REFUND

Dal_Whinnie

My brother in law has overpaid his electric by about £2,000 and the energy company are refusing to repay, does anybody have any suggestions as to how he might get this back?

[Deleted User]

Refusing?  This needs more details.

Why has he overpaid?  Incorrect meter readings?  Direct debit taken multiple times?  How do you know it is overpaid?

Is the money in the account - i.e. is he in credit by more than £2000?  How has he tried to get it back so far?  What did the supplier actually say in response?

Dal_Whinnie

Sorry, I don't really know details, I believe overpayment has arisen due to estimated readings and that account is in credit now that actual reading provided. He has spoken company and they say they won't refund, just utilise against future consumption

Ultrasonic

Dal_Whinnie said:

Sorry, I don't really know details, I believe overpayment has arisen due to estimated readings and that account is in credit now that actual reading provided. He has spoken company and they say they won't refund, just utilise against future consumption

Do you have any idea how big their true annual energy bill may be? If large it might be that BG are viewing the credit as needed to cover the larger bills over the winter months.

Ultimately of your BIL really wants to try to take this further then a formal complaint is the way to go but I'd be doing sums based on actual energy usage and prices from October to check BG are definitely being unreasonable first.

t0rt0ise

Make a formal complaint. Which company is it?

Robin9

Some more info would be welcome .   Has the DD now been reduced ?

daveyjp

Without a full understanding of expected bills over the winter, current dd level, annual consumption, it is impossible to say whether a £2,000 credit should be refunded.

rp1974

What led to the provision of a reading?.
I find it rather concerning that anyone builds up a £2000 credit balance apparently unnoticed because they haven't provided any readings for any reason though in all honesty.
As per other posts with a similar problem,without usage in units and the associated tariff details it's hard to reliably comment as to wether the amount being questioned is realistic,that said it's a considerable amount of money and doubt that any supplier would refund the amount in it's entirely,particularly at the start of the period of highest consumption for many people.

Robin9

I recall a post that Customer Service had a level they could sanction but senior management had to authorise higher values.

I also find it difficult that the BIL had run up such a big credit.   A double penalty of lack of meter readings leading to big credits (or debits !) and the hassle of sorting it out.

wrf12345

Not surprising at all, the energy companies are using estimates that are three times actual use in many cases even when readings are given and upping DD's as they see fit to up their cashflow despite being "told" by Ofgem not to do this. People not paying attention to their energy bills or not bothering to give readings. If they are using the £2000 to pay winter bills (plus £400 govn offering) they should suspend the DD's... but it is against Ofgem rules not to refund so hassle the chat person to up it to manager level. This money belongs to the customer not the energy co, terrible mindset that they seem to have taken up from local councils (only just had my council tax bill adjusted for the £150 discount - even then they tried to con me out of it by forgetting to take it off the amended bill although they fixed it within hours after I said I would not be paying the Oct bill until it was sorted).

northernstar007

i would just set the dd as zero untill the credit runs down, which wont take long