Advice needed

BabyCubs1

I'm with Octopus Energy (from when they took over Shell a few months ago), just received last month's bill and they have entered a meter reading incorrectly and added £1700 to this months bill. 
I've emailed them 3/4 times to get this corrected and I've been met with just total incompetence to the point I am absolutely floored. Its like they have zero understanding. I've just called them now and he said they cannot correct it and someone will look into it. In the mean time they have raised my monthly payment l - which I cannot amend as I'm too far in "debt" to £250. I cannot afford for this payment to be taken next week. What can I do? 

WBCPB

Submit your grievances as stated above as a FORMAL WRITTEN COMPLAINT, email will suffice, unfortunately this seems to be the only way to bypass the frontline "customer service", so hopefully it will be perused by someone who knows a little about the energy industry and it`s workings.

Brie

others may disagree with this but if you cannot afford the payment next week I would suggest you cancel your direct debit.  Then ensure that you tell both Octopus that you have done this and why.  Also tell your bank that you have cancelled it and have informed Octopus.

This way should Octopus try to take the payment you can refer to your prior advice to them as well as your complaint.  If you bank allows the DD to be taken you can also refer to your prior advice to them and tell them that they need to reclaim the DD under the DD guarantee.  

Assuming you can afford your normal payments to Octopus I would suggest you continue to make those so that they cannot do something that will adversely effect your credit record.  Paying less than they want may warrant them putting a mark on it but that will fade once the complaint is resolved and you go back to having a reasonable DD in place.  

Scot_39

Going off DD now could well likely see the bill presented in full and as a move to standard credit terms giving literally weeks to pay full demand and of course increased tariff rates - would be my worst case scenario outcome.  

Dangerous to come off DD unilaterally as suggested by brie above in my view- unless you know that wont happen by talking to supplier.

They will not accept old payment levels as full settlement -until they accept the £1700 is in error or agree to suspend it pending investigation.  To them its believed to be real debt.

I assume OP does have clear meter evidence to prove that bill reading was wrong - so current lower etc.  And not simply a catch up error after months or years of estimated readings billing.

The next monthly DD is likely to include just a 12th of the correction due to reading error - dropping DD advice may worst case see OP facing the full £1700 - which clearly really cannot afford if cannot afford the one month DD - and so facing debt proceedings if doesnt get resolved quickly.

He needs to talk to Octopus, but having failed on 4 attempts, surely at one stage they should have suggested or offered to entervgrievance as a formal complaint, but if not.

Probably by entering a formal complaint, providing photographic evidence of meter readings if possible, and as part of complaint - ask for the DD increase to be postponed whilst investigated.

Do so by email asap - with Complaint in subject title - if they don't offer a specific complaint address.

Then phone customer services informing them you have done so - and again asking for DD to be corrected - pending complaint resolution - given its imminent.

And if they do take higher amount and causes charges on accounts etc - ask for compensation - but that probably easier if their error on readings.

EssexHebridean

This is a tricky balance to strike. Yes, in normal situations cancelling the DD would be a bad thing to do, but in a situation where the supplier going ahead and taking the amount they have notified leaving someone in severe financial hardship, then sometimes that is the only viable option. 

Mobtr

WBCPB said:

Submit your grievances as stated above as a FORMAL WRITTEN COMPLAINT, email will suffice, unfortunately this seems to be the only way to bypass the frontline "customer service", so hopefully it will be perused by someone who knows a little about the energy industry and it`s workings.

The way octopus work is that a particular team deals with a set pot of customers so sending an email, letter or any other form of communication will get routed to the team who deals with your account so probably end up with the same people you have already spoken to unfortunately 

Scot_39

EssexHebridean said:

This is a tricky balance to strike. Yes, in normal situations cancelling the DD would be a bad thing to do, but in a situation where the supplier going ahead and taking the amount they have notified leaving someone in severe financial hardship, then sometimes that is the only viable option. 

Yes sorry.

As always - I bow to your more in depth knowledge of helping those in debt.

It's just one such utility were threatening to be pretty nasty initially - in my mum's case - over a c£700 debt - not even willing to put on next years DD initially. She and my sister - who was part time carer - were really upset by the letters they sent.

BabyCubs1

Thank you for all your replies. 
Yes I can afford my normal monthly DD payment, and happy to continue to pay but not stupid amounts over a mistake. Octopus admitted on the phone its clearly a mistake, a computer error he stated. And who can use £1700 in a month, most things in my house run on gas. I would have thought they would have done more to correct the issue immediately. 
The people doing the emails would not even look at the bills on my account to see the error. They just kept repeating the same ridiculously unhelpful question. 
As soon as this is sorted, I'm leaving them. 

BabyCubs1

The way octopus work is that a particular team deals with a set pot of customers so sending an email, letter or any other form of communication will get routed to the team who deals with your account so probably end up with the same people you have already spoken to unfortunately 

Absolutely, I've noticed this already. I asked for escalation and again was met with the same person who seemed confused.
I feel like it would be useless to make a full complaint as being outsourced abroad, the phone line was poor and then again I got the same person with every email. 

BabyCubs1

Scot_39 said:

Going off DD now could well likely see the bill presented in full and as a move to standard credit terms giving literally weeks to pay full demand and of course increased tariff rates - would be my worst case scenario outcome.  

Dangerous to come off DD unilaterally as suggested by brie above in my view- unless you know that wont happen by talking to supplier.

They will not accept old payment levels as full settlement -until they accept the £1700 is in error or agree to suspend it pending investigation.  To them its believed to be real debt.

I assume OP does have clear meter evidence to prove that bill reading was wrong - so current lower etc.  And not simply a catch up error after months or years of estimated readings billing.

The next monthly DD is likely to include just a 12th of the correction due to reading error - dropping DD advice may worst case see OP facing the full £1700 - which clearly really cannot afford if cannot afford the one month DD - and so facing debt proceedings if doesnt get resolved quickly.

He needs to talk to Octopus, but having failed on 4 attempts, surely at one stage they should have suggested or offered to entervgrievance as a formal complaint, but if not.

Probably by entering a formal complaint, providing photographic evidence of meter readings if possible, and as part of complaint - ask for the DD increase to be postponed whilst investigated.

Do so by email asap - with Complaint in subject title - if they don't offer a specific complaint address.

Then phone customer services informing them you have done so - and again asking for DD to be corrected - pending complaint resolution - given its imminent.

And if they do take higher amount and causes charges on accounts etc - ask for compensation - but that probably easier if their error on readings.

Yes I have the bills and readings which confirm the correct vs incorrect reading clearly stated. They put over 2000 less in an opening reading despite them having the reading correct on the previous bill

t0rt0ise

I always use twitter. I only use twitter for direct messages to octopus. They sort things out in a day.