Yorkshire Energy blocked my switch

fromdusktilldawn

Robin9 wrote: »

Agree with dogshome- this debt must have been building up for sometime and the DD probably have needed to be nearer £100.

I see that the OP says his switch is based on kwh and I presume he is expecting to get a lower DD than at the moment. I am not sure - could the OP post his actual annual kwh please.

Yes, the switch was based on kwh, and I check the rates carefully since it is economy 7. I do not expect a lower DD, I just want to lock in at a reasonable rate as my current fix is ending. Annual kwh are 3573 (daytime) and 4367 (night time). Yes, its high - I have an electric Aga which is swicthed off in the summer. The debt has been reducing over the summer.

fromdusktilldawn

spiro wrote: »

Can you please clarify something about your account with YE; do you receive a bill every month/3 months that you are expected to pay or are you on a fixed DD and therefore you only receive statements. There is a big difference.

If you pay by DD and you use more than expected, your account will have a debit (negative balance). That is NOT a debt and they cannot stop you from switching regardless of the size of the debit.

If you pay on receipt of a bill and you have failed to pay the bill within the agreed timescale, that then becomes a debt and they can object.

If they are refusing to let you switch because of a large debit balance write them a formal letter of complaint because they are not complying with the Standard Licence Condition in relation to objections.

I am on a fixed DD and provide meter readings every month, so it is a debit balance, not a debt. It has been steadily reducing over the summer. My usage is high - I have an electric Aga which is switched off in the summer time. Thank you for confirming my understanding that they have no reason to block my switch. I have already told them that the final bill will be paid when the account is closed, as normal. I have switched many times before and never come up against this.

fromdusktilldawn

Redboot wrote: »

So have you switched or not?

In your OP you indicate you applied to switch but that was blocked.
If you were only advised you were blocked on Wednesday, have you paid the £100 demanded, and if so why??? :huh:

Whether you have or not, you will not be switched by anytime next week.

Yes, I applied to switch and YE blocked it. Yes, I have agreed to pay the £100, under protest and it will come out 1st October. They said they would lift the block after that but I dont trust them. I am on fixed rate till end of October, so I still have some time.

Talldave

fromdusktilldawn wrote: »

Yes, I applied to switch and YE blocked it. Yes, I have agreed to pay the £100, under protest and it will come out 1st October. They said they would lift the block after that but I dont trust them. I am on fixed rate till end of October, so I still have some time.

Why only pay money you owe "under protest"?

Why should they trust you?

fromdusktilldawn

I paid 'under protest' in order to get the switch moving again even though I thought they were wrong to demand that I paid.
Why should they trust me to pay ? Because I have had an account with them for 12 months+ and always paid on time. Why wouldn't I pay them ?

Robin9

In their eyes you are a number not a loyal customer.

PS Still waiting for your actual annual consumption.

Robin9

A DD of £72.50 is suggesting to me a annual consumption of about 5000 kwh.

A deficit of £274 also suggests to me that you are using 1750 kwh .

Therefore the figure to put into a comparison site is 6750 kwh.

But it all depends on the usual Estimated/Actual readings

Talldave

fromdusktilldawn wrote: »

I paid 'under protest' in order to get the switch moving again even though I thought they were wrong to demand that I paid.
Why should they trust me to pay ? Because I have had an account with them for 12 months+ and always paid on time. Why wouldn't I pay them ?

Well you don't trust them, so you should expect the same in return.

Why are they wrong to demand payment for something you've had delivered and used? Do you walk out of the supermarket with a trolley of food, pay for part of it and then pay in protest when asked for the rest of the money?

I found myself in a similar position to you earlier in the year with Pure Planet. My ludicrous gas consumption left me with a negative balance of a few hundred pounds so I contacted them to say that I wanted to switch and offered to clear the balance before initiating the switch. They replied that they were happy to leave it until the final bill. Maybe after doing £2k of business and being an active member of their online support community we'd built up some trust.

Ironically, one of the companies I was switching to was Yorkshire Energy who's customer service I found to be superb.

Mister_G

Robin9 wrote: »

In their eyes you are a number not a loyal customer.

PS Still waiting for your actual annual consumption.

Didn't the OP give that in post#12?

Robin9

Mister_G wrote: »

Didn't the OP give that in post#12?

Apologies missed that.

With those figures though £72.50 a month is still far too low.
5374 at say 18p is £650; 4367 at say 12p is £525 - add standing charges and VAT = over £1300 (ie £110 or so a month) My estimate may be a little high as 12x£72,.5 + £274 is £1144.