Add your feedback on energy supplier Places for People Energy

System

I'm with PfP since November 2016. I'm happy so far but wouldn't think twice about paying the £30 and switching, should they get on the wrong side of me. Life's too short to need around sometimes.

Rachel_Pierson

OK, I've been a customer of PFP for six months now, so thought I'd provide an update.

For the first five months, it was pretty painless. However, their communication was not great. And recently there has been an annoying issue with my monthly Direct Debit being increased without good cause.

I've been in credit every single month of my time as a customer so far. At the current time, I'm more than a month ahead. Despite this, I received an email last month advising that my Direct Debit would go up by £8 without explanation of how they had come to that paradoxical conclusion.

I was pretty sure my estimated usage figures were sound, as I used my highest actual usage from the past three years as the basis of my estimate. And it seems as if my estimate was panning out, given that I am well in credit and six month have passed; including an even mix of Summer and Winter months. So why the increase?

I called PFP, and advised them I didn't want the Direct Debit to change. They agreed with my assessment that an increase was not warranted. I sent them an email recording our verbal understanding that the Direct Debit should not change. That email prompted an email back (11 days later - it's supposed to be 5 days max for them to respond to emails.) In contrast to what they'd said on the phone, their email response indicated that my account had been reviewed, and that if I wanted to challenge their decision I should phone, blah, blah. In other words, they completely disregarded the fact I had 1) already phoned, 2) had already challenged it, and 3) they had already verbally agreed they were wrong. This is not good customer service.

So, in summary, as some other customers have found, this company unfortunately does seem a bit disorganised. The left hand doesn't seem to know what the right hand is doing. And they're a bit too eager to increase Direct Debits without justification.

pineapple

Oh dear. I am overpaying via direct debits on my actual consumption by about 30%. They had better not increase mine - I'm hoping for a reduction and visited this thread to find out how to go about it!

MABLE

I have been with PFP for about 5 months now and everything is going well.
However they wrote to me to advise they are reducing my dd by £16.00 a month because of my usage. I asked them not to but they refused to leave at the original level. So I just pay the £16.00 by standing order. Also since joining them I give them a reading every day.

fortonsteve

Whatever price you are offered do NOT switch to PFP start-up energy supplier. I foolishly thought being a local company and 75 they would look after me.
The staff do not have the experience or English to conduct a business.
My Direct Debit was taken the day I started, so PFP have money for something they have not supplied.
My Direct Debit was overestimated and 3 months I had almost £300 in credit and getting it back was a nightmare. I Only when I threatened to turn up at their office in Preston did they wake up and offer to give me back my money. They did not understand it was not my job to enrich their bank balance
You have to read your meters and the PFP staff then enter the amount on your account. They got all the four digits wrong and my Gas account showed I had used a year's gas in 30 days
This problem could have been fixed in a moment by staff looking at my reading. But no, PFP does not answer or acknowledge emails for some time and some not at all and when they do, they do not read them! I wrote to four addresses, phoned & sent a letter by recorded delivery but the problem dragged on and eventually went to the Energy Ombudsman.
AVOID PFP!

fortonsteve

Whatever price you are offered do NOT switch to PFP start-up energy supplier. I foolishly thought being a local company and 75 they would look after me.
The staff do not have the experience or English to conduct a business.
My Direct Debit was taken the day I started, so PFP have money for something they have not supplied.
My Direct Debit was overestimated and 3 months I had almost £300 in credit and getting it back was a nightmare. I Only when I threatened to turn up at their office in Preston did they wake up and offer to give me back my money. They did not understand it was not my job to enrich their bank balance
You have to read your meters and the PFP staff then enter the amount on your account. They got all the four digits wrong and my Gas account showed I had used a year's gas in 30 days
This problem could have been fixed in a moment by staff looking at my reading. But no, PFP does not answer or acknowledge emails for some time and some not at all and when they do, they do not read them! I wrote to four addresses, phoned & sent a letter by recorded delivery but the problem dragged on and eventually went to the Energy Ombudsman.
AVOID PFP!

antrobus

energiser wrote: »

Switched painlessly from BG in March and have waited until now to post as things can change after a few months.

