Watch out for GB Energy price hikes!!

SimonDH

I received the exact same e-mail informing me my £45 direct debit will be increasing to £99! I have a credit of £47 with them. I rang them and got fed the same story as the OP and finally settled on an increase to £50. We are very low energy users in our household. My fixed 12 crystal tariff ends in August and I shall 100% be switching. I'm not looking forward to try to reclaim my credit balance when we switch.

victor2

Not all suppliers seem to consider the customer's historic annual usage and divide the cost of that by 12, when setting DD amounts. Many do aim for a zero balance at the end of contract date and should consider the current balance on the account, but even then come up with odd amounts.
Co-op don't have the best of customer service records going by discussions on here, so if you're not happy, use a comparison site and switch away to one that does make sense. Ignore the OFGEM enforced calculation of current cost, but look at the predicted future cost (not supposed "savings") with different suppliers and go from there.

Neil_Jones

I haven't had any emails about DD increases but since the Co-Op took over the service my Direct Debit was near enough doubled at that time and now I'm so far in credit that it effectively pays for all the electricity I'm going to use for the next 12 months. Not that I intend to stay with GB/Co-Op after June, though their bills suggest I can shave another £30 odd quid off my bill on an otherwise totally undocumented tariff even though the website "change tariff" option only shows me one with higher KWh and standing charge figures.

In fact the only reason I've left the higher direct debit was because the cashback I get through my 123 account on the Direct Debit, is netting me £1.38 a month. That and I only have electricity with them on a legacy GB deal that expires in June - a rate that compared to the market now is literally dirt cheap at a shade under 10p per kWh.

GB used to be really quick at answering the phone for anything - tariff changing, questions, refunds, anything - could be on and off the phone in less than 5 minutes usually. Since the Co-Op, well we're doing well if we get less than 20 minutes into a call before speaking to anybody.

After half an hour on the phone I'm getting a large chunk of the credit back, no mess, no fuss.

sillygoose

just an update - after agreeing to clear my modest account debit (largely present due to them not taking payment my December as they collapsed!) with a one off payment, they have agreed to keep my payments exactly as they were before.

This should be fine as my predicted next years cost is the same as the year just past.

My tip is don't bother with calling customer service, use the online email when logged in your account and choose 'complaint' this team seem to have a lot more power to resolve thing directly. Just have to be patient a few days for a reply.

sheff6107

If you'd switched as soon as they went bust you would have had your debit written off.