Energy firms to pay £30 automatic compensation for more switching delays and mistakes - MSE News

Former_MSE_Callum

Energy firms will soon be forced to give automatic compensation for a much wider range of switching delays and errors, under new rules announced today - including if you don't get a final bill from your old supplier within six weeks...

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Energy firms to pay £30 automatic compensation for more switching delays and mistakes

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Gerry1

What a damp squib !

You still have to wait up to six weeks to get a final bill, so it can be up to eight weeks to get your money back.  You could walk from Lands End to John O'Groats in that time !  It's all computerised (or should be), so why can't a switch be completed by the end of the next working day, including repayment of any credit by Faster Payment or collection of final payment by Direct Debit?

Swipe

Sounds like Utility Point are going to be well out of pocket unless they get their act together 

Smodlet

It's like the whole "switches can be completed in 17 days" nonsense; the admin can, the electricity supply still takes as long as it takes.  It's just more spin.  My last switch in July last year took as long as they ever took; the only difference was a whole lot more spin.  Might as well just put it back the way it was, imho.

As for automatic compo, that is just job creation for all the times it is not automatic.  It also depletes the fund for those who have genuine complaints and deserve far more compo than they receive.

ajrh

I thought it was per utility. Lumo had sent me the final gas statement on 15 April But paid no money back only earlier this week did they action but of course not received yet. They have said that as they haven’t done the final electric bill yet as not received the final adjudicated read I’m not owed compensation.  Is that really true?

Pete99

I wish Ofgem would sort out suppliers taking direct debits after you've switched, they've really no right to do that and it's bound to put people off switching because you need to make sure you've got double the usual direct debit amount available in that month.

brewerdave

ajrh said:

 They have said that as they haven’t done the final electric bill yet as not received the final adjudicated read I’m not owed compensation.  Is that really true?

I suspect that this will be the excuse that most /all Utility Cos. will use. 

Swipe

brewerdave said:

ajrh said:

 They have said that as they haven’t done the final electric bill yet as not received the final adjudicated read I’m not owed compensation.  Is that really true?

I suspect that this will be the excuse that most /all Utility Cos. will use. 

If they were prevented from doing so after the contract end date, I'm sure we'd see these final bills for accounts in arrears being produced a lot faster

brewerdave

Swipe said:

brewerdave said:

ajrh said:

 They have said that as they haven’t done the final electric bill yet as not received the final adjudicated read I’m not owed compensation.  Is that really true?

I suspect that this will be the excuse that most /all Utility Cos. will use. 

If they were prevented from doing so after the contract end date, I'm sure we'd see these final bills for accounts in arrears being produced a lot faster

Unfortunately my belief is ,if pushed ,the Utility Cos. will produce final bills based on estimates to avoid being penalised ,then come back a while later with an amended bill. Don't know which is worse !!

Gerry1

Or perhaps they'll chase these mysterious third parties to get their act together and verify the meter readings the same day.  It's only a computer algorithm, so why can't it be processed in milliseconds rather than weeks?

Talldave

Gerry1 said:

Or perhaps they'll chase these mysterious third parties to get their act together and verify the meter readings the same day.  It's only a computer algorithm, so why can't it be processed in milliseconds rather than weeks?

Indeed. It's the standard gob-smacking incompetence we're expected to put up with from the energy industry.  I can move money between banks in seconds. But for the energy industry to run a couple of lines of code on a number (OK, two numbers in the case of E7 meters) apparently takes weeks.  It really is pathetic and is a trait of former nationalised industries who have no concept of customer service.  The rail industry is the same - the Rail Delivery Group regularly make a shambles of something as simple as railcards and we all have to suck it up because we can't go elsewhere.