MSE News: GB Energy goes bust, 160,000 customers affected

Jackd178

Re DVD/ Memory Stick,
Would it be better for the last act of GB Energy to email all its customers with their usage details and credits owed to them, though a thought, if you are paying by direct depit, will your monies not be returned under the direct depit scheme?

tg99

tg99 wrote: »

I've not cancelled my DD yet. Next one due 5th Dec and my account is currently in debit. If the DD is able to be transferred to the new supplier and I have cancelled it when I owe money then not sure if there is a risk that my credit rating then gets a black mark for a missed payment?

Ofgem is tweeting that customers should leave DD in place and that no further payments will be taken if in credit but if in debit (like me) then further payments may be taken. Hence think if in debit and cancel and then they try and take payment It could show up as a negative on credit record?

System

tg99 wrote: »

Ofgem is tweeting that customers should leave DD in place and that no further payments will be taken if in credit but if in debit (like me) then further payments may be taken. Hence think if in debit and cancel and then they try and take payment It could show up as a negative on credit record?

What about the 1000s of older customers (myself included) who never use Twitter or FaceBook? I am in credit so I have cancelled my DD.

Thinking about this, Ofgem's advice makes little sense. If GB has gone bust, then it should not be in a position to collect DD payments. Its Bank accounts should have been frozen. If the Company is still able to raise DD payments from those in debit, what is to stop them claiming further payments from those in credit. My guess is that this is ill thought through advice who only recently stated that ' in the unlikely event of an energy supplier insolvency....'.

boatman

Could they not spread the love. The big 6 share the regions such that they have a roughly equal share of customers? Sounds a bit much to expect one company to take everyone? I doubt any company has the capacity to take on so many customers at once.

Jim6241

I too have had an email today saying my Bill was ready to view here.......'sorry we have gone bust'
I'm £187 in credit.
I have not cancelled DD yet as Ofgem is now saying don't. Maybe it will put a black mark on your credit rating....things are bad enough.

Wilt

Hengus wrote: »

What about the 1000s of older customers (myself included) who never use Twitter or FaceBook? I am in credit so I have cancelled my DD.

Thinking about this, Ofgem's advice makes little sense. If GB has gone bust, then it should not be in a position to collect DD payments. Its Bank accounts should have been frozen. If the Company is still able to raise DD payments from those in debit, what is to stop them claiming further payments from those in credit. My guess is that this is ill thought through advice who only recently stated that ' in the unlikely event of an energy supplier insolvency....'.

Those with a debit balance still have an obligation to pay - if an administrator has been appointed then they will want to recover those payments using the cheapest means which will be the direct debit mandate that has already been set up.

Though I haven't seen any notification that an administrator has been appointed, so I'm not sure whether one has yet?

Lhowarth

I was with Npower. They were UNABLE to supply me with a bill that made any sense, so much so that I had to go to the ombudsman as I finally gave up trying after several months. Wouldn't recommend

boatman

For those people trying to switch today from GB Energy, who do you suppose is going to implement the switch? The company has ceased trading so it will not happen.

pipermally

I have just cancelled my direct debit that was due to be paid tomorrow to GB Energy, the customer portal is down and since I'm due to move out my house on the 6th of Jan I don't want to be in a credit balance with them.

How on earth am I going to be able to submit meter readings when I leave the property? Is it likely another supplier will be in place by Jan 6th?

Leon_W

I don't care what Ofgems advice is. I'm in credit so just got onto First Direct and got the last two months direct debits credited back. In this situation I would be rather owing the money than waiting for a credit to be returned.

Seriously, if GB was anything other than an energy company would you still leave your DD open ?