Am I asking too much from Shell Energy?

kroggy

[Deleted User] said:

kroggy said:

In the past I have had suppliers who play this USE ESTIMATES game so they can round up and make extra money off each customer.  It was my spreadsheet that highlighted this and they did stop it once I brought it to their attention.

To be honest I just want what seems to be normal, a bill based on my reads, a bill that runs on the anniversary of when I moved in.

Don't forget that your moving in date (1st of the month) to your property won't necessarily be the date that Shell created the account and commence the monthly bill cycle.   Maybe it should not be set in stone but there you go.  Different suppliers have different ways of doing things.  I know that Eon Next bill me to the day that a read is submitted (either automatically or manually).  It appears that Octopus may be the same reading other posts.  If Shell cannot do what you want them to do then perhaps you should investigate whether you can change to either of these suppliers if the bill date means as much as it obviously does.  Hoping the suppliers you refer to above are neither of the two I have mentioned.

I have been fortunate that the supppliers I have used in the past have always billed me to my actual reads - going from Breeze, British Gas, Yorkshire Energy, Scottish Power, Avro, Bulb and what may be my final resting home at Eon Next.    

Thanks for your reply, it seems that it is very difficult to jump based on replies from others but I will take note of the companies you have listed for when I can.

They asked me for the date from which I was responsible which was the 1st, I gather the tenant before left two days earlier because they sent a bill to "the occupier" for one day (the 31st)

My bill does start from the 1st but Shell Energy seem determined to issue 37 day bills, I am not having this and I don't mind going to the ombudsman and/or Court.  

I heard a segment on the BBC Radio4 so I might email them and get them to ask Shell Energy why they are doing this.  When I found MSE it was because I was looking for a good broadband deal.  When I saw the offers on here for them I thought it might make it worthwhile going with Shell Energy but after this experience I don't think so.

prowla

I just do a reading when Shell ask and check the bills when they tell me there's one to download.

Robin9

My bill does start from the 1st but Shell Energy seem determined to issue 37 day bills, I am not having this and I don't mind going to the ombudsman and/or Court.  

But you are not bring billed for 37 days every time are you ?  Month 1 was (say) 1st Jan - 7th Feb ; month 2 8th Feb- 7th March  etc.   When you leave that "extra" 7 days will be to your benefit as it will be at a cheaper rate than your final bill.

victor2

@kroggy , don't consider switching to EDF then - they only bill you once every 6 months.

pochase

Not completely true, if you go onto variable direct debit they bill monthly they bill monthly. 

PeterGr

I have been with Shell since October 2020, and have had a monthly bill from them on 3rd or 4th day of the month.  I submit my own meter readings which I submit in the 5 days prior to each statement day, and the bills are always based on the readings I've submitted - no estimates.  I get an email 5 days prior to the statement date prompting for the next reading.  The monthly statements appear in my online account  When it came to moving to the SVT recently, their proposals for the change in Direct Debit payments were reasonable, and they accepted the lower figure I suggested.  I've been with Green Network, EON, EDF, Spark and British Gas previously and other than Spark, Shell's billing has been on a par.

QrizB

pochase said:

Not completely true, if you go onto variable direct debit they bill monthly they bill monthly. 

They're meant to, but for the four months I was on variable DD I think they only managed monthly bills twice. There was a month when they were meant to bill me, but didn't, and then when I contacted them they asked for a meter reading and billed me for 6 weeks, then three weeks after that.

Robin9

EDF are a challenge when it comes to their billing system - any date given is for guidance only.   I'm on their monthly variable DD  -  they do bill that on the day I give them readings

pochase

I submit the third meter read this week. They missed the first one (but it was only 7 days after I gave the initial read for variable) , second was fine.

Let's see if I am more lucky than you.

Coffeekup

The obvious Solution is to pay up what you owe, move out for a few week's and then move back in 7 days before you want to be billed.