Unable to contact Utility Point

sevenonine

This supplier has transferred me to its Standard tariff -Sapphire - when I need to fix for 12 months..

I supplied them with my latest meter reading on 8 January 2021 which they asked for as 10 January 2021 was  when my fixed period ended.  I've been sent an automatic reply saying they will respond in 5-7 days which is frustrating as logging on to my account shows a growing Debit of £67.42 and refers me to the statement for January 2021 to find out how to pay this amount. Clicking on it does nothing - I would like to pay this outstanding amount as I find they have been taking only the summer months' amount of £23 for the last six months instead reverting to the cold months' Direct Debit of £65.

Meanwhile I would like to transfer to a fixed tariff and would like to know whether a "variable" tariff means the full amount by DD in the colder months and lesser amounts in summer.

I  am a single 85 year old, also clinically extremely vulnerable, and live in a 3 bedroom house which I had hoped to sell and move into a Care home but have had to ditch that plan because of Corvid.

Would appreciate any advice how to pay off this amount which may even be a handicap when I want to find a fixed tariff.

 

Neil_Jones

Check the comparison websites for other providers.  If you find a better tariff you should be able to move to it.  At that point one of two things will probably happen:  1) Utility Point will contact you to say we object because you owe us x amount, or 2) you move and the final amount owning is taken with one more direct debit.  As a general rule if you owe less than £500 you can still switch.

To answer the question, a variable tariff means your prices can rise (or fall) at any time.  A fix obviously means they won't, even if the cost to the supplier was to quadruple your unit rates wouldn't change.

bristolleedsfan

Neil_Jones said:

.  As a general rule if you owe less than £500 you can still switch.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/get-a-better-energy-deal/switching-energy-supplier-if-youre-in-debt/

Gerry1

sevenonine said:

Meanwhile I would like to transfer to a fixed tariff and would like to know whether a "variable" tariff means the full amount by DD in the colder months and lesser amounts in summer.

Variable Direct Debit means that you send in a meter reading, they do the sums and collect the exact amount you've used.  Offered by some companies, but probably the minority.  No problems with Bill Shock when you find out you haven't been paying enough, no problems with reclaiming a large credit when the company goes bust, but big bills in winter, smaller ones in summer.

Fixed Direct Debit is offered by almost everyone.  Can be confusing because many people mistakenly think it's All You Can Eat, but it's the same amount every month provided that your usage remains as expected.

Some companies have a halfway house, a Fixed Direct Debit that is higher in winter and lower in summer, but that's not the same as a variable tariff (one where the rates can go up or down depending on market forces).

sevenonine

Neil_Jones said:

one of two things will probably happen:  1) Utility Point will contact you to say we object because you owe us x amount, or 2) you move and the final amount owning is taken with one more direct debit. v

1) By only taking DDs of £23  during the last 6 months surely UP are responsible for the build-up of my debt and why have they not sent me a meaningful statement in response to my meter reading of 8 January 2021?

As to 2) surely the final debit cannot be more than my meter reading of 8-xx January 2021 - can it?

I have never been in the position I now find myself in!  I have always paid my fair dues in advance.  This situation is of UP's own making.  Is this something I can  raise a complain about?

sevenonine

Neil_Jones said:

 one of two things will probably happen:  1) Utility Point will contact you to say we object because you owe us x amount, or 2) you move and the final amount owning is taken with one more direct debit.

1) By only taking DDs of £23  during the last 6 months surely UP are responsible for the build-up of my debt and why have they not sent me a meaningful statement in response to my meter reading of 8 January 2021?

As to 2) surely the final debit cannot be more than my meter reading of 8-xx January 2021 - can it?

I have never been in the position I now find myself in!  I have always paid my fair dues in advance.  This situation is of UP's own making.  Is this something I can  raise a complain about?

bristolleedsfan

christina.clifford@utilitypoint.co.uk   Operations Manager

Neil_Jones

sevenonine said:

Neil_Jones said:

 one of two things will probably happen:  1) Utility Point will contact you to say we object because you owe us x amount, or 2) you move and the final amount owning is taken with one more direct debit.

1) By only taking DDs of £23  during the last 6 months surely UP are responsible for the build-up of my debt and why have they not sent me a meaningful statement in response to my meter reading of 8 January 2021?

As to 2) surely the final debit cannot be more than my meter reading of 8-xx January 2021 - can it?

