Energy Ombudsman

FantasticFox

I haven't been having the best experience with them with a current complaint. First time using them as well which isn't setting a good impression.

I had a complaint open with Npower for over 300 days which was due to them not communicating with their own departments and blocking my bill from being created until they finally fixed the issue. I took the matter to the Ombudsman after a deadlock letter and my case handler at the ombudsman basically just repeated near word for word Npower's deadlock letter back to me - which had conveniently skipped out 9 months of failures by Npower and my escalation to Executive Complaints - then offered me less compensation than the little Npower had even bothered with.

I contested this decision, pointing out the case handler clearly hadn't looked through all the communication documents I'd sent in, and I haven't heard back in about four weeks now.

JustAnotherSaver

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Ombudsman Services: Energy
PO BOX 966
Warrington
WA4 9DF

Turns out this is still relevant.

JustAnotherSaver

Well the frustration with the energy ombudsman is real.


They want my mother to phone Economy Energy AGAIN.



Apparently 21 phone calls this calendar year, an unanswered email in February, an unanswered letter from mid-Sept and another phone call early Nov is not enough. If there's been no effort made by [my mother] to contact within 28 days then they (Economy Energy) can close the complaint.


So what's this waiting 8 weeks thing all about then??


Continuously (obviously - due to the 21 calls) she's tried to get it resolved but she needs to try again apparently.


Who knows, maybe 22 is a magic number that unlocks a helpful company.


OR maybe once the 22nd call is made that's just another box ticked & she can return and say what now then?!

wavelets

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Well the frustration with the energy ombudsman is real.


They want my mother to phone Economy Energy AGAIN.



Apparently 21 phone calls this calendar year, an unanswered email in February, an unanswered letter from mid-Sept and another phone call early Nov is not enough. If there's been no effort made by [my mother] to contact within 28 days then they (Economy Energy) can close the complaint.


So what's this waiting 8 weeks thing all about then??


Continuously (obviously - due to the 21 calls) she's tried to get it resolved but she needs to try again apparently.


Who knows, maybe 22 is a magic number that unlocks a helpful company.


OR maybe once the 22nd call is made that's just another box ticked & she can return and say what now then?!

I'm afraid you have probably been timed out by the Energy Ombudsman

You must complain to the Energy Ombudsman within 9 months of the original complaint.
If you have told the Energy Ombudsman that the supplier failed to answer your email in February, let alone any earlier telephone calls you made, then the Energy Ombudsman service will probably not assist you, save to suggest you continue to try and resolve the matter direct with the supplier (or take legal action against the supplier if you feel that to be appropriate)

Sterlingtimes

The Energy Ombudsman only engages when protracted discussions with the energy supplier have reached an impasse. This does not work well when Economy Energy doesn't itself follow the rules of the game. While the Energy Ombudsman was refusing to act, I had great support from both OFGEM and the wonderful Citizens' Advice Extra Help Unit.

wavelets

Sterlingtimes wrote: »

The Energy Ombudsman only engages when protracted discussions with the energy supplier have reached an impasse. This does not work well when Economy Energy doesn't itself follow the rules of the game. While the Energy Ombudsman was refusing to act, I had great support from both OFGEM and the wonderful Citizens' Advice Extra Help Unit.

As mentioned in post#2 by dogshome, you can request that the Energy Ombudsman Service assists you to resolve the complaint where 56 days have commenced since you originally started following the complaint process with the supplier

It does not matter that the supplier failed to respond - iirc, that is indeed one of the actions the EO suggest as to state the progress reached (when using their online complaint logging process)

Ofgem, on the other hand, do not usually get involved in consumer complaints; they expect the Energy Ombudsman to assist where appropriate and requested to do so.

JustAnotherSaver

wavelets wrote: »

I'm afraid you have probably been timed out by the Energy Ombudsman

You must complain to the Energy Ombudsman within 9 months of the original complaint.
If you have told the Energy Ombudsman that the supplier failed to answer your email in February, let alone any earlier telephone calls you made, then the Energy Ombudsman service will probably not assist you, save to suggest you continue to try and resolve the matter direct with the supplier (or take legal action against the supplier if you feel that to be appropriate)

Thing is though which complaint?


She's been calling regularly complaining about things - incorrect billing, lies, so on & so forth. Are each of these considered individual complaints?


Then there's the email complaint she sent in February from my account. This is an actual in writing complaint, obviously & the first one.


The second complaint came mid September via postal letter & it's this one that she's escalated to the energy ombudsman as 8 weeks have passed without reply.


They got in touch to ask when the last phone call was because the last one she noted in her complaint details was the end of August & they're saying there's a gap that needs to be accounted for (from August to now).


Her next phone call from the end of August was the beginning of November.


They're saying because 28 days passed (i assume from the end of August, or even from the letter mid September) then Economy Energy can close the complaint.


Then what on Earth is all this 8 weeks no reply nonsense then if you can't escalate it without being told go back to square 1?



Go back and phone them again? The whole point of escalating it is because phoning them was getting my mother nowhere.

matty17r

Just tried to log a complaint about npower on the energy ombusman website and it keeps saying server error. Anyone else tried today?

moneysaver129

Really useless Ombudsman. Probably just a front for the companies (who pay for it?) Maximum payout around £200. Take forever to sort the matter out. You do most of the work and at the end even if you get compo you have to accept on the basis of a goodwill payment. Extremely unsatisfactory. A complete sop.

System

In my opinion, there is one major flaw with the ombudsman process: that is, the lack of disclosure. I have an ongoing complaint under investigation. When a complaint is submitted, the complainant gives permission for the complaint and supporting paperwork to be sent to the supplier; however, as far as I can see, there is no reciprocal obligation placed on the supplier. It follows that The EO's Decision might well be based on 'evidence' provided by the supplier that may not be factually correct, or be incomplete. I therefore believe that the complainant should have the opportunity to comment on the supplier's response before any Decision is made. The arbitration process has to be seen to be fair.