Add your feedback on energy supplier Iresa

brewerdave

They have been putting estimates in for the last day of the month since October. For my leccy only account,these estimates have been reasonably accurate ,slightly higher than the reading I gave them earlier in the month, as expected.
In fact this month I actually checked and their estimate was only 1 kwh different from my actual reading on the morning of the 31st.
On the Account charges page, they show a charge from the last day of the month.previous to my reading date, then a second charge to cover the extra couple of days til the 31st
Not sure why they doing this as it only gives them a cash flow advantage the first time they do it.

nickcc

grumpycrab wrote: »

They like to make readings up to the 31st. This was electric presumably.

Always accepted my electric readings before. Don't understand why they email asking for meter readings on the 27th if they want them month end. My reading was almost 200 lower than their estimate three days later which they obviously knew as they had entered my reading into their system. I expect their excuse will be that it's an automated system, I'd like to know who set the system up in the first place.

TricksterB

I have just joined this forum because I switched to Iresa a year ago and have had NO issues at all. I see MSE suggesting caution, which is fair enough, but my experience has been First Class. Very smooth from Day 1 switchover, no billing problems, easy website to add meter readings, low tariffs. They generally underestimate if I miss a reading but the DD is fixed so it makes no difference until the contract expires. I have just renewed for a further year.

donerkebab

TricksterB wrote: »

I have just joined this forum because I switched to Iresa a year ago and have had NO issues at all. I see MSE suggesting caution, which is fair enough, but my experience has been First Class. Very smooth from Day 1 switchover, no billing problems, easy website to add meter readings, low tariffs. They generally underestimate if I miss a reading but the DD is fixed so it makes no difference until the contract expires. I have just renewed for a further year.

LOL just joined to praise Iresa - nice one Mr Oladeji

So my 1st year was generally fine apart from trying to get my DD lowered because it was much too high. 3 months to get it lowered.

Signed for 2nd year and now this meter reading rubbish starts. From arguments on Twitter - they insist on meter readings on last day of month - any reading given before are ignored (perhaps the Excel spreadsheet will crash if they tried to change the date). My counter argument is why waste time asking customers for readings if they will then ignore them. At least change the meter reading request emails to highlight the fact that unless reading submitted exactly on last day of month it will be ignored and inflated with their own estimate.
And yes they bumped my DD up again so another 3 months to get it back down.
It really is a case of you get what you paid for...but Big 6 or rubbish support

nickcc

TricksterB wrote: »

I have just joined this forum because I switched to Iresa a year ago and have had NO issues at all. I see MSE suggesting caution, which is fair enough, but my experience has been First Class. Very smooth from Day 1 switchover, no billing problems, easy website to add meter readings, low tariffs. They generally underestimate if I miss a reading but the DD is fixed so it makes no difference until the contract expires. I have just renewed for a further year.

What about the price increase at the end of your fix, or perhaps it didn't happen to you.

System

TricksterB wrote: »

......if I miss a reading but the DD is fixed so it makes no difference until the contract expires. .

If the the reviews on forums such as this; Trustpilot and Facebook, and reports in MSE; Utility Week and Which are to be believed (and the weight of evidence suggests they should be believed) then the monthly DD payment is anything but fixed. Please explain why you think it is? I suspect that there hasn’t been a change to your DD payment as you switched to Iresa in the Spring and accrued a credit balance.

System

nickcc wrote: »

Always accepted my electric readings before. Don't understand why they email asking for meter readings on the 27th if they want them month end. My reading was almost 200 lower than their estimate three days later which they obviously knew as they had entered my reading into their system. I expect their excuse will be that it's an automated system, I'd like to know who set the system up in the first place.

I am frequently surprised that people just rollover and accept estimated readings on bills/statements when there is a specific Supply Licence Condition covering the use of actual/customer-provided readings for billing purposes:

Condition 21B. Billing based on meter readings

21B.1 If a Customer provides a meter reading to the licensee that the licensee considers reasonably accurate, or if the Gas Meter is read by the licensee, the licensee must take all reasonable steps to reflect the meter reading in the next Bill or statement of account sent to the Customer.

