Check your Powergen direct debit!!

funnel

Hi everyone, if your supplier is Powergen and you pay by direct debit, it might be a good idea to check your balance. I did this recently and discovered I owed them over £300, a balance that has been building up for at least 2 years to my knowledge. Upon drawing Powergen's attention to it, they told me my direct debit had to increase from £43 per month to £112! I told them I couldn't afford it, and offered to pay a smaller amount and now they've threatened to install a prepayment meter if I don't pay what they're asking. Powergen have taken the attitude that it's the customer's responsibility to monitor their payments, not the company's.
I just thought I'd warn everyone.

Cathy

Llyllyll

funnel wrote: »

Powergen have taken the attitude that it's the customer's responsibility to monitor their payments, not the company's.

Don't you get monthly or quarterly bills? Haven't you seen this deficit building up for a period of time? Don't you compare your own readings with those received from Powergen?

When my DD was no longer covering my usage I had a letter from them straight away. My deficit was only about £80 so I paid that off by CC, made my own calcualtions as to what the revised DD amount should be and they accepted it without arguement.

funnel

No, unfortunately I hadn't seen it building up. Yes, I should have checked it, but didn't, that's why I'm advising others to check theirs. Nevertheless, Powergen are required to monitor direct debit payments regularly, and did not in my case. I received no correspondence whatsoever, as they were not even aware of it until I drew their attention to it.

vicki_b

they are terrible powergen!!i was previously in a tiny 2 bedroomed flat and i was paying 15 pound per week gas and 10 pound per week leccy and we very rarely had the heating on!and to be honest we didnt really have any appliances that would make the electric so high!we have moved into a huge 3 bedroomed house and the gas is 7 pound per week and the electric is 7 pound per week (British gas)
i remember paying 3 pound per week to powergen on the gas and always getting into credit and that was only 3 or 4 years ago. they are a total rip off and i think they get away with it as their bills are so hard to fathom!

jonnyd281

Npower are exactly the same with their Direct Debit - let you run up a deficit. I seem to recall they had a 'settlement bill' once a year though - might be mistaken I moved away from them a couple of years ago.

Peartree

All the companies will let you go on building up deficits or credits if you let them and I'd be interested to know where it says it is their responsibility to monitor direct debits. You need to ensure they read your meter regularly or keep reading your meters yourself and providing readings to them, then asking them to adjust your direct debits. If you are worried, they are pretty good about providing a complete breakdown - particularly of how they project variations in your use winter and summer and how they work out your direct debit.

Gas and electricity have really gone up in the last few years so you can't compare what you were paying a few years ago. Vicki B your three bedroomed house must be incredibly well insulated or you must be very frugal - I'd love your bills instead of mine!

To their credit, Powergen were very good when I queried my bill and got back to me immediately with a full breakdown which was relatively easy to understand. When I asked for a refund of my credit amount and an adjustment of my direct debit, the credit was in my account within a week.

However, I now know that it is up to me to keep on top of it - I'd rather I was earning interest on my money than them!

Geoffo_M

vicki_b wrote: »

they are terrible powergen!!i was previously in a tiny 2 bedroomed flat and i was paying 15 pound per week gas and 10 pound per week leccy and we very rarely had the heating on!and to be honest we didnt really have any appliances that would make the electric so high!we have moved into a huge 3 bedroomed house and the gas is 7 pound per week and the electric is 7 pound per week (British gas)
i remember paying 3 pound per week to powergen on the gas and always getting into credit and that was only 3 or 4 years ago. they are a total rip off and i think they get away with it as their bills are so hard to fathom!

There is something very wrong with these figures. There is no way you should have been paying £25 a week for a 2 bedroom flat. Did you check the Powergen bill - especially their meter readings as against yours. Perhaps your neighbours were connected up to your meter!

Geoffo_M

funnel wrote: »

Hi everyone, if your supplier is Powergen and you pay by direct debit, it might be a good idea to check your balance. I did this recently and discovered I owed them over £300, a balance that has been building up for at least 2 years to my knowledge. Upon drawing Powergen's attention to it, they told me my direct debit had to increase from £43 per month to £112! I told them I couldn't afford it, and offered to pay a smaller amount and now they've threatened to install a prepayment meter if I don't pay what they're asking. Powergen have taken the attitude that it's the customer's responsibility to monitor their payments, not the company's.
I just thought I'd warn everyone.

Cathy

It looks like you have been unlucky. Powergen have reviewed my usage annually and adjusted my direct debit accordingly. I have had no problem with PG apart from how they change a tariff without letting you know. Sneaky - you have to keep an eye on them!