I've had no problems whatsoever. Certainly no billing/tariff issues as mentioned above. Also no problems logging on to their site, which has not been down when I've needed to enter meter readings, which is very easy to do. They email me when they need a reading, no need to set reminders.

I have only called them once, to check whether someone who came round to read the meter was genuine (i had given them my readings the previous week), which he was. Friendly and helpful service. No complaints.

I'd second that opinion.

Been with PFP Energy since December 2016. They ask for monthly meter readings, you give them monthly meter readings, they send you monthly bills, so you know exactly where you are.

I checked them out before switching. Because they are a very new entrant to the energy market. They are a subsidiary of Places for People, which is an established housing association, so there is some financial muscle behind it. I therefore concluded it was unlikely to become another GB Energy.

System

Me too. I've been with PfP since Nov 2016 and like antrobus I give readings monthly when asked and receive a bill soon after. My monthly DD goes out and all ticks along nicely. It was made clear that the very first monthly payment is taken in advance so I had no issue with that. I had them change my meter from smart meter to the old dumb meter and that was effected efficiently. I needed to call them a couple of times about that and I always got straight through to talk to a helpful and efficient individual. No complaints at all.

Mive

I see why people might get upset with PFP Energy, but I had a difference experience with them, a very positive experience. While joining PFP (Aug 2016), they provided a good estimate of my energy consumption (including DD). I have to admit that their communication might sound a little bit confusing. To make a very long story short: bills are calculated every month on the same date, which is the date when you joined PFP (the 14th of the month, in my case). Fair enough, I see this in the bill every month. The problem is that they are constantly sending me SMS asking to provide meter readings 7 DAYS before the date when the bill is calculated (the 7th of the month, in my case). In the first few months, I have always provided my meter readings on the very same day when I received the SMS, but I always received ESTIMATED bills. After sending an email (and I had to wait for too long to hear something back) they told me that is better to send my readings a couple of days before the bill is calculated (the 13th of the month, in my case) - so why do I have to ask for this very important piece of information?

I have also understood that it is much better to simply make a phone call. Once I had this right, everything worked really smoothly. After six months they wanted to increase my DD (but I was in credit, and that was at the beginning of the spring), so I called them and they kept the same DD.

By the end of the summer (providing always timely meter readings) I had a substantial credit (£300). I had a conversation with a nice employee, and they reduced my DD. It took me literally 5 minutes. And the reduction of my DD was realistic (according to my calculations, based on bills from the last 12 months updated with new prices, I might be running out of credit in 8-10 months).

In sum: while they should be able to get back to an email sooner than they do, and they should be clearer in their communications (i.e., the timing of submitting meter readings), I am happy with the service. Just send your meter readings every month (takes literally two secs through their website); do your own maths (their "how much energy you will use in the next twelfth months" on the first page of the bill is wrong, literally wrong, but after one year with them is finally right!); if they want to increase your DD, and you think they are wrong, just call them - if you have provided your meter readings they will be able to fix this issue in seconds!

smipx013

I was with PFP for a year and having emails every month for meter readings is a bit of a faff until you realise that you can just ignore them and do one proper reading every 3 months or as you wish.

I foolishly moved over a month or two back to AVRO energy as they were going to be £50 cheaper over the year (based on a recommendation on the Cheap Energy Club) and they have been very poor in comparison. If you are thinking of choosing between PFP and AVRO I would choose PFP every time if the prices are similar. they are friendly and helpful on the phone when you eventually get through and you get the feeling they are not just in it for the money and profit. Yes they are a bit disorganised and the website is a bit hit and miss but I think their hearts are in the right place and they don't Bul***t you over the phone when you talk to them (Unlike AVRO).

There - ive said it - vented my anger and I feel much better for it :-)

Here is the thread for AVRO for anyone interested in my nightmare moving over to them: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5367862
My post on AVRO is on Page 9

Enjoy :-)