Energy company gave me refund in error, now billing me for it.

missusP

After answers to these questions. Am I entitled to challenge a revise bill for usage and billing over 1 year old?
Should I ask for a good will gesture for the error in refunds?


I left SSE on March 07 2015. I made at least 2 calls requesting a final bill as I expected to pay a debit as we were leaving in spring. I was told both times I had credit on my accounts, both gas and electric. I queried it but they were sure, both times. I asked for a final bill, which never arrived but I did receive a refund. Gas £146.89 on 07/05. Electric £175.08 on 09/04. This reflects two separate calls asking for final bill.


Four weeks ago I moved address and was forced to change supplier again. After giving the old supplier the readings they queried the gas meter reading. I have now received two final bills from the first supplier SSP 24 weeks later. (I'm still waiting on a final bill from the second supplier!)


The gas bill has a section "your adjustments" including my refund. Turns out I was not in credit and now owe the refund back on top of £18.26 as the final bill.


The electric bill has been revised, but the revision is for the dates of 23/06/2013 to 26/06/2014. This accounts for an extra £65.79. Am I correct in thinking as this is over 1 year since usage and billing this cannot be charged under back billing rules? The refund on this bill was also in error, I should have been left with a bill of £35.84. However with the bill, adjustment and reclaiming the erroneous refund I now owe £210.92 on this bill.


Even if I argue the back billing successfully I have a bill of £310.28. I have just been declared unfit for work due to stress and anxiety and have to claim SSP. This was not my choice, my work have cancelled my shifts and blocked me from booking any work until review by OCH who had advised I take a long rest from work. I foresee 6 months on SSP.


Do I have any right to ask for a reduction or goodwill gesture? I have always paid the DD on time, which had never been lower than needed to cover the bills. The small debit created was expected as I left them in spring.


Thanks for reading my long post. Feeling very frazzled.

naedanger

missusP wrote: »

Am I entitled to challenge a revise bill for usage and billing over 1 year old?

Yes, though whether your challenge will be successful depends on the circumstances.

Should I ask for a good will gesture for the error in refunds?

You can ask for compensation to be paid where you have received bad service, such as incorrectly calculated refunds due to failures by the supplier.

The gas bill has a section "your adjustments" including my refund. Turns out I was not in credit and now owe the refund back on top of £18.26 as the final bill.

Are you sure the amount now being quoted is correct? Was your supplier to blame for the previous bill being wrong?

The electric bill has been revised, but the revision is for the dates of 23/06/2013 to 26/06/2014. This accounts for an extra £65.79. Am I correct in thinking as this is over 1 year since usage and billing this cannot be charged under back billing rules?

You are correct provided the supplier was to blame for the original bills being wrong.

Even if I argue the back billing successfully I have a bill of £310.28. I have just been declared unfit for work due to stress and anxiety and have to claim SSP. This was not my choice, my work have cancelled my shifts and blocked me from booking any work until review by OCH who had advised I take a long rest from work. I foresee 6 months on SSP.

Do I have any right to ask for a reduction or goodwill gesture?

If your supplier was at fault and you complain then they are likely to offer a goodwill gesture. However it is likely to be relatively small e.g. £50 plus any money you have a right to under the back billing principle. If you are unhappy with any offer you can escalate your complain to an independent Ombudsman service. It is also worth asking to repay any debt by installment.

Skools_Out

missusP wrote: »

After answers to these questions. Am I entitled to challenge a revise bill for usage and billing over 1 year old?
Should I ask for a good will gesture for the error in refunds?


I left SSE on March 07 2015. I made at least 2 calls requesting a final bill as I expected to pay a debit as we were leaving in spring. I was told both times I had credit on my accounts, both gas and electric. I queried it but they were sure, both times. I asked for a final bill, which never arrived but I did receive a refund. Gas £146.89 on 07/05. Electric £175.08 on 09/04. This reflects two separate calls asking for final bill.


Four weeks ago I moved address and was forced to change supplier again. After giving the old supplier the readings they queried the gas meter reading. I have now received two final bills from the first supplier SSP 24 weeks later. (I'm still waiting on a final bill from the second supplier!)


The gas bill has a section "your adjustments" including my refund. Turns out I was not in credit and now owe the refund back on top of £18.26 as the final bill.


The electric bill has been revised, but the revision is for the dates of 23/06/2013 to 26/06/2014. This accounts for an extra £65.79. Am I correct in thinking as this is over 1 year since usage and billing this cannot be charged under back billing rules? The refund on this bill was also in error, I should have been left with a bill of £35.84. However with the bill, adjustment and reclaiming the erroneous refund I now owe £210.92 on this bill.


Even if I argue the back billing successfully I have a bill of £310.28. I have just been declared unfit for work due to stress and anxiety and have to claim SSP. This was not my choice, my work have cancelled my shifts and blocked me from booking any work until review by OCH who had advised I take a long rest from work. I foresee 6 months on SSP.


Do I have any right to ask for a reduction or goodwill gesture? I have always paid the DD on time, which had never been lower than needed to cover the bills. The small debit created was expected as I left them in spring.


Thanks for reading my long post. Feeling very frazzled.

If the comment I have highlighted is true, then any bill you have received, particularly in excess of any return of accrued credit, is presumably wrong and of course you are entitled to challenge this.

