So Energy: More than 100 cold calls and they ignore complaints

gt94sss2

Has the certification period for your meter finished and/or is it a RTS meter?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/can-i-be-forced-to-have-a-smart-meter/

FreeBear

ashfor said:

I seem to be in a minority here. But I do think it unreasonable to make this number of phone calls.  If they want to contact me, they're welcome to use email or post.

I would agree with you. That number of calls is excessive to my mind. Once or twice a month would be acceptable if it was the only way to contact you.
The ICO might be a better body to lodge a complaint with - They probably won't do anything...

Gerry1

Check the meter's certification period here.  Provided that your meter isn't almost life expired and you don't have a Radio TeleSwitch then there are lots of very 'interesting' things you can do.

• Fill in SO Energy's Complaint Form.
• Tell them you have ceased your landline and they'll have to call your mobile instead, 072 followed by your favourite eight random digits.
• Tell them you have a new number... that of your local phone box.
• Search for 'Free Virtual 0871 phone number', get one with a Service Charge of 13p/min and tell SO Energy that's your new number.  Problem solved if their phone system blocks calls to expensive 087 numbers, if not you could be paid 8p/min when they call you.  Just ring your doorbell, ask them to hold for a minute, and then keep them hanging on, and hanging on, and hanging on... KerChing !
  
• If you are in England or Wales, tell them to cease and desist from calling you because you are fully aware of smart meters and don't need endless reminders.  I used this technique more than a decade ago with TV Licensing who sent letters every fortnight which were increasingly mendacious from the start, threatening to send the boys round if I didn't buy a licence immediately.
  When they starting sending Registered letters (which necessitated trips to the sorting office early on Saturday mornings to collect them) I decided that enough was enough.  I sent a letter warning them that these persistent communications were intended to cause me distress and anxiety, which is a criminal offence under the Malicious Communications Act 1988, and that this is punishable by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine (or both)  That shut them up once and for all - they never pestered me again !

FreeBear

Gerry1 said:

• Tell them you have a new number... that of your local phone box.

0333 88888888 is the one I use when I don't want to be

mmmmikey

SO Energy is doing what the law requires it to do. The OP is being wilfully obstructive and in my view has nobody to blame but themself. The OP's behaviour is increasing SO Energy's costs which eventually feed in to increased standing charges which others have to pay. In my view, the appropriate thing for Ofgem to do would be to allow SO Energy to bill the OP directly for the wasted time, preferably a punitive amount so as to discourage this kind of antisocial behaviour.

Scot_39

ashfor said:

I've been a customer of So Energy for several years and I've been quite happy with them until recently: simple website, reasonable prices, clear billing.

But back in September last year, they started making unwanted telephone calls. In the last four months, they've made 104 calls to my number.  After the first 40 calls, I asked them to stop.  No response.  In September, I made a complaint.  No response.  In October, I made another complaint. No response.  The calls kept coming.

In early January, after 104 calls, I made a third complaint, threatening a referral to the Energy Ombudsman about both the calls and the failure to respond to complaints.  A week later, they started responding and they agreed to a six-month pause in the calls but were adamant that they would continue after this break.  Apparently, they think that their smart meter targets justify harassing their customers with more than a hundred unwanted calls.

I don't think the Energy Ombudsman has the power to stop them doing this.  Ofcom have the power to fine them but there's no way for an individual to register a complaint with them. 

There must be a regulator that can force them to stop doing this but all I can think of is writing to my MP and ask him to raise it with the responsible minister.

Any ideas?

You may not want a new smart meter - take that up with Ofgem or your MP - they set the rules.

It is not your meter - it is the responsibility of your supplier.

SO are obligated to meet govt direct and via Ofgem - actual legislated roll out targets. 

It is a testament to much that is wrong with UK these days that the targets for something that should have been simple have been missed repeatedly.

That have existed in loose terms in govt plans since c2008 iirc, under last Labour govt, before the rollout began.

The big 6 were "fined" over £10m in 2022 for missing them.

So not only are you costing them more to administer your account - you are also risking them being fined.

SO are also obligated to ensure your meter is in certification.

And again Ofgem rules on meter replacement at End Of Life have been toughened since above Ofgem linked post - now say that essentially unless smart will never work in area they need to fit so you will get smart.

They also have to log their failure to get your agreement, and retry to do so.  Follow up on refusals again an Ofgem imposed condition.  But daily calls is probably excessive.

You in end may end up with just 2 options - new meter or no supply.

Other countries are moving to mandating fitment.

Others like France already fine those refusing an annual fee of c€50 or c£45 - possibly more now as they were going to raise annually.

ashfor

Thank you for posting the Ofgem reference.  This confirms that replacement isn't mandatory in my case: my meter isn't beyond its certification date, isn't an RTS meter and is working normally, so doesn't need to be replaced for those reasons.

If So Energy had emailed me or written to me, of course I would have responded.  And I accept that I would have to have the meter replaced if beyond its useful life and if and when the government mandates replacement.  But I choose not to volunteer to have it replaced before then.

The meter replacement issue isn't really relevant, other than being the reason for the phone calls.  It's the vast number of phone calls and the failure to respond to a complaint in less than four months that's the real issue.