Can SSE move me from a Variable Direct Debit to Monthly Direct Debit??

pseudodox

Just a warning to anyone phoning EDF (or whoever) to switch.  Due to this all being done over the phone, with no opportunity for me to put my details in writing on an email/online application they have fouled up my application as someone their end mis-typed my postcode (despite me spelling it with phoenetic alphabet) and they tried (& failed) to switch me from a totally different supplier at an address which is not mine!  All sorted now - I think - but when you are dealing over the phone with a variety of regional/international accents amongst people mistakes are easily made.  Make sure the address you give is read back to you in full, as there is no opportunity to check it because when they send out the emailed quote and the "welcome to EDF" message  it does not feature your postal address at which energy is to be supplied.

TheJackmans_1963

I rung EDF this morning and arranged my switch.   Have received all details by email today and switch is in progress!  Sorry to hear you had some issues around your postcode, glad its sorted for you now.  Many thanks once again for the information it was a great help!

Chrysalis

Deleted_User said:

Chrysalis said:

Deleted_User said:

Complaining that a company is not doing something that they do not have to do is unlikely to be successful.

Even less successful would be trying to charge them for you paying your bill in a less efficient manner (for which they are already allowed to charge you more).

In his case they not allowing him to pay by DD whilst not building up a credit balance, I would agree if the customer was simply refusing to pay by DD outright.

I think I remember been told in my dispute with Octopus, I was unlikely to succeed, yet it is possible.

But they don't have to "allow him to pay by DD whilst not building up a credit balance".  Complaining about it doesn't make it a requirement.

My advice follows CAB's recommendation.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/problems-with-your-energy-bill/energy-supplier-has-increased-your-direct-debit/

Chrysalis

Dolor said:

My local garage now displays a sign over the counter which states ‘We no longer accept American Express Cards’. This presumably was a business decision. Suppliers changing the way that their customers pay their energy bills fits into the same category. We may not like it: if we don’t, then we are free to take our business elsewhere. What is there to dispute: that said, I am sure they will appreciate customer feedback on the change.

Kind of, they accept DD as a form of payment. So not the same thing as the store.  The issue is they are refusing an amount to be paid.

Brie

Companies are obliged to agree to payments that are reasonable.  So they cannot just make up numbers and insist you pay them.  They will certainly try to do this but you don't need to accept their figures if they are blatantly wrong.  This is what happened when Eon tried to triple my monthly DD based on just a couple of months use in the middle of winter.  

If you have the last year's figures for your energy use then your DD (fixed or otherwise) should be based on that, not some other figures they may materialise out of thin air.  

ariarnia

Chrysalis said:

Deleted_User said:

Chrysalis said:

Deleted_User said:

Complaining that a company is not doing something that they do not have to do is unlikely to be successful.

Even less successful would be trying to charge them for you paying your bill in a less efficient manner (for which they are already allowed to charge you more).

In his case they not allowing him to pay by DD whilst not building up a credit balance, I would agree if the customer was simply refusing to pay by DD outright.

I think I remember been told in my dispute with Octopus, I was unlikely to succeed, yet it is possible.

But they don't have to "allow him to pay by DD whilst not building up a credit balance".  Complaining about it doesn't make it a requirement.

My advice follows CAB's recommendation.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/problems-with-your-energy-bill/energy-supplier-has-increased-your-direct-debit/

i can't see anything on there about variable dd?

to my reading its all about monthly direct debit and how you can complain if your supplier has increased your dd based on an estimate you disagree with. its completely right that the op can ask the supplier how they reached there estimate for his annual usage and monthly dd amount. and that the op can complain and ask them to reduce the dd if he disagrees with that estimate.  

i know it should be that dd is dd. but variable dd and monthly dd are different payment methods according to ofgem and the industry so that page isnt really relevant to the op's problem and sparky is right that complaining wont get the supplier to reinstate a payment method they no longer accept. like dolor says a credit card is a credit card but they can chose to accept some credit cards while not having to accept american express. 

realistically all a complaint will do is cost the supplier and op some time and the op will still have to decide if they want to stay or go.

pseudodox

TheJackmans_1963 said:

I rung EDF this morning and arranged my switch.   Have received all details by email today and switch is in progress!  Sorry to hear you had some issues around your postcode, glad its sorted for you now.  Many thanks once again for the information it was a great help!

Brill!  Cannot wait for mine to go through.  Hope more people follow this example.  This evening I had an email from SSE to say thanks for my having set up my new Fixed DD with them.  As if!  You might want to look out for a similar SSE message.  Anyway they are in for a surprise as even when EDF switch me over I will still be telling my bank that NO payments are to be made to SSE as I do not trust them.

The crazy thing is that SSE project an annual bill of £700 for my electric, but expect me to pay £100 per month!  Where is the word reasonable in that?

