank account of £150 and a small credit was transferred to my gas account. The adviser then amended my direct debits down to cover usage only.


Now realising I was in the clear I immediately applied to switch knowing I was going to be saving a lot of money. Skip forward again three months the switch finally went through, I phoned SSE to make my final payment having cancelled the direct debit and requested the final bill. I was told that I now owed £1, 000. I told the adviser that they are clearly mistaken as not only had the previous balance been cleared but they also provided a refund and amended my direct debits to cover usage, so I will only owe about £180.


The adviser kept repeating that I owed the large sum and actually wouldn't provide me with how she obtained that figure. Becoming progressively irritated I asked to speak to her Manager, who repeated the same response telling me the amount was owed. Finally, I was passed to someone who was willing to provide me with the answers and she finally confirmed that when I had altered my direct debits 4-5 months earlier and was given a refund, that the adviser had done so incorrectly and did not check the account properly, using the incorrect reading (despite giving this to them at the time).


I was also told that as the bills I receive were calculated and issued quarterly (reviewed online) I could ignore them and just continue phoning the readings through for an up to date amount.


The contradiction here is that they allowed my switch to go through owing this amount, so they have set a precedence in my opinion and should never have blocked my switch the year earlier. I would therefore have been £750 better off as opposed to £1000 in debt.


I sent them a lengthy email stating that it is a shocking disappointment to be put back in this position and listed their mistakes.


They have offered £50.00 compensation which I have rejected and stated I can have an increased payment plan. I have asked for copies of all my bills since I moved in to my property (Sept 13) as I just don't have any faith they have calculated anything correctly, so now need to waste hordes of time going through it all.


Where do you think I stand with this, considering I was informed that I was all clear to now be about £800 worse off?


I would also point out that the only reason we got to the bottom of this was because I was chasing them to make payment. The only final bill I received in the post was £300 for electric and nothing for gas (which is where the main mistake was allegedly) and was only informed of the issue once I was pushing them.


Thank you for your time,

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

Your notional savings elsewhere are completely irrelevant. SSE supplied you with energy, at a price agreed. I'm astonished you got £50.

shocker1616

Thanks for your response Blue


My post is more aimed at the issue of not providing the information so that accurate billing can take place, then failing again and again, providing the wrong advice and guidance; and then issuing a bill which is a the equivalent to one supplies annual sum.


The notional savings however I think is a fair point that they have contradicted themselves and set a precedent about whether they should really be blocking customers switching supply.


Perhaps my expectations are too high of how one should operate as a business and how mistakes which prove to be costly for the average consumer should be dealt with.