Charity Energy Accounts

mrhraza

Hi All, I'm in need of some serious help please. I am a volunteer for a charity and look after the financial aspects as best I can. From taking over, I have seen a couple of things.

Firstly, we have an electricity account with British Gas Lite. The account shows British Gas owe us £3.5k. However, upon requesting a refund to the bank account they keep asking for meter readings. Upon providing meter readings BGL are failing to generate bills on the account and have done for the last 2 years. Now, after communicating with them for 3 months now (as you can only communicate on live chat, no telephone numbers) i keep getting the same responses and no hope of moving forward. To top it off, our contract comes to an end this week and I am none the wise which way to go as i still want the current situation resolved.

Secondly, we also have energy accounts with Pozitiv Energy. We have 2 buildings for the charity. On one of the accounts after revaluating the charitable VAT rate for the last 4 years and updated readings, they owe us £26k. I am still battling everyday to get this refunded but they won't move. On the other account, i have realised they have the correct site address on the bills but we have been charged for a different meter, a meter that does not match to the meter at the site. Now this is a big screw up on both sides i agree. But the resolution is somewhat painful to say the least. I have provided regular readings, they have sent an engineer to see the meter and check there are no other meters on site. They agree there is a mismatch in meters on the bills. They keep telling me the process is long and there is a hierarchy to correct the meters on the account and to correct the bills. It's very very painful to deal with this as i am not getting anywhere.

Please if anyone can advise what i can do with official complaints, bodies i can complain to or even any other advise i would be very very grateful.

Thanks in advance. 

tacpot12

You need to find a new supplier for your energy, so I would start looking now, so that you can get meter that is with BG cut over to the new supplier. Then start chasing them for the refund. It should get easier if the account is closed. You should follow the formal complaints procedure published on the BG Lite website. I would send them an email. You can use the Energy Ombudsman after 8 weeks.  

Similarly with Positiv. I assume you want to move away to them, but I would recommned not moving from Positiv until the issue with the meters is sorted. I would perhaps also leave it for three months before trying to move to check that everything has settled down. Follow the same process; a formal complaint following their published process and then the Energy Ombudsman.

Robin9

Watch out for contract completion dates !

I was in a similar situation re VAT when my predecessor failed to complete a VAT declaration form.  This was a case when the local UW rep helped with the paperwork and I got my £5k refund  almost immediately.

I think you would be better off with monthly billing - then any error can be picked up early.   

Have you got AMR or SMART meters ?

mrhraza

Hi Robin, no i don't have AMR / smart meters... what is UW, United Waters ?

Robin9

UW - Utility Warehouse

Concentrate first on the supply with BG Lite. 

  Ring around the main suppliers -  give BG Lite due notice . Don't forget that VAT Declaration Form. 

BG will then have to refund you. Ask the new supplier for monthly billed tariff and  for a Smart meter -  that will enable you to keep on top of usage/costs and save a hassle of having to do readings.   Expect to have to do a lot very quickly -  the new supplier may well offer you terms which you have to accept by the end of the day and give them the VAT form, signed copies ,  bank details etc. 

Have you got a letter of authority from the Charity to do this ?

What are you paying at the moment ?   and the actual annual consumption.