Direct Debits and Energy Bills and Cash Balances!!

JeanER

Not for the first time, I am having problems with my Energy Provider not providing the basis upon which they have calculated a new direct debit.  Third time I think and it is not only related to the Energy Crisis.  An App with my records has been deleted.  2021 Electricity usage is disappeared from the new app.  New kWh price[s] have not been advised despite new cap announcement.  And now they state they are just going to issue a new Direct Debit without my agreement.  I would agree if only they would give me the information to do so!!  So far I haven't got the new unit price, or the usage.  And I have been ill over the last two years - Covid related - but noticed I was improved this May so usage was high due to ill health and this would not be the case in future.  They are also refusing to return almost £700 credit and calculate a new annual figure based on the new cap price [whatever they are going to charge tho].  That figure is over £100 over my 4 weekly State Pension payment which is the foundation of my life!  What can one do?  As a Pensioner in this environment I would prefer monthly if not weekly bills - that is how those of us on low income live!  The Direct Debit has outlived its usefulness in this environment.  And now they say they want 3 months bills in advance!!!  It is not the customers to finance flakey corporates who are  not registered banks or deposit takers!!  What on earth is going on!!  I didn't even agree to be with this provider who took over another and deleted all my records and this was not an Ofgem transfer.

JeanER

I should add I have had energy bills since 1973, some 50 years, and have never been in arrears.  I have a 999 credit rate with Experian and a banking facility equal to almost one years new cap!  The Corporate's credit risk is worse than mine!!  I am trapped with a Provider with, apparently, no accounts department and/or no systems department.  And now as I think about it they should not be deleting my historical records with the company they took over.  Isn't that Data Protection?

pochase

Have you submitted regular meter readings and received bills based on usage or on estimates?

MattMattMattUK

JeanER said:

Not for the first time, I am having problems with my Energy Provider not providing the basis upon which they have calculated a new direct debit.  Third time I think and it is not only related to the Energy Crisis.  An App with my records has been deleted.  2021 Electricity usage is disappeared from the new app.  New kWh price[s] have not been advised despite new cap announcement.  And now they state they are just going to issue a new Direct Debit without my agreement.  I would agree if only they would give me the information to do so!!  So far I haven't got the new unit price, or the usage.  And I have been ill over the last two years - Covid related - but noticed I was improved this May so usage was high due to ill health and this would not be the case in future.  They are also refusing to return almost £700 credit and calculate a new annual figure based on the new cap price [whatever they are going to charge tho].  That figure is over £100 over my 4 weekly State Pension payment which is the foundation of my life!  What can one do?  As a Pensioner in this environment I would prefer monthly if not weekly bills - that is how those of us on low income live!  The Direct Debit has outlived its usefulness in this environment.  And now they say they want 3 months bills in advance!!!  It is not the customers to finance flakey corporates who are  not registered banks or deposit takers!!  What on earth is going on!!  I didn't even agree to be with this provider who took over another and deleted all my records and this was not an Ofgem transfer.

Who is the supplier and what point in their billing cycle are you at? Eg. EDF bill every six months, at the moment I am more than a grand in credit, but that will reduce once they generate a bill against that credit which they will do for me in October. What is your annual usage in kWh? Are you on a fixed tariff or SVR?

JeanER said:

I should add I have had energy bills since 1973, some 50 years, and have never been in arrears.  I have a 999 credit rate with Experian and a banking facility equal to almost one years new cap!

All largely meaningless, especially meaningless is the 999 credit rating.

JeanER said:

The Corporate's credit risk is worse than mine!! 

Not in any way relevant. 

JeanER said:

I am trapped with a Provider with, apparently, no accounts department and/or no systems department.  And now as I think about it they should not be deleting my historical records with the company they took over.  Isn't that Data Protection?

That is not "data protection", or at least in the way you think it is. The new company did not delete your historical records, the two entities that have that data are the previous provider and yourself, it is nothing to do with the new provider. 

The_Fat_Controller

Where are all your past bills ?

Did you download and save them ?

Who was your previous provider and who are you with now ?

ariarnia

wow that sounds like a really frustrating situation. 

i'm not sure i really understand what's happening to give any advice though. could you maybe break it down into a timeline for us? 

my understanding right now is that you were with a supplier who didn't go bust but was taken over. they are now saying there's a debt on the account and that you need to pay quarterly?

you can't access your old readings so can't estimate how much you will use in the next year (have you maybe kept any old bills in a draw somewhere?) and you want to know the forecast use so you can check how much that would be at the october rates and then know how much you should budget?

is that about right?

dunstonh

Not for the first time, I am having problems with my Energy Provider not providing the basis upon which they have calculated a new direct debit.

Technically, they don't have to provide the exact calculation but it will be their guess at what your next 12 months usage will be at the likely tariff levels.

 And now they state they are just going to issue a new Direct Debit without my agreement.

Most suppliers will allow you to set the direct debit level.  Some will require you to explain why you think that level is if it is outside of their ballpark of expectation.

They are also refusing to return almost £700 credit and calculate a new annual figure based on the new cap price [whatever they are going to charge tho].

You would expect to be in credit at this time.  Your level of credit will depend on your winter use.     So, how much of that £700 do you think is not required for your winter use?

 As a Pensioner in this environment I would prefer monthly if not weekly bills - that is how those of us on low income live!  The Direct Debit has outlived its usefulness in this environment.

There is nothing wrong with direct debit as a payment.    The issue some people, and probably you, have is that what you think you have to pay vs what the supplier thinks you have to pay vs what you actually have to pay is not aligned.     The key is to all this is factual information. ie.  how much energy do you use a year and average that out to give you a monthly figure at the expected new tariff rates.

 It is not the customers to finance flakey corporates who are  not registered banks or deposit takers!!

Equally, suppliers shouldn't have to finance flakey consumers that woefully underestimate their annual usage.

 I have a 999 credit rate with Experian

Which means absolutely nothing.

And now as I think about it they should not be deleting my historical records with the company they took over.  Isn't that Data Protection?

Data protection requires them to destroy data no longer required.  Data is not provided to new entities.