I doubt you will get any compo for a simple error if it is corrected quickly and efficiently by the supplier on first contact. If the matter remains unresolved for 8 weeks after complaint, and particularly if you ask for the ombudsman to then sort it out (and the ombudsman finds in your favour) then the ombudsman will usually include a small compensation award too

missusP

Thank you for your replies. I emailed the company, highlighting the back billing issue, the concern that refunding me large sums was an error on their part and that I was complaining about the failure on their part. I also stated I understood the refund was not mine to keep, I would have only had a small bill to pay as the DD was covering the bills but I closed the account at the end of spring. I have requested a small repayment plan be set up for any debt remaining.


I have an email which responds in part
Firstly I would like to apologise for the bills that you have received showing that balances are owed on the accounts. These are old bills which have only just been produced due to a technical fault which affected a large number of customers.
I am very sorry for any inconvenience that you have been caused by these bills. I have referred the accounts to our Customer Charter team for review and to see if the amounts will be cleared.
Please ignore any collection letters that you have received regarding the bills and I have placed a hold on the accounts to stop further collection activity whist they are being reviewed.


I doubt the entire bill will be cancelled but at least they have admitted there was an error and it looks like I'm not the only one.


I'll keep you updated. Thank you again for your good replies.

modsandmockers

"These are old bills which have only just been produced due to a technical fault which affected a large number of customers"

This kind of excuse seems to be becoming more and more common and, as usual, the suppliers are allowed to get away with anything they like.

As always, the best way to deal with these !!!!-ups is to do your own calculations based upon actual meter readings, and using the prices which are applicable to whatever tariff you were on for the relevant period of time.

Ask SSE to provide a breakdown of how they have calculated their demands - you need to know (a) the date and the opening meter reading/s for when you first became a customer, (b) the tariff prices for the entire period that you were a customer (which may well have changed, possibly more than once, during the same period), (c) the date and the closing meter reading/s for when you vacated the property and (d) how much money in total was paid by you to SSE.

A,B and C will enable you to calculate how much you should have paid, and D will enable you to work out if there is any money owing in either direction.

Happiness depends upon always submitting regular meter readings to your supplier and always reading the bills which they send you.

missusP

Quick update, despite having the assurance the account was on hold, I received a final bill during the time period it was going to be under review and no communication from the company. I contacted the customer services again, using the name of the person handling the complaint, and a week later have still not heard anything. Sent another email today asking for an update.
SSE seem to be completely useless in handling this. I guess I will need to count the weeks until I can progress to ombudsmen.

naedanger

missusP wrote: »

Quick update, despite having the assurance the account was on hold, I received a final bill during the time period it was going to be under review and no communication from the company. I contacted the customer services again, using the name of the person handling the complaint, and a week later have still not heard anything. Sent another email today asking for an update.

Do you think the final bill was issued after they said they would put a hold on your account? If you do then I think you should add to your complaint this further failure and demand both an explanation of how this occurred and an assurance it does not happen again.

SSE seem to be completely useless in handling this.

Actually by the standards of large energy companies it has not been too bad. At least they replied to your first complaint and that reply seemed quite honest, admitting a large number of customers had been affected. (In my experience npower just ignore complaints completely and then ignore the Ombudsman's deadlines.)

I guess I will need to count the weeks until I can progress to ombudsmen.

Yes. A week or two before the eight weeks is up you could send SSE an email highlighting that you will be going to the Ombudsman on [earliest date]. That might speed them up. State what solution you want e.g. assurance the disputed bill has been permanently cancelled and £100 compensation - £50 in respect of the initial failure and £50 in respect of the failure to stop chasing while the matter was being investigated.

missusP

naedanger wrote: »

Do you think the final bill was issued after they said they would put a hold on your account? If you do then I think you should add to your complaint this further failure and demand both an explanation of how this occurred and an assurance it does not happen again.



Yes. A week or two before the eight weeks is up you could send SSE an email highlighting that you will be going to the Ombudsman on [earliest date]. That might speed them up. State what solution you want e.g. assurance the disputed bill has been permanently cancelled and £100 compensation - £50 in respect of the initial failure and £50 in respect of the failure to stop chasing while the matter was being investigated.

Yes it was, its dated the 8th of September, the complaint was going to be held open at least until the 10th of September so there is no chance the review had been completed. My second complaint was regarding this.
Thanks for the tip, I'll email them before to give them a chance to react quicker. I've kept all the emails to show my attempts to make contact. I also requested communication only by email so its not like they are trying to call me and mail has been lost.

missusP

Quick update, after chasing them some more as they kept sending letters asking for money despite the account being on hold, they gave me a 6 week response letter which still stated they were looking into it but nothing had been resolved, then did nothing until this week when they emailed to say the entire bill has been cancelled. Both accounts are set to zero and I'm waiting on the letter just to confirm it.
I didn't even go to the ombudsmen as my health problems had gotten worse and I couldn't deal with anything else.
A big relief for us!

naedanger

missusP wrote: »

Quick update, after chasing them some more as they kept sending letters asking for money despite the account being on hold, they gave me a 6 week response letter which still stated they were looking into it but nothing had been resolved, then did nothing until this week when they emailed to say the entire bill has been cancelled. Both accounts are set to zero and I'm waiting on the letter just to confirm it.
I didn't even go to the ombudsmen as my health problems had gotten worse and I couldn't deal with anything else.
A big relief for us!

Well done and thanks for coming back with an update.