Elderly Parents getting Ripped Off

Vegastare

Robin9 said:

Vegastare said:

Also ask why at no time were your parents made aware of the priority services register scheme as this would have enabled them to resolve this anomaly.  Do it while you have spoken to them today so you are showing your concern at once.

How is SP supposed to know how old or vulnerable anyone is unless a son/daughter asks on their behalf. ?  

I'm not with SP but my supplier has a website and that gives lots of advice but it needs someone to contact the supplier to get it set up.

It has been suggested repeatedly and by you to ask for PSR- one  assumes the OP is taking advice - although after 31 pages on this thread I am leaving well alone - over to you.

MWT

We can guess, and we can point at the unfeasibly high usage in January, but frankly it could just as easily be a correction for an inaccurate earlier refund due to a switch from the correct register to the incorrect one in 2016...

I'm done for now, but if you ever manage to get the bills from the start of this current phase with SP in 2015 feel free to tag me and I'll come take a look, but without those bills we are never going to be able to get to the root of the problem.

kazwookie

Go round parents house and turn everything off, let them over time turn it back on as and when they need it.

Turn the hot water down, and put on a timer 1 hour in morning, 1 hour at night, if they moan then alter it.

NOW who looks after your gas and electric??? if you don't understand your how on earth are you going to help your parents???

GunJack

kazwookie said:

NOW who looks after your gas and electric??? if you don't understand your how on earth are you going to help your parents???

I did ask this a couple of pages back.....

xlnc99

Guys - loads of comments. I am just baffled right now and confused.
Would like to make a point that i have been following all advice on here to the letter so not sure about the comments on here saying i havent been. Someone asks me to post a bill - i did it. Someone asks me to read the meter, i did it. Someone asks me to post the history of the bills - i did it. Then i had a week of illness and missed all posts. On Saturday i responded and again followed all advice given including reading more meters and posting on here. Then i was told to complain, which i did today! So i am following all advice.

Can someone please let me know what the SP customer service meant - i posted it a few pages ago she said i was wrong and there was no extra consumption. AS for all the other bills, its very expensive but i will post them all on here when SP give it to me. They told me within 24-48 hours

xlnc99

I really dont know what im doing. I have zero clue what to say to SP or how to argue a case with them

Robin9

There is no case to argue.
What has happened over the years is that the meter has been under-read and from January the readings have been correct. 

Just switch - and forget the past.

As others has said  - who reads the meter at your house ?

xlnc99

GunJack said:

xlnc99 - something else is bothering me about all this.....

you are (laudably) trying to help your parents to sort out a meter/billing issue, yet you say you have no clue about  how gas & electric work. Your parents are in their 70's (as are mine, btw) which puts you as being an adult for many years....

Question - if you are admittedly clueless, who's been sorting out YOUR energy bills for your adult life? and can't you get them to help you with this? (and learn about it while you're at it).

Before I get flamed for this, think about it......

Good point - The other half has been doing this but she hasnt got a clue about this either, ive had a word. Ive never noticed too much for us as its never caused an issue with us.

xlnc99

niktheguru said:

xlnc99 said:

@niktheguru
@MWT

Thanks for the advice and there is no doubt you know more about these issues then me. However i believe you are incorrect on the history and i will tell you my reasoning.

2013 - Mum paying SP around £282 per month. One year contact SP refunded £100 pound after one year.
2014 - Mum pay OVO £250 per month. One year contract OVO refunded £1300 after one year.

Everything else aside for one minute - this clearly shows that OVO refunded the correct amount because when you do the sums it works out about right. How can SP refund £100 after taking £282 per month for 12 months and OVO refund £1300 for taking £250 per month? 

The did not change any habits within those two months.

Furthermore the last 5 years the amount of money my mum has been paying to SP they have only refunded £400 in 5 years. It just does not add up.

Again I think you're missing the point. You are just looking at direct debits. you are not looking at usage.
The way energy accounts work is that the companies work out a rough estimate of your annual usage depending on your age of house, no of bedrooms and people. They then say they think you'll use x amount, then will divide that by 12 to give you a monthly direct debit amount. This all goes into a pot and then monthly the "actual" usage is subtracted from it. At the end of the year if their estimation is correct (which it usually isn't) then the direct debit should be roughly what you use. If you paid in too much you are due a credit refund, if you paid in too little they will either ask for more money, or more likely increase your direct debit over the next 12 months to make up the difference.
This can be made more accurate by providing your accurate usage over the previous 12 months.
Companies would rather the direct debit is higher, as they would prefer you to be out of pocket rather than them being out of pocket. (its much easier for them to give money back to you rather than demand money from you!)

What you are not factoring in with your assumptions is the actual cost of the energy. You do not know what tariffs your parents are on. They may have been on a cheaper tariff with one provider compared to another. Did they have more people in the house in a particular year, did they use more heating one year etc etc. There are so so many variables that you cant just say one credit amount being different to another means a mistake.
The fact that OVO refunded £1300 in one calender year screams that 
1. There must have been a lot of estimated readings. (did they install the smart meter at the beginning or in the middle of the contract? was it actually performing smartly?)
2. The original direct debit amount was grossly overestimated, probably not based on previous readings. Did your parents switch supplier after a doorstep salesman said "go to ovo we will save you money".

If you want to go down this road you need to do your homework and actually workout the usage. and not "guess" anything. Until then, no complaint will take you seriously.

No i understand you. I am factoring in the Usage. Forget the DD for a min. HEre are the facts

2013 - SP - 282 DD every month  = refund of 100 quid after 12 months
2014 - OVO - 250 DD every month = refund of 1300 after 12 months

I totally get your point, it doesnt matter about the DD as its fixed and you will get either refund or owe them money after 12 months. Its all estimates etc. The point is that in 2013 and 2014 the energy consumption should roughly be the same. Two eldelery people living alone so it should be roughly the same. No big surprises or dramas within the 2 years. So even if SP are more expensive then OVO you really believe that is justification for SP to refund 100 pounds after paying more then 3k + in 2013 and OVO to refund 1300 after paying 3k in 2014.

The tarrifs cannot be that more expensive that justifies such a large bill.

Do you not agree something is off?

Gerry1

xlnc99 said:

Would like to make a point that i have been following all advice on here to the letter so not sure about the comments on here saying i havent been.

Congratulations on switching their gas to Robin Hood Energy, So Energy or whoever, and getting them on their Priority Services Register !

• Er, you have, haven't you??