21B.2 If the licensee considers that a meter reading provided by a Customer is not reasonably accurate, the licensee must take all reasonable steps to contact the Customer to obtain a new meter reading from him.

I am with Zog and Bulb and both use the meter readings that I give them and both make it clear that they will contact me if they believe that I have provided an incorrect reading. FWiW, I gave Bulb a reading yesterday and monthly account was in my e-mail inbox this morning. Zog takes about a week to issue its monthly statement.

brewerdave

Hengus wrote: »

I am frequently surprised that people just rollover and accept estimated readings on bills/statements when there is a specific Supply Licence Condition covering the use of actual/customer-provided readings for billing purposes:

Condition 21B. Billing based on meter readings

21B.1 If a Customer provides a meter reading to the licensee that the licensee considers reasonably accurate, or if the Gas Meter is read by the licensee, the licensee must take all reasonable steps to reflect the meter reading in the next Bill or statement of account sent to the Customer.

21B.2 If the licensee considers that a meter reading provided by a Customer is not reasonably accurate, the licensee must take all reasonable steps to contact the Customer to obtain a new meter reading from him.

Spot on Hengus - I've held off complaining because a) the differences have been small and b) it hasn't triggered a change in DD. Fortunately didn't switch gas to them last February.:T
I'm about to pull the trigger on renewing on their leccy fix for another year because it is still cheaper than all but OFTM - wonder if it will lead to an overinflated DD increase:(

Berwynview

We've been with Iresa since last February with no problems so far....

However, we now want to switch our electricity account to Outfox the Market, and Iresa have objected to the switch as they say there is an outstanding debt. I understand that this is incorrect and the account is only in debit - we haven't been billed yet for this outstanding amount.

When we've switched supplier previously, the outstanding amount has been cleared (paid) once we've submitted a final reading.

Do I have to ring them up to get them to cancel this block and allow us to switch supplier or can I just transfer the amount they say is outstanding? If so, how do I find out where to transfer the money to, as I can only cancel the direct debit and not amend it.

I note that others have suggested using twitter to get them to respond but I don't currently have a twitter account - I could create one if you think that's the quickest way to get them to respond.

System

Berwynview wrote: »

We've been with Iresa since last February with no problems so far....

However, we now want to switch our electricity account to Outfox the Market, and Iresa have objected to the switch as they say there is an outstanding debt. I understand that this is incorrect and the account is only in debit - we haven't been billed yet for this outstanding amount.

When we've switched supplier previously, the outstanding amount has been cleared (paid) once we've submitted a final reading.

Do I have to ring them up to get them to cancel this block and allow us to switch supplier or can I just transfer the amount they say is outstanding? If so, how do I find out where to transfer the money to, as I can only cancel the direct debit and not amend it.

I note that others have suggested using twitter to get them to respond but I don't currently have a twitter account - I could create one if you think that's the quickest way to get them to respond.

I am rather surprised that with Ofgem looking over their shoulders that this is still going on. The Ofgem policy on debts was stated in a 2016 letter:

Debt objection letters must comply with SLC 14.9, including:

!!!61623; stating the ground for objection at the time of the switching request and, where this is because the customer is in debt, stating that the debt had been outstanding for 28 days or more since the customer was first informed about it in writing;

!!!61623; informing the customer of the amount of the outstanding debt as part of stating clearly how to resolve or dispute the objection;

!!!61623; providing energy efficiency and debt management advice and clear information about third party sources of help and advice including relevant contact details for those organisations; and

!!!61623; specifying an alternative, preferable tariff or payment method which would be available to that customer. In providing this information, it should be appropriate for, and bespoke to, the customer in question. Providing a link to generic tariff information on a website homepage, or an automated phone line, would not be sufficient.

My advice. Raise a formal written complaint. If necessary, send it by recorded letter. Point out that you believe that they are not complying with their Licence obligations. If you decide to e-mail it, then copy it to consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk

PS Sorry. This forum has started doing strange things to para numbers.