[Deleted User]

Chrysalis said:

Deleted_User said:

Chrysalis said:

Deleted_User said:

Complaining that a company is not doing something that they do not have to do is unlikely to be successful.

Even less successful would be trying to charge them for you paying your bill in a less efficient manner (for which they are already allowed to charge you more).

In his case they not allowing him to pay by DD whilst not building up a credit balance, I would agree if the customer was simply refusing to pay by DD outright.

I think I remember been told in my dispute with Octopus, I was unlikely to succeed, yet it is possible.

But they don't have to "allow him to pay by DD whilst not building up a credit balance".  Complaining about it doesn't make it a requirement.

My advice follows CAB's recommendation.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/problems-with-your-energy-bill/energy-supplier-has-increased-your-direct-debit/

The poster's complaint was not "my supplier has increased my direct debit".  It was "my supplier has moved me from variable direct debit to fixed direct debt".

CAB's advice for a different complaint is not relevant.

Chrysalis

ariarnia said:

Chrysalis said:

Deleted_User said:

Chrysalis said:

Deleted_User said:

Complaining that a company is not doing something that they do not have to do is unlikely to be successful.

Even less successful would be trying to charge them for you paying your bill in a less efficient manner (for which they are already allowed to charge you more).

In his case they not allowing him to pay by DD whilst not building up a credit balance, I would agree if the customer was simply refusing to pay by DD outright.

I think I remember been told in my dispute with Octopus, I was unlikely to succeed, yet it is possible.

But they don't have to "allow him to pay by DD whilst not building up a credit balance".  Complaining about it doesn't make it a requirement.

My advice follows CAB's recommendation.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/problems-with-your-energy-bill/energy-supplier-has-increased-your-direct-debit/

i can't see anything on there about variable dd?

to my reading its all about monthly direct debit and how you can complain if your supplier has increased your dd based on an estimate you disagree with. its completely right that the op can ask the supplier how they reached there estimate for his annual usage and monthly dd amount. and that the op can complain and ask them to reduce the dd if he disagrees with that estimate.  

i know it should be that dd is dd. but variable dd and monthly dd are different payment methods according to ofgem and the industry so that page isnt really relevant to the op's problem and sparky is right that complaining wont get the supplier to reinstate a payment method they no longer accept. like dolor says a credit card is a credit card but they can chose to accept some credit cards while not having to accept american express. 

realistically all a complaint will do is cost the supplier and op some time and the op will still have to decide if they want to stay or go.

Then ofgem has interpreted it in a very strange way. direct debit is direct debit, banks do not treat it any differently including the cost of the transaction.

I have scrapped the rest of the reply as I feel like I am running against the wind with the common opinion on here.

[Deleted User]

Chrysalis said:

ariarnia said:

Chrysalis said:

Deleted_User said:

Chrysalis said:

Deleted_User said:

Complaining that a company is not doing something that they do not have to do is unlikely to be successful.

Even less successful would be trying to charge them for you paying your bill in a less efficient manner (for which they are already allowed to charge you more).

In his case they not allowing him to pay by DD whilst not building up a credit balance, I would agree if the customer was simply refusing to pay by DD outright.

I think I remember been told in my dispute with Octopus, I was unlikely to succeed, yet it is possible.

But they don't have to "allow him to pay by DD whilst not building up a credit balance".  Complaining about it doesn't make it a requirement.

My advice follows CAB's recommendation.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/problems-with-your-energy-bill/energy-supplier-has-increased-your-direct-debit/

i can't see anything on there about variable dd?

to my reading its all about monthly direct debit and how you can complain if your supplier has increased your dd based on an estimate you disagree with. its completely right that the op can ask the supplier how they reached there estimate for his annual usage and monthly dd amount. and that the op can complain and ask them to reduce the dd if he disagrees with that estimate.  

i know it should be that dd is dd. but variable dd and monthly dd are different payment methods according to ofgem and the industry so that page isnt really relevant to the op's problem and sparky is right that complaining wont get the supplier to reinstate a payment method they no longer accept. like dolor says a credit card is a credit card but they can chose to accept some credit cards while not having to accept american express. 

realistically all a complaint will do is cost the supplier and op some time and the op will still have to decide if they want to stay or go.

Then ofgem has interpreted it in a very strange way. direct debit is direct debit, banks do not treat it any differently including the cost of the transaction.

I have scrapped the rest of the reply as I feel like I am running against the wind with the common opinion on here.

It may have absolutely nothing to do with the cost of a payment. All suppliers are under the cosh when it comes to preventing consumers from getting into debt. We are living in period of high inflation and rising costs across the board. Debt management costs a supplier time and money. Monthly DD payments reduce the possibility of a bill becoming a debt. 

In its last accounts (Dec 2021), Ovo made an adjusted loss of £33M.