I have never been in the position I now find myself in!  I have always paid my fair dues in advance.  This situation is of UP's own making.  Is this something I can  raise a complain about?

1) That depends.  A lot of the time energy providers set direct debits based on the information you give them.  So if you only tell you use a small amount of energy, they'll set it accordingly, and there are many other contributors to the forum who have fallen into this trap and then wonder why they end up owing a fortune.  Some providers only generate statements quarterly or on a schedule and so they may not generate a statement every time you give them a reading.  I don't know about UP.

2) Again, it depends.  The whole point of having a direct debit is that you pay into a kitty per month towards your energy usage.  If you use more energy than you've paid for, you build a debt up.  Many people only find this out when they decide to up sticks and leave.

Have you been providing meter readings regularly before Jan 8th?

sevenonine

sevenonine said:

Neil_Jones said:

 one of two things will probably happen:  1) Utility Point will contact you to say we object because you owe us x amount, or 2) you move and the final amount owning is taken with one more direct debit.

1) By only taking DDs of £23  during the last 6 months surely UP are responsible for the build-up of my debt and why have they not sent me a meaningful statement in response to my meter reading of 8 January 2021?

As to 2) surely the final debit cannot be more than my meter reading of 8-xx January 2021 - can it?

I have never been in the position I now find myself in!  I have always paid my fair dues in advance.  This situation is of UP's own making.  Is this something I can  raise a complain about?

"The whole point of having a direct debit is that you pay into a kitty per month towards your energy usage.  If you use more energy than you've paid for, you build a debt up.  Many people only find this out when they decide to up sticks and leave.

Have you been providing meter readings regularly before Jan 8th?"

I came to this forum for help and advice; not to be criticised. As I didn't make clear in my post, I had asked for a fixed tariff for 12 months, not.18 months and received an automatic reply suggesting I could manage by logging on to my online account - no basis in fact yet their motto apparently is “constantly looking at ways to look after our loyal customers.”

I had sent readings every month, except one, when my pc collapsed and my mobile also failed me and I usually received a statement within 2 days of my readings; so in the absence of a pc I was unaware of the lower amounts being collected.

I spent two weeks trying to get my mobile working again and buying a second-hand pc. In addition to all these problems, getting around, by public transport, was a trial given my age.

Far from upping sticks and leaving, without certainty of a fixed tariff, and seeing how my Direct Debits had been mismanaged, it was inevitable I would think of switching supplier.

I don't expect a debit of £500 but £64.72 and growing, is stressful enough, having to face in isolation in the current Covid environment, without resolution in the near future.

sevenonine

sevenonine said:

sevenonine said:

Neil_Jones said:

 one of two things will probably happen:  1) Utility Point will contact you to say we object because you owe us x amount, or 2) you move and the final amount owning is taken with one more direct debit.

1) By only taking DDs of £23  during the last 6 months surely UP are responsible for the build-up of my debt and why have they not sent me a meaningful statement in response to my meter reading of 8 January 2021?

As to 2) surely the final debit cannot be more than my meter reading of 8-xx January 2021 - can it?

I have never been in the position I now find myself in!  I have always paid my fair dues in advance.  This situation is of UP's own making.  Is this something I can  raise a complain about?

sevenonine said:

sevenonine said:

Neil_Jones said:

 one of two things will probably happen:  1) Utility Point will contact you to say we object because you owe us x amount, or 2) you move and the final amount owning is taken with one more direct debit.

1) By only taking DDs of £23  during the last 6 months surely UP are responsible for the build-up of my debt and why have they not sent me a meaningful statement in response to my meter reading of 8 January 2021?

As to 2) surely the final debit cannot be more than my meter reading of 8-xx January 2021 - can it?

I have never been in the position I now find myself in!  I have always paid my fair dues in advance.  This situation is of UP's own making.  Is this something I can  raise a complain about?

"The whole point of having a direct debit is that you pay into a kitty per month towards your energy usage.  If you use more energy than you've paid for, you build a debt up.  Many people only find this out when they decide to up sticks and leave.

Have you been providing meter readings regularly before Jan 8th?"

I came to this forum for help and advice; not to be criticised. As I didn't make clear in my post, I had asked for a fixed tariff for 12 months, not.18 months and received an automatic reply suggesting I could manage by logging on to my online account - no basis in fact yet their motto apparently is “constantly looking at ways to look after our loyal customers.”

