Bulb Energy - Octopus please help where do I turn.

cbabycee

Help!  

I moved into my small end terrace back to back house in August 2019.  The energy was supplied monthly DD with bulb - gas and electric.   Now,  the house isnt very efficient but we weren’t home through the day and try to reduce usage.   Unfortunately I was hospitalised in 2020 and got behind on payments - I’d paid about £500 off by Aug 2020,  in September 2020 Bulb said I owed them £2300 put me in touch with their debt people to try and make arrangement to pay,  for some reason universal credit wouldn’t attach to my benefit so the said I had to have key meters fitted.    

I am on priority register myself disabled needing medical equipment constant electric supply and my son disabled too.   

So Sept 2020 I gave a reading and owed 2300.   

Forward to Feb 21st 2021 I had a guy show up with a warrant to install prepay meters; at that time I didn’t know anything about it; later I found an email saying I had til March 8th to contact them to arrange fitting; or I would be charged £300 for warrent.  So they forced their way and fitted the key meters in my cellar.  Which is dark, has stone stairs and uneven ground.  Pitch black and inaccessible to someone with mobility issues; dangerous (I’ve fallen twice, smashed phone and injured myself in the pitch black when power has gone).

i was not allowed to see the old meters or the readings.  

3rd March 2021 I got a bill saying I owed 6800 gas and electric and 300 for warrant.      This was before price increase.  I had lived here 1.5 years, paid £500 already, so in 1.5 years I used 7300 energy when cap is 2500 pa now? And the readings 6 months earlier said I owed 2300 and 6 months later I owe 5k more?   How is that even possible it’s clearly a decimal point been entered incorrectly.  I asked for bill so I could see, I keep getting linked to online account, but as soon as I went prepay my online changed and my bills vanished.    

I contacted them to get the 300 Warrent charge removed as I had a email stating I had until 8th March to allow them access to fit meters and the 300 would be waiverd.  They fitted 21st Feb,  I was told - No they won’t waiver it, the email is an auto email and means nothing. 

I’ve told them how inaccessible the meters are,  dangerous, that I’ve fallen twice and damaged my phone.  That it runs out because I can’t see what it’s on, that one occasion meant I was hospitalised because I needed my nebuliser and couldn’t breathe.   I’ve begged and begged them for smart meters at least so I don’t have to go in cellar.  

I get one reply someone says they can see it impossible I owe that, let them look into it, and then nothing.   This has been the same With bulb and octopus.     All the while there is a 7k debt on my meter being taken off weekly that I don’t owe and can’t do anything about.   Their issue left me without gas 3 weeks ago when it was freezing they said to get a hotel for the night they would pay, I found the cheapest 45 room for 1 night who was happy to invoice them for payment as I had the email from them; to be told next day they can’t pay the invoice just me so took details and 3 weeks later still waiting for payment they said was sent 15th/18th/21st into bank yet I’ve just got a cheque dated 23rd but it won’t let me deposit it.    I have had to pay the hotel, but I’m on benefit £45 is 1/5 of my monthly entitlement Xmas is hard as it is.

i don’t know what to do.  Where to go too, I’m getting nowhere and it’s affecting my mental and physical health tbh I go without gas for days because of paying the debt.   I keep requesting how to make formal complaint and they keep replying with answers other than how to complain.    This 7k debt puts me just over the 35k for a DRO and it’s just not even possible for me to owe it?

can anyone tell me where to turn please?

gt94sss2

To complain to Octopus see https://octopus.energy/unhappy/

cbabycee

Thanks I actually have a email from their ‘emergency team’ that states they don’t have a specific complaints form or email and the person allocated my issue will resolve my concerns - refused to take a complaint 

gt94sss2

Make sure you include that information (that they previously refused to lodge your complaint) in your complaint.

Also, after you have logged it, you may want to contact their senior management team to try and get a quicker resolution (details under Further information in the link above) and/or seek advice from the Ombudsman.

Brie

Citizen's Advice might be able to help.  It sounds like you might already be talking to a debt advice agency if you have been considering a DRO but they might be able to assist as well in getting Octopus to help get things resolved.

Gerry1

Sounds like you may have been dealt with by former Bulb staff who weren't recruited by Octopus and haven't yet acquired Octopus's skills and ethos.

There's good advice above, but you could also treat their refusal to help as the equivalent of a deadlock letter and go to the Energy Ombudsman right now.

https://www.energyombudsman.org/raise-dispute/octopus-energy

The worst that could happen is that they could ask you to wait eight weeks from the time you made your first complaint.

Might also be with contacting your MP: any communication from an MP usually gets escalated pretty quickly.

Gerry1

Why can't you deposit your cheque?  Many banks let you do this online.

As you are on the Priority Services Register you should also be able to get your meter read by a meter reader free of charge.

Similarly, it may be possible to get the meters moved to a more visible location.

pallyman

You said,in 1.5 years I used 7300 energy when cap is 2500 pa now? ,the cap is not all you can eat you use more you pay more,Hope you get sorted,

powerful_Rogue

Do you need to actually access the meters to top up?