Dad wants to pay energy bills every quarter

Giraffe76

Hi all,

My dad was with engie energy until they moved their customers to octopuss energy in 2019. He is very old fashioned, hes had a laptop for 3 or 4 years but only uses it a few times a month and refuses to pay by direct debit if he can help it as hes heard ONE scare story of someone who had more money taken out of their account than should of and even though ive tried to explain the direct debit guarantuee to him he still wants to pay his energy bills every quarter when they come through the door which is his choice but this is proving awfully difficult. Since that time with octopuss hes had about 4 or 5 different energy suppliers due to the fact that he phones them and gets assurances (or so he thinks) that the company will be able to send him a bill every quarter through the post but this doesnt happen.

What can he do to make sure any companies that he changes to can send him the bill through the post like he wants.

Kind regards Mark

molerat

MSE CEC has the option to select quarterly billing.  Be warned though It is very expensive doing it this way.

MWT

SSE do still offer paper quarterly bills and payment on receipt without using a DD, but there are not many left that offer this.

Oneye12

SSE still offer payment on receipt of bill tariff - 3 month.
The privelage costs around 46 pounds / year for electric and around the same for gas.

Giraffe76

Hi all, Thanks for your replies. My dad lives on his own and to be honest ive spoken with him about the extra cost for paying quarterly and the fact that less and less companies offer this option and all of it doesnt bother him as it would allow him to do things his way and what hes used to as he hates change.

I will mention to him that SSE offer the option he wants

Many thanks Mark

Gerry1

Bear in mind that SSE's customer service record was so bad that they agreed that complaints could be raised with the ombudsman after six weeks instead of the usual eight.  That says it all !

jbuchanangb

I used my late father's energy consumption figures from 2015 to look for quarterly paper billing providers on the Citizen's Advice comparison site, and SSE is listed. Four other energy suppliers are listed with better deals for my fictitious father!

macman

Refusing to use monthly DD means that you are excluded from most, though not all, of the most competitive tariffs.

MWT

macman said:

Refusing to use monthly DD means that you are excluded from most, though not all, of the most competitive tariffs.

I have some sympathy for the OP having been through a similar process with other elderly relatives.

As long as paying more than they need to is not causing them financial hardship then at some point you just have to accept that saving money is less important to them than feeling in control of the process. 

Cardew

Why doesn't the OP pay for his father's account by DD? and his father pay him back. He can send him the statements if it is an internet only account.

The account can still stay in his father's name, the company are not bothered where the money comes from.

I did this when my children were at university.

MWT

Doing it for your children is one thing, but taking away a measure of perceived control and ownership from a determined parent is something else...

As long as the OP's father firmly wants to remain in control then I see no reason to keep pushing the issue.

If they can afford it then it is their choice.