AVRO Overcharging after death

thorganby

After explaining your bereavement situation, if Avro were a decent supplier they would have informed you about their no standing charge tariff, as you have repeatedly informed them of low usage now.

This is a good advert for Avro NOT!

tempus_fugit

I've said this before and I'll say it again, you don't take what the energy company tells you, you tell them, armed with readings and usage info, or at least as much as you can get in the circumstances. Then you work out how much it will cost and then tell them how much you will pay.

I had this same sort of issue with Avro when we first transferred to them. They worked out a nominal usage based on the size of house we have, which was way higher than our actual usage. As I supplied monthly readings it always got corrected, but it annoyed me that their forecasts were always way to high, and the estimated readings on the bills (which were always a few days after the readings went in so there were a few days estimated in between) were way off, mainly for the gas. It took me a few months but eventually I bludgeoned them into submission and they corrected things from then on.

Of course, we shouldn't have to go to these lengths, but unfortunately some companies are just hopeless, maybe not maliciously so, and they hide behind the standard procedures and timescales, so it becomes a massive effort with them when it should be easier. But I refuse to let them get one over on me. I am perfectly willing to pay for the energy that I use, but I'm not having their stupid standard estimated readings being applied even when I supply readings every month, and this is the only way to keep them under control rather than them controlling you.

kapum

EnergyTwist wrote: »

Coming soon?

or been and gone?

Either way, not showing up on their website today :cool:

Been & gone

EnergyTwist wrote: »

Looking at the prices of that tariff, it's been gone a long, long time.

Correct. It was withdrawn to new applicants by the supplier in early December 2015 :eek:
- about the same time Avro Energy officially launched in the UK iirc
It was only available to applicants for 5 days

thorganby

Yes I was wrong last night regarding Avro offering a no standing charge tariff, however Avro have treated this customer in an appalling way by increasing their DD to £129 three times in a row now, after agreeing a nominal figure to cover the low usage that they have been informed about due to bereavement.

The only sensible option for the OP is to switch away from this badly run excuse of a company because it is obviously unacceptable to inform the customer that a property of that size needs a DD of £129 regardless of the actual usage figures supplied to them.

This is something that smart meters should eventually stop but only if as a condition of their supply licence, suppliers can never issue estimated bills where smart meters are fitted.

We are informed that more than 12 million smart meters have been fitted yet customers are still receiving estimated bills, showing that smart meters currently offer no advantage to customers only suppliers.

Biscuit_Tin

kapum wrote: »

Correct. It was withdrawn to new applicants by the supplier in early December 2015 :eek:
- about the same time Avro Energy officially launched in the UK iirc
It was only available to applicants for 5 days

Being a brand new supplier at the time, they were probably scared off by the proposals being circulated by Ofgem that would require suppliers to charge all customers a standing charge.

It was established supplier, Ebico, who with others, later managed to persuade Ofgem that suppliers would be allowed set the standing charge of their tariffs at any level they wished, including 0p per day.

Victoria_Groth

I have no problem paying by DD. Just want to pay a fair DD as I know how rubbish Avro are at returning money once you leave them. There isn't enough money in the executors account to keep sending over £100 more a month to them unnecessarily.
In a weird way its reassuring that other people have had problems with Avro charging them higher than necessary amounts. Not to mention their hugely inflated estimations just days after a meter reading is submitted. The last lady I spoke with on the phone was trying to tell me how much gas I'd used in the last three months... I didn't have the heart to tell her that its been turned off for three months! As the meter reading that I'd submitted the previous evening proved. She even told me she had seen that latest meter reading. Just proves they like to lie to you and make things up.
As for the standing charge, I do feel they should have directed us to a low standing charge tariff seeing as the property was empty. Anyone who has suffered a bereavement knows how vulnerable you are at that time. Thankfully all the other companies I have dealt with have been amazing and helpful
I have now done a comparison to see companies with low or no standing charges. Once my brother returns from holiday I see no other option but to leave. I just don't have it in me to fight with them any more.
Thank you everyone who had constructive and helpful comments. A problem shared etc.

mac.d

The bigger companies do have bereavement teams that you should be put in contact with in these situations, not sure if Avro would have one though? In saying that, I dealt with one of the big six suppliers following a bereavement and it was a horrible experience, and I was only contacted by a bereavement team afterwards, which wasn't really helpful.

It's a difficult time, but while it'd be great to think they'd be compassionate and helpful by either allowing you to continue on the deal that was in place for a period of time, or as you mention, place you on a low standing charge account for an empty house. Nope, contract ends on death, so onto a standard variable tariff (which is invariably the most expensive) and its up to you to get yourself together and look for a more competitive price elsewhere.

Norman_Castle

Victoria_Groth wrote: »

There isn't enough money in the executors account to keep sending over £100 more a month to them unnecessarily.

So stop sending it. The estates liabilities are paid in a certain order after the assets have been gathered. As above, ask to speak to the bereavement team. Hopefully they will have one and they are sympathetic and helpful. The bill should have been left in the estates name and the estate pursued for the actual costs when the account is closed although it sounds like the estate will be owed money.
The executors should now find a suitable tariff to switch too based on the low usage.