I had sent readings every month, except one, when my pc collapsed and my mobile also failed me and I usually received a statement within 2 days of my readings; so in the absence of a pc I was unaware of the lower amounts being collected.

I spent two weeks trying to get my mobile working again and buying a second-hand pc. In addition to all these problems, getting around, by public transport, was a trial given my age.

Far from upping sticks and leaving, without certainty of a fixed tariff, and seeing how my Direct Debits had been mismanaged, it was inevitable I would think of switching supplier.

I don't expect a debit of £500 but £64.72 and growing, is stressful enough, having to face in isolation in the current Covid environment, without resolution in the near future.

sevenonine

sevenonine said:

sevenonine said:

sevenonine said:

Neil_Jones said:

 one of two things will probably happen:  1) Utility Point will contact you to say we object because you owe us x amount, or 2) you move and the final amount owning is taken with one more direct debit.

1) By only taking DDs of £23  during the last 6 months surely UP are responsible for the build-up of my debt and why have they not sent me a meaningful statement in response to my meter reading of 8 January 2021?

As to 2) surely the final debit cannot be more than my meter reading of 8-xx January 2021 - can it?

I have never been in the position I now find myself in!  I have always paid my fair dues in advance.  This situation is of UP's own making.  Is this something I can  raise a complain about?

sevenonine said:

sevenonine said:

Neil_Jones said:

 one of two things will probably happen:  1) Utility Point will contact you to say we object because you owe us x amount, or 2) you move and the final amount owning is taken with one more direct debit.

1) By only taking DDs of £23  during the last 6 months surely UP are responsible for the build-up of my debt and why have they not sent me a meaningful statement in response to my meter reading of 8 January 2021?

As to 2) surely the final debit cannot be more than my meter reading of 8-xx January 2021 - can it?

I have never been in the position I now find myself in!  I have always paid my fair dues in advance.  This situation is of UP's own making.  Is this something I can  raise a complain about?

"The whole point of having a direct debit is that you pay into a kitty per month towards your energy usage.  If you use more energy than you've paid for, you build a debt up.  Many people only find this out when they decide to up sticks and leave.

Have you been providing meter readings regularly before Jan 8th?"

I came to this forum for help and advice; not to be criticised. As I didn't make clear in my post, I had asked for a fixed tariff for 12 months, not.18 months and received an automatic reply suggesting I could manage by logging on to my online account - no basis in fact yet their motto apparently is “constantly looking at ways to look after our loyal customers.”

I had sent readings every month, except one, when my pc collapsed and my mobile also failed me and I usually received a statement within 2 days of my readings; so in the absence of a pc I was unaware of the lower amounts being collected.

I spent two weeks trying to get my mobile working again and buying a second-hand pc. In addition to all these problems, getting around, by public transport, was a trial given my age.

Far from upping sticks and leaving, without certainty of a fixed tariff, and seeing how my Direct Debits had been mismanaged, it was inevitable I would think of switching supplier.

I don't expect a debit of £500 but £64.72 and growing, is stressful enough, having to face in isolation in the current Covid environment, without resolution in the near future.

"The whole point of having a direct debit is that you pay into a kitty per month towards your energy usage.  If you use more energy than you've paid for, you build a debt up.  Many people only find this out when they decide to up sticks and leave.

Have you been providing meter readings regularly before Jan 8th?"

I came to this forum for help and advice; not to be criticised. As I didn't make clear in my post, I had asked for a fixed tariff for 12 months, not.18 months and received an automatic reply suggesting I could manage by logging on to my online account - no basis in fact yet their motto apparently is “constantly looking at ways to look after our loyal customers.”

I had sent readings every month, except one, when my pc collapsed and my mobile also failed me and I usually received a statement within 2 days of my readings; so in the absence of a pc I was unaware of the lower amounts being collected.

I spent two weeks trying to get my mobile working again and buying a second-hand pc. In addition to all these problems, getting around, by public transport, was a trial given my age.

Far from upping sticks and leaving, without certainty of a fixed tariff, and seeing how my Direct Debits had been mismanaged, it was inevitable I would think of switching supplier.

I don't expect a debit of £500 but £64.72 and growing, is stressful enough, having to face in isolation in the current Covid environment, without resolution in the near future.