Energy Supplier Transfer Problems

Cradlehag

Hi,

I wondered if anyone could help me try to sort my mother's energy supplier transfer issues. My mother is a  vulnerable adult, in terms of mobility, who lives a low-tech, low income lifestyle. 

She had a problem with PFP Energy in July 2021, which she attempted to resolve, by letter and phone, providing great detailed, accurate evidence.  Due to a meter fault, she ended up with huge inaccurate bills.  We've been  trying to get her sizable credit back ever since. 

PFP  Energy never responded and have ceased trading, the new supplier,  British Gas say it's not their problem,  the Ombudsman say she should contact suppliers, and Citizens Advice, suggested we contact the Liquidators, who refuse to help and refer us back to British Gas again.

 The stress of this has spiralled my mother into anxiety and depression,  from which she is struggling to recover. She has been hospitalised in the Horton for almost all of this year, despite having no history of mental health issues.  The stress of being unable to resolve this problem has damaged her health to the extent that she may no longer be able to live independently. She has also lost her money.  

I have talked to British Gas repeatedly,  but get nowhere. 

Neil_Jones

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/what-happens-if-your-energy-supplier-goes-bust - "The new supplier [under SoLR] is not required to take on any unresolved complaints relating to your old supplier.

However, if you believe your complaint is still ongoing, once the new supplier contacts you please discuss with them how the issue can be resolved."

Your post is contradictory though - a meter fault lead to huge bills and you somehow have a "sizable" credit?  That doesn't make sense and would suggest another bill was generated at some point.?  Am I reading that right?  Or do you mean huge bills were generated and a much larger direct debit was being collected?  But that still suggests another bill was generated afterwards?

QrizB

Yes, some more info would be helpful.

• What was this meter fault?
• Way your mother a PFP customer when they folded? Was she then transferred to BG as SoLR?
• Have you received a closing bill from PFP? Is it accurate?
• You say you've been to the Ombudsman. What exactly was your complaint and what did they rule?

It seems likely that, despite their protestations, this is indeed BG's problem to resolve.

Cradlehag

Hi, 

Yes, my mother was a PFP customer when they folded,  and she was transferred to British Gas.

The meter surged forward over night, by an amount of units that don't match use.  At this point the account was about £300 in credit, but this was taken, and direct debit increased. My mother reported this immediately,  as she was in the habit of logging daily readings.

There was never an accurate final bill from PFP as they didn't respond to us at all. They sent 4 bills, all incorrect. 

The Ombudsman told my mother to speak to the supplier,  which she tried,  to no avail.  She spoke to British Gas too, but they said it's not their problem.

We can't contact PFP now as they ceased trading.  CAB got us Liquidators details, but they say we have to speak to British Gas.

I go round and round in circles. 

I guess I just keep on.

[Deleted User]

Sorry but your post isn’t quite adding up. How exactly did the ‘meter surge overnight’ and by what amount? What didn’t match? At the time of the ‘surge’ was your Mother a customer of PfP or BG? 

BG has an obligation to agree with the Administrator of PfP a closing/opening reading. Have the two suppliers used the same reading?

It is possible that the ‘surge’ is what is known as a ‘catch up’ reading when an actual meter reading replaces estimates. Did your Mother give PfP regular actual meter readings?

In sum, no supplier is going to investigate a ‘surge’ without more information. 

pochase

Does that mean that this has happened just once? So one high usage over night? 

How many KWh are we talking about here?

Is this a smart meter and did you document the unexplained surge, for example using Bright? If this happened in July last year and it is a smart meter the data should still be in the smart meter.

If it is not a smart meter this will be very hard to prove if that is really a single incident.

Also you don't seem to have followed the correct process by contacting the Ombusdman direct.

Correct process here would be

- raise an official complaint with BG
- wait 8 week or get a deadlock letter from BG
- contact Ombudsman

Robin9

@Cradlehag Please define what you mean by "Surge"   Had you read the meter the day before and then after ?  Did the meter go up by 1m3  or 10m3 or 100m3 or what ?

Is this a Smart meter ? 

Cradlehag

I might be getting the terminology wrong.  My mother was a customer of PFP when it happened.  She lives 30 miles away from me, so I don't have easy access to the meter. 

She has economy 7, and a meter that displays day and night units. 

Yes, it  was over one night that the problem happened,  and my mother sent detailed information immediately. 

May-June were Day 13540.3 Night 53162.3. In June- July they were 13364 Day and 57791 Night. My mother literally only has a fridge and freezer on at night.

She sent detailed information to PFP,  then British Gas many times. Nobody has been to check the meter or done anything. 

Her usual practise was to give actual monthly readings by telephone. 

The final PFP reading is still in dispute and the final settlement to that company is outstanding as we have been trying to get them to put it right.

Robin9

Sorry to ask for more clarification. 

May-June 13540.3 and 53162.3   Were these readings on a specific day (perhaps a billing day ). Are these figures taken from the bill and if so did they have a letter A, C  or E against   them  (these sort of figures which include a decimal point suggest this is a Smart meter.

Ditto June-July 13364 and 57791

If correct then the day meter has gone backwards (by 176)  while the night has moved forwards by over 4,500 units 

What does the meter read now ?

Does your mum's meter have a small key pad on it ?

Cradlehag

Hi, those first readings were from billing day. 

Yes, the day units went backwards and night forwards by thousands of units 

I don't know a current reading as I am not at the property.  I think the meter does have a key pad. 

Cradlehag

I don't have the bill, these are taken from my Mum's notes,  she noticed, because she took daily readings in order to be frugal with energy use.