Can cancelling a direct debit affect my credit score?

Estelle77

Hello. I have found myself in a peculiar situation. My contract with Economy energy was coming to an end so I was speculating. I initiated a switch to the People's energy but then I panicked as I realised it was probably not the time yet (hoping to avoid early exit fees). And I could not see the time of the end of the contract in my bills or anywhere in the account. So I cancelled this switch. A couple of weeks later I decided I do want to go ahead, said to myself 'whatever'. So I finally switched. Soon after it become public the Economy energy goes into administration and that Ovo was taking over.
Now, I had two direct debits set up for the People's energy. I thought that after I cancelled the first switch this was cancelled as well. But no. They charged me for a month for both fuels (I found out later). Two weeks later, another direct debit took another month's worth of money from my bank account, the really intended switch. I have managed to sort this out and they will now charge me only via one direct debit. But I have still not see the refund of the first payment, it will be a week from my reminder e-mail to them. Never mind, I will sort that out.

Wait, this is not the end yet. The main thing is yet to come. Ovo is also charging me for the same energy supply, despite People's energy started to supply me on the 25th December 2018. On 4th February 2019 the month's worth of money was pulled out of my account. I wrote them a complaint about two weeks ago as I could not get through the line. They are probably too busy (Ovo).

My question is: if I cancel this old Economy Energy DD, will it reflect on my credit score? I am being charged twice for one energy supply.
Thanks.

[Deleted User]

Possibly, but that doesn't matter.

What matters is whether they are reporting to your credit files - and what they are reporting.

Have you checked all three files?

phillw

If you are being charged money for a service that you aren't receiving, then cancelling a direct debit shouldn't cause any issues.

Your best bet is to phone your bank and ask them to refund the payments that were incorrectly taken under Direct Debit Indemnity. They will cancel the Direct Debit and try to return the payments within a day.

You may want to be sure which energy provider is actually supplying you first & also that you are sure you don't owe them anything. Providers are now taking money up front before they even start supplying you, so it does give you the impression of being double charged.

Outfox the market took a DD after I left them, even though I was 3 months in credit. They advised me to do an indemnity claim from my bank.

Estelle77

Thanks Phill W.
I have spoken to my current supplier and they confirmed that it was them supplying me with energy from the 25th December.
Based on my latest bills from The EE I know that it is them who owe me for electricity more than I owe them for gas. That will be another fun to sort that out. And I know they charged me for the month in advance. I need to double check with the People's Energy though. I have it confirmed that there was an error with the first direct debit and they cancelled the first two and set up a brand new one, so that has been sorted at their end.

I will speak to the bank. How will they know who provided me with what and from when? I guess they won't sort out my finances in a day based on my word only... Will they? At least they will see I have been charged for energy twice (for one month even trice). but they won't know in the bank that it was the same household. It could have been another household (which it was not).