Been transferred to a new energy firm from a bust supplier? Check you're not paying twice

MSE_Chris

If your energy supplier has gone bust in recent months, make sure that you're not still paying it AND your new provider at the same time. We've seen reports from scores of customers who pay by direct debit saying they have had payments taken from both suppliers – if that's you, here's what you can do. 

Read the full story here:
'Been transferred to a new energy firm from a bust supplier? Check you're not paying twice'

Click reply below to discuss. If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply.

MWT

This statement in the article is incorrect...

"To be clear, this issue is not a case of receiving your final bill from your old supplier and making an advance payment to your new supplier – this is about being charged for using the same energy twice."

Those affected are not paying for the same energy twice as the failed supplier no longer supplies energy, it is about increasing a balance in their old account while paying for energy in their new account.

The correct response is the same though, if you have an active DD with the new supplier then make sure the old one is cancelled.

wild666

I let one payment go out after Avro went under, by then I could set up my SoLR account with Octopus so I did. I then cancelled the DD with Avro but waited a few weeks to set up the DD with Octopus. 

lulunix

Check check and check again, Green transferred the correct readings and Shell took a estimate for 20 days before (£200 worth). I chased them to solve this abs it took over 2.5 hours to solve, they admitted the mistake and promised to issue a new bill, today I have chased them again this morning and I’ve had to send in readings again, even though I have a smart meter. safe to say that I am still in credit of £184 for the first bill which is confirmed it’s just how long will it take for it to show up on my account.

AngelaOrkney

The quote from Shell saying that they will transfer the Green direct debit is not my experience. 

They sent an email on 9th November saying “unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get your Direct Debit details from Greens Administrators”
One payment had already gone out to Green and a further one was taken before I could cancel it. 

Shell started taking the new amount straight away. I phoned my bank (Santander) and they credited back the two Green payments. 

Now everything looks rather a mess as the meter readings are different - but I’ll wait a while and contact Shell if it doesn’t get fixed in the next few months. 

jobee25

Hi,

Wonder if any one has any idea what I can do about the below.  Otopus are no help.  I understand its not their issue but they can't even tell me who to talk to.

I moved to Avro in September, just before they went bust from British gas.  My Gas move was fine but something seemed to go wrong in the transfer of electricity as British gas seemed to think I was still with them for a while.  I finally get a final bill British Gas dated to the 20th September with an esitmated final meter reading but as a meter reading (its says they read the meter) on the 4th September of  12749.  The final esitmated meter reading from British gas was 12844.


Now I have a final bill from avro. they have my first meter reading estimated (even tho I sent them meter readings so not sure why its esitmated) of 11682.  This is well below what the meter was reading on the 4th september and means I am being charged £240.00 for 5 days of electricity use with Avro


It means surely I am being charged twice for the same electricity as I have already paid British gas for the reading up to 12844.  Octopus who I am now with are being no help and just keep telling me they can't change the bill and to look at my histoical bills from Avro.  I don't have any bills except this final one as I wasn't with them for long enough.

I understand its is not their issue but they can't even tell me who I can talk to.  And this is before I even get charged for my energy use from september 26th to now under octopus as I haven't had a bill from them.

Any advice would be gratefully recieved.  Even if it just to point out that i'm wrong and are not being double charged.

thanks

IanGood

I have been charged twice for my December Direct Debit. I was switched from Avro to Octopus. I set up a DD for Octopus but didn't cancel the Avro one thinking that I'd wait until December payment was taken to make sure Octo' one was working. It was but also the Avro one was taken. Emailed Octopus and they said to claim Avro payment back from my bank as it was an erroneous payment. My bank, Santander, said they couldn't do that as Avro are no longer trading! 

Went back to Octopus and they said they will not take their January payment. Hopefully the payment that Avro have will get to my Octopus account at some stage. Has anyone successfully got the money back from their bank?

Woby_Tide

AngelaOrkney said:

The quote from Shell saying that they will transfer the Green direct debit is not my experience. 

They sent an email on 9th November saying “unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get your Direct Debit details from Greens Administrators”
One payment had already gone out to Green and a further one was taken before I could cancel it. 

Shell started taking the new amount straight away. I phoned my bank (Santander) and they credited back the two Green payments. 

Now everything looks rather a mess as the meter readings are different - but I’ll wait a while and contact Shell if it doesn’t get fixed in the next few months. 

Yes I spotted that quote too. Utterly made up. Both our accounts we received emails saying that we had to set up new Direct Debits and even their help page says the same. I appreciate it may be an Administrator/Shell issue but if they weren’t able to transfer Nationwide and HSBC accounts then I’m amazed they managed with other banks so there must be lots of users affected

Mags28

I switched to British Gas Evolve from Avro on 30/8/21 for electricity but Avro delayed the gas switch until 17/9/21. I paid by direct debit but Avro demanded a further payment of £67:88 before they would agree to the switch. Unfortunately I failed to cancel the direct debit and a payments were taken on on 16/9/21 and 18/10/21. As I wasn't an Avro customer when they ceased trading on 26/9/21 I was advised by Octopus on 1/10/21 that my debt would be dealt with by the administrators appointed by Avro. I've heard nothing from these administrators can anyone advise me who I can contact now. 

badmemory

The whole thing is an absolute shambles, which is no surprise due to the very large number of households effected.  Peoples Energy took a DD a couple of days after they went kaput, but that didn't bother me too much as the normal time to have notified the bank was actually before they went.  But it took 3 months for that money to show on my PE account.  Yes I do still have access to it, not sure why but I do.  BUT the balance on that account is decreasing by between £2 & 3 every day, so it now looks as though they owe me only about £250 instead of nearly £400.  I have absolutely no idea how to find out what is going on & if I am ever going to get that balance back.  So if anyone has any bright ideas please let me know.  This whole fiasco just goes to prove how important an emergency fund is.  At least if something breaks in your house you can decide if you can manage without paying out yet but this shower are giving us no choice. 

Zoggsville

This happened to my friend yesterday.  She had £350 taken from her account, which basically took all her money for the month.  She has moved to British Gas from Zebra when they went bust 2 months ago.  She left the direct debit running as advised to do so and Zebra took this payment yesterday morning.  Got the DD reversed, cancelled it and made sure British Gas had the information set up correctly.  It also put her overdrawn with the bank, who agreed to waive any charges due to the reversal being the same day.  No notification that Zebra were taking this payment, it was a text from her bank advising she had gone overdrawn that alerted her.  She doesnt have a laptop so came to me for help with getting on to the various websites to check what was going on.  She was very upset.