Am I within my rights to ask for my money back

Brewer20

I ask, what size house, type etc. Seems an awfully large bill?
In comparison, 3 bed brick built semi in the East Midlands I'm paying £52 per month all year, currently £137 credit balance. I know we will be sailing close to that credit being used up come maybe March/April time but it works for us.
Actually thinking of going with Pure Planet (switching) they quoted on figures submitted, £60 and £40 as suggested winter/summer payments.

Streaky_Bacon

DevilsAdvocate1 said:

Anyway, I've asked for at least £200 to be refunded and they've offered just over £3.  I've replied, saying I want at least £200 back and they have replied saying that they think I should have at least one month in hand.  I guess I just reply again.

So, they haven't provided any real justification.

If you have already raised it as a complaint, then you can make it clear that you will take it to the energy ombudsman, and perhaps that it the route that you will have to go.

If they could have said that they have reason to believe that you might miss the next payment, and could back that up somehow (poor credit history?) then they might have had an argument.

Or, they could have said that they want you to keep just the difference between your current DD and your highest ever winter bill, to make sure that there is no a DD shortfall (that would have been much less than a single DD).

Instead they have just said that they want to keep the money.

Ofgem have said that they need to provide reasonable grounds to not refund you, and they have provided no grounds at all.

For now, make sure that you have made clear that it is a complaint, so that the clock is ticking for the ombudsman.

You have a contract to pay in advance, not pay in advance AND give them a further one month's money as an interest free loan (which is exactly what it is).

MWT

Streaky_Bacon said:

You have a contract to pay in advance, not pay in advance AND give them a further one month's money as an interest free loan (which is exactly what it is).

I'm not seeing where you are getting that from?

The OP has said that after his bill is deducted and his payment made he has £203 left in the account, that appears to be roughly equal to his next months usage which would mean he is only paying the required one month in advance...

"DevilsAdvocate1 said:

....  Its been 12 monhts and my account balance has built up again and as of today, they owe me £203.  This months direct debit and payment have been applied.  I've asked for a refund and have received a message saying they recommend that I keep a balance of 1 monhts payments.  My paymets are £206 in winter and £135 in summer.  I don't think its reasonable to have a full month in hand.  Am I within my rights to insist on at least some of thie £203 back."

I've looked at the details for Pure Planet and it seems that the one month in advance is clearly disclosed in the pack for new customers and based on what the OP has posted, that is all they are retaining...

Streaky_Bacon

MWT said:

Streaky_Bacon said:

You have a contract to pay in advance, not pay in advance AND give them a further one month's money as an interest free loan (which is exactly what it is).

I'm not seeing where you are getting that from?

The OP has said that after his bill is deducted and his payment made he has £203 left in the account, that appears to be roughly equal to his next months usage which would mean he is only paying the required one month in advance...

My reading of the initial post was that the credit was in addition to the DD and the OP later confirmed this (in their post on Boxing Day). At the beginning of the month, once he pays the advance DD he has the DD amount AND the £200 credit on his account.

DevilsAdvocate1 said:

Thanks for all your replies and sorry for not coming back earlier.  The amount in hand is on top of the monthly payment - so for most of the month I am over £400 in credit but when my payment goes out then I am always at least £200 in credit.  I hope that makes sense.  I put my meter readings in every single month, so there are no estimates, and in hte last 2 years I haven't used more than I've paid for.  This time last year I was £100 in credit having just had £300 returned to me and my monthly payments lowered.

MWT

Streaky_Bacon said:

My reading of the initial post was that the credit was in addition to the DD and the OP later confirmed this (in their post on Boxing Day). At the beginning of the month, once he pays the advance DD he has the DD amount AND the £200 credit on his account.

It seems the OP has explained it both ways, but I wonder if the real problem is simply the date of his DD vs the payment date?

It seems like the real answer is to move his DD closer to the payment date so he spends more of the month with a £200 balance and less with the £400.

In an ideal world his DD would be taken on his payment date.

The problem with the dates as they are is that if they did refund his balance he would spend part of the month at a 0 balance which isn't what he agreed to at the start of his contract.

Moving the DD date would seem to fix that...

Streaky_Bacon

If they refund the credit balance, and the bill is not more than the DD then the OP should never fall into debt, and the supplier will be getting the DD in advance which is what is contracted. 
I think you mean that if the advance DD goes out on the 1st, but they bill on the 20th, then there is a 10/11 day period in which the balance would show as zero.
I don't think that is against the agreed terms, the OP is still paying by advance DD, but the supplier may wish to bill just before the DD as you suggest.
OP - what date is the DD taken and what is the billing date? 

MWT

Streaky_Bacon said:

I think you mean that if the advance DD goes out on the 1st, but they bill on the 20th, then there is a 10/11 day period in which the balance would show as zero.
I don't think that is against the agreed terms, the OP is still paying by advance DD, but the supplier may wish to bill just before the DD as you suggest.
OP - what date is the DD taken and what is the billing date? 

It would be good to know the dates for sure.

When the contract starts, a DD is taken immediately, then a month later the first bill should arrive.

So the account should never have a zero balance, but somehow the dates have been misaligned which is where the OP is now.