Feedback on Utility Point

Swipe

Streaky_Bacon wrote: »

Now just waiting for my refund (and keeping my eye out for any further DDs as Swipe suggested).

Remember to claim your "automatic" £30 compensation if your refund isn't with you within 10 working days of your final bill issue date. The easiest way to do this is to go on the online chat. UP will NOT issue this automatically even though it is mandated by Ofgem.

thelight

Almost 7 weeks and still no final bill for me

Swipe

thelight wrote: »

Almost 7 weeks and still no final bill for me

Longer than 6 weeks, and they owe you £30 compensation. Get on the chat to them and remind them to credit your account with £30.

Stompa

poppellerant wrote: »

Looking to refer a friend to Utility Point and performed a quote on their website. I am slightly bewildered by what they call "Starter Payments" and I can see why new customers might be easily put off.

Just to confuse matters further they've now also introduced this:

• How we calculate your DOUBLE UP Payments
• To keep you in credit through the winter, your Initial direct debit will be twice as much as a normal regular monthly payment
• We start by calculating your forecasted annual energy costs then divide this by 12: this provides your average monthly payment amount, we then adjust it to account for the winter period. We take a double payment to start your supply so you remain in credit during the winter. We then take the balance of your forecasted annual consumption and spread this over the remaining 11 months to give you a lower regular payment.

The above example illustrates the payments during the next 12 months one would expect, based on the information provided and a start of supply in February.

The annual bill in this example is £720 (£720 / 12 months = £60).

To calculate your Initial Payment we collect twice the regular payment to keep you in credit during the winter period in this case: £60 × 2 = £120

The remaining balance after the initial payment are then spread over the remainder of the year and become your regular amount but of course are subject to change based on your actual consumption Eg £720 − £120 initial payment = £600 Balance £600 divided by 11 remaining payments = £54.54

If you add up all the payments over the course of the year the payments made equal total energy charges. 1 × Starter Payment (£120) + 11 × Regular Payments (£54.54) = £720.

These tariffs seem to use the naming convention "Just 2 Up 20 Wk03 Direct v2" as opposed to "Just Up 20 Wk03 Direct v2"!

thelight

Swipe wrote: »

Longer than 6 weeks, and they owe you £30 compensation. Get on the chat to them and remind them to credit your account with £30.

I thought Ofgem had chosen not to introduce an automatic fine for late final bill, only for late payment once a bill has been recieved?

Swipe

thelight wrote: »

I thought Ofgem had chosen not to introduce an automatic fine for late final bill, only for late payment once a bill has been recieved?

You could be right. It wasn't live when the first regulations came into force on 1st May and there was reference to it being enforced "later in the year", so I assumed that had happened but I can't find any references to that actually happening.


https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/customers-entitled-automatic-compensation-switching-problems-1-may

Ofgem will separately introduce new requirements for suppliers to pay automatic compensation for delayed switches and providing late final bills later this year.

I'd still try it on with UP as they may not be up to speed on the rules. Either way, it's unlikely they'll refund your credit within the 10 working days of your final bill anyway so you can still get at least one payment of £30.

tk47

Swipe wrote: »

You could be right.

thelight IS right

Swipe wrote: »

I'd still try it on with UP as they may not be up to speed on the rules. Either way, it's unlikely they'll refund your credit within the 10 working days of your final bill anyway so you can still get at least one payment of £30.

When we left UP, the closing amount indicated on our final bill was in our bank account within 48 hours of the date of that final bill.
(but we did leave the DDI open, albeit it was set to zero, to allow UP to refund us, and UP closed the DDI immediately upon them setting that final bill.)

thelight

I've requested the bill reminding them of the lateness via email. I won't be chasing up again other than to make a complaint.

Kernel_Sanders

Swipe wrote: »

It's for the £30 compensation for late final bill credit refund that was awarded after they'd closed my account.

He wasn't asking what it was for, he was pointing out they must already have the details of your bank account if they were taking direct debits from it.

Swipe

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

He wasn't asking what it was for, he was pointing out they must already have the details of your bank account if they were taking direct debits from it.

They told me my account had been closed and the DD mandate cancelled at their end so they needed me to send them my bank account details again for a transfer refund. They obviously no longer had them or they would have just refunded me as agreed.