MSE News: Regulator draws up plans for next-day energy switching

SnowMan

Hengus wrote: »

Report them for a Standard Licence Condition breach to [EMAIL="consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk"]consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk[/EMAIL]. Have you thought about the Small Claims Court?

I was thinking of sending a letter before action giving IRESA one week to provide a final bill and refund the credit, as the first step to action through the small claims track of the county court. I would be interested if anyone else has gone down that route and how that went.

Caddyman

Hengus wrote: »

Report them for a Standard Licence Condition breach to [EMAIL="consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk"]consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk[/EMAIL]. Have you thought about the Small Claims Court?

I realise we've discussed the issue of swapping to smaller independent energy providers in another thread, but it's experiences such as SnowMan is currently suffering that put me clean off from swapping to companies such as Iresa, even if they were cheaper than my current tariff, which they are not because of my fix with Npower last year. No one should be put in the position where they're fighting to get their own money back.

We can all moan about the big six, (and trust me, I've done so myself in the past) but personally, I've never had the sorts of issues people are reporting about trying to get back in credit balances in all of my time with Npower. If anything, Npower are a bit too keen to give back even the smallest amounts. I've had £5 credited back before now. Most likely my own fault for providing regular 1st day of the month meter readings and so ensuring I only pay for the energy I'm using. Effectively, in the last 5 years, I've never had an estimated bill because I submit 12 meter reads a year.

I hope SnowMan gets this sorted. It's unacceptable. The one time I did have to use the Energy Ombudsman, they were very good and I received compensation, but that was quite a few years ago.

But back to topic, I'm struggling to see how 24 hour switching of utilities could work effectively, especially when some companies are seemingly unable to get even basic services such as billing, correct. Plus, different companies are seemingly using different metering systems rendering some completely incompatible with other companies. This all seems like a bit of a pot mess to me.

Wolf3

So UPTO 8 days to be issued with a verified reading so where do the other 34 days go? I know some suppliers can be efficient but most aren't.

I believe Electricity Opening/Closing readings will only be issued from the gaining supplier 8 working days after the transfer date and only if all the relevant data has been originally received from the other 5 parties involved in the transfer, plus a reading provided by the customer.
As a worst case scenario an opening/closing read can be issued 32 working days after the transfer date, which is longer than the 6 weeks given, as a directive, to produce the final bill.
Gas reads are issued in 5 working days? as there is only 1 other partly involved.
Unless there is a major overhaul to they way the energy industry handle the transfer process, which if they did it would cost a pretty penny, and we all know that will just be passed on to the consumer, yet again. This would go against the reported purpose of the change anyway.

Consumerist

SnowMan wrote: »

I have been waiting 9 weeks so far for IRESA to refund my credit, even though I provided opening readings to my new supplier promptly on switching away.

I took a complaint to the Energy Ombudsman about IRESA's poor service, and asked as a resolution for IRESA to pay promptly my credit balance on switching (about £150) over to me. The Energy Ombudsman awarded me £30, but even though 8 weeks had passed have refused to tell IRESA to pay over my credit, and won't even contact IRESA to point out to them that my credit should have been paid to me . . .

You don't say what your original complaint was, but if it was not about your credit balance being refunded then there is nothing to stop you opening another complaint if it has been 8 weeks since you aked for the credit to be refunded.

SnowMan

Consumerist wrote: »

You don't say what your original complaint was, but if it was not about your credit balance being refunded then there is nothing to stop you opening another complaint if it has been 8 weeks since you aked for the credit to be refunded.

I have already raised a further complaint with IRESA about the failure to refund my credit in a timely manner, giving me at least the option to make a further referral to the Energy Ombudsman, although I will more likely go the small claims route.

My original complaint was about the failure to bill me correctly for gas, and then to fail to communicate with me over this mis-billing, which had led to me swiching away from IRESA, but I made it clear in my Energy Ombudsman referral that my required outcome was just to be billed correctly and get my credit refunded in a timely manner. The Energy Ombudsman decision did state that the final bill must be produced in 6 weeks, and awarded me a £30 payment, but because the refund of credit wasn't included in the list of actions required by IRESA, they won't even contact IRESA to mention that the refund of credit remains outstanding. Because a subsequent complaint would be about the failure to refund my credit, then in theory I can go back to the Energy Ombudsman.

Surprisingly I have had a response from IRESA today. They say they are waiting for the opening electricity meter reading from EDF and won't refund my credit until they get this.

EDF have previously told me they have supplied the opening meter reading to IRESA. In fact I have had an opening statement on my EDF account for some time that uses this reading. So IRESA are waiting for a reading that EDF tell me has already been sent through so logically that means I will be waiting indefinitely.

Next day switching, you're having a laugh :rotfl::rotfl:

Consumerist

SnowMan wrote: »

. . . EDF have previously told me they have supplied the opening meter reading to IRESA. In fact I have had an opening statement on my EDF account for some time that uses this reading. So IRESA are waiting for a reading that EDF tell me has already been sent through so logically that means I will be waiting indefinitely. . .

Ask IRESA to confirm that this is their final response then you can pass it to the Ombudsman as another complaint.