Does anyone have experience of going to the Energy Ombudsman?

booshya

wasty said:

My electric meter failed, cut off the supply to the night storage heaters, the normal electric was ok, and the meter had not been read for 18 months.  The property was, past tense, my parents and because of the government’s lockdown I was unable to visit regularly, hence other than having the heating at a minimum to avoid the property freezing up, only a relatively low amount of normal electric was used.  The utility company has made what appears to be a reasonable offer for the night storage but not the normal electric.  I asked them to rework the normal electric, but they refused saying that if I refuse they will go to the ombudsman and remove the offer.  Has anyone experience of going to the the ombudsman and can advise me. 

I posted this in Consumer Rights but was advised to post it here, sorry if this is wrong, mods.

I'm not quite sure what the issue is here.

You are saying the electicity meter failed, and so based on your post, all your electricity consumed was then recorded at peak rate?

You should have supplied the supplier with an actual reading so that they can bill you correctly, or at least as best they can despite your meter not switching to low rate.

(or are you saying the meter is no longer recording any consumption? )

You say the supplier has made an adjustment? But presumably, you didn't use much at low rate anyway (i.e. no NSH consumption, no immersion heater consumption, etc) as the meter was not switching? So maybe the offer you were given was very generous by the supplier.

Of course, any offer the supplier made of increasing your low usage registry estimate (due to a failed meter) should be matched by similar reduction in high registry usage (assuming the meter was recording all usage at peak rate) and of course the faulty meter needed to be replaced by the supplier.

Whilst estimates over usage incurred when a meter is faulty is usually based on past usage history, it can be based on future usage especially where a customer explains and proves a significant change of use existed. (e.g. the property became vacant)

If you do not accept the supplier's offer to resolve your complaint with them, you can certainly escalate the matter to the ombudsman in line with the supplier's com plaint procedure, and the supplier should have explained this to you if they have provided you a final offer supported by a deadlock letter or 8 weeks have passed since you commenced the complaint.

If you do escalate the matter to the ombudsman, all previous offers can be taken off the table; the ombudsman will decide the matter which you can choose to accept or reject. If you accept, then the supplier is bound to comply.

booshya

wasty said:

The bill was estimated, and having read the meter since a new one was installed for when I am there and not there, I believe that they have over estimated the bill.

When the meter was replaced, a note would have been made of the meter readings of the old meter. You should have been provided with these and/or a card is usually left at the meter location with them.
Also the meter readings are usually forwarded to the supplier when the meter was exchanged.

So even if you didn't supply an actual meter reading from the old meter, they are available.

booshya

[Deleted User] said:

First of all, no energy company is going to self refer to The Energy Ombudsman as it costs money. ...

I took that, perhaps incorrectly, as a gramatical error by the OP.
A supplier cannot refer itself to the ombudsman service.
Consumers go to the ombudsman to seek a resolution to a complaint they have formally made to a supplier, and the supplier has not provided a resolution to that complaint which satisfies the complainant.

The OS bases it's decision on the evidence supplied by the complainant and the supplier (who the OS will contact to get their side of the story).
In my experience, it's best to keep a complaint to the OS as short, sweet and to the point as possible. The OS are very busy and do not have the time to read long, rambling complaints that are so often inconsistent anyway.

A short complaint that explains what went wrong. Concentrate on the areas you as the complainant feels remain in dispute, and provide your evidence as to why you still dispute those areas of dispute.
(if further areas of dispute become apparent from the supplier when they provide their side of the story to the OS, you get a second opportunity to add more explanation and evidence to the OS then)

booshya

MWT said:

The Ombudsman rarely makes significant awards, and you'd have to have a good clear reason why you think a change is justified and you do run the risk that the Ombudsman's decision will not be at the same level as what has already been offered...

Whilst I agree a complainant must expalin why a change to the previously offered (by the supplier) resolution is required, the OS will independantly consider both sides of the story and draw their own conclusions as to what they feel is an appropriate resolution.

They even will read between the lines of the complaint, and where appropriate, even offer more than the complainant requests when they see some failures that the customer may not have spotted.

The decision of the OS is not hindered in any way as to what resolution they feel is appropriate in all the circumstances. They will explain the reasons for their decision.
They typically offer an award between £50 & £100 against the supplier, in addition to any resolution action they feel is appropriate, where they find the supplier at fault (and was not addressed in the supplier's own offer of a resolution)

If the OS sides with the supplier, and accepts that the resolution that was originally offered by the supplier was appropriate, then whilst the supplier may have withdrawn that offer, the OS can resinstate it (subject to the complainant now accepting it)

But it is correct that the OS may find that no cause for complaint, and so no resolution is required. (but in that case, it would be unlikely the supplier would have offered any resolution either, apart from perhaps a small ex-gratia, goodwill offerring)

wasty

booshya said:

wasty said:

The bill was estimated, and having read the meter since a new one was installed for when I am there and not there, I believe that they have over estimated the bill.

When the meter was replaced, a note would have been made of the meter readings of the old meter. You should have been provided with these and/or a card is usually left at the meter location with them.
Also the meter readings are usually forwarded to the supplier when the meter was exchanged.

So even if you didn't supply an actual meter reading from the old meter, they are available.

As I said the “meter failed” ie it was dead, hence it was not displaying any readings, the engineer who fitted the new one said that they could not be recovered, and the supplier has not said they have any readings.

booshya

wasty said:

booshya said:

wasty said:

The bill was estimated, and having read the meter since a new one was installed for when I am there and not there, I believe that they have over estimated the bill.

When the meter was replaced, a note would have been made of the meter readings of the old meter. You should have been provided with these and/or a card is usually left at the meter location with them.
Also the meter readings are usually forwarded to the supplier when the meter was exchanged.

So even if you didn't supply an actual meter reading from the old meter, they are available.

As I said the “meter failed” ie it was dead, hence it was not displaying any readings, the engineer who fitted the new one said that they could not be recovered, and the supplier has not said they have any readings.

In which case the supplier would estimate the usage, just as they presumably have done for the past 18 months at least.

How many statements/bill has the supplier issued in the last 18 months?
When was the last but one? (i.e prior to the latest one you have disputed).
When did you first complain to the supplier?

wasty

I have all the answers that I need, thanks to everyone that replied.