BACS payments not available to domestic customers?

ramasaig

My energy supplier (Octopus) has asked me to increase my monthly payments and also to make a one-off catch-up payment. That's not unreasonable given the recent huge rise in energy costs. This is the first time my account has ever been in arrears (and not by much)  so I've negotiated with them to make a smaller one-off payment than they asked for. So far so good, but they are asking me to make an on-line pyment with a credit or debit card. I'd prefer BACS, but they say BACS isn't available to domestic customers. Is that reasonable, and are they allowed to make that discrimination?

[Deleted User]

Yes, that's fine. They can choose which payment types they'll allow.

cx6

Do you have the facility to make a BACS payment?

Thrugelmir

ramasaig said:

 Is that reasonable, and are they allowed to make that discrimination?

Yes. To process BGC's adds another layer of administration and cost. 

p00hsticks

ramasaig said:

I'd prefer BACS, but they say BACS isn't available to domestic customers.

Are yoiu sure you mean BACS - which I think they would be correct in saying most domestic customer wouldn't have access to - and not a Faster Payment ? Either way, they don't have to offer it as a method of payment.

Rodders53

Do you mean a Faster Payment bank transfer, rather than a BACS payment? 

Ask to pay by "bank transfer" as they say that's a possible https://octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/categories/all/what-payment-methods-do-you-offer/

Your Bill may contain the details you'd need to do that (using your account number to identify it as the reference, probably).

Octopus Energy isn't offered as a Company to pay on HSBC banking, which implies (to me) that they may use an intermediary to collect DD and other payments. 

Symbio did the same before they failed.

emmajones1976

Thats bizarre. Why are they keeping their bank details a secret?

GraceCourt

I'm probably stating the obvious, but as you state that you have "negotiated with them to make a smaller one-off payment than they asked for", it's best to make the payment with a credit card and make it at least £100, so that you have "Section 75 protection", especially in the current situation as regards energy providers.

If anyone thinks I'm being over-cautious, I made a similar payment of £350 to Green Energy Supplier Limited - t/a "Green Energy" -  months before they went bust, in order to transfer away from them to another provider, and their billing was in such disarray that the payment "disappeared".  However, as I used a credit card, the payment was protected by Section 75.

Interestingly, at the time they went bust, the Ombudsman Service had already required them to pay £100 in relation to the billing issues I'd had with them, but the Ombudsman stated subsequently that payment of that compensation couldn't be enforced.