Energy Direct Debit Overcharging: Reclaim Successes

Former_MSE_Wendy · 9 December 2008 at 6:34PM

This thread is specifically to report successess for the

Energy Direct Debits article

If you want to discuss the article pelase use
Energy Direct Debit Overcharging Discussion.

How to report your success/failure:

1. Click reply to enter you story.
2. Report your story in the following format:

Who was your energy provider?
Which situation were you in? (e.g. announced increase, general increase, switched supplier, DD just too high)
How much did you get back?
And then write your brief direct debit tale...

ncrossland · 10 December 2008 at 7:45AM

Our gas-only direct debit from NPower was £43 per month. We got our 6-monthly bill, and amazingly the charges were within 70p of what we'd paid on direct debit - that's an impressive bit of estimating!

However, on the same bill, it said they would be putting up the direct debit to £90 per month - over double!

I called them up, said it was unreasonable, and without any argument whatsoever the lady on the phone suggested £48 instead.

Proof, if you need it, that either their automated direct debit estimation system is wildly flawed - or they're blatantly trying it on.

KimYeovil · 10 December 2008 at 8:06AM

There's a mistake in the article. It suggests:

"A monthly direct debit is up to 10% cheaper than any other way of paying".

No. It is from about 10% cheaper - it can be up to 70% cheaper.

dawsond410078 · 10 December 2008 at 8:45AM

I'm with Sciotish Power - on dual rate electricty tarif.

We pay on a monthly DD of about £45. We tend to be 'light' users - sorry for the pune, and usually have a slight credit on our bills. Since the price hikes we were £16 down and promptly received a letter saying that our DD would be going up to £57.

A possible trick I found is to pay off the outstanding on a credit card and then send them a e-mail (we have an online account set up) saying how unfair this increase is in few that we have cleared the outstanding amount already.

I received a e-mail back from them saying that the DD would now stay at the old rate. But a review would be done early next year.

Always worth a try - good luck.:j

GH

CJN · 10 December 2008 at 9:03AM

I am with EDF on a dual fuel tariff.

We were about £150 in credit after a year because our bill was based on the previous occupants. They wanted to keep the money in hand for the winter bills but I said I prefer to be in debt after the winter and repay it over the summer when bills are lower; we use much less gas anyway. After a few email exchanges they repaid the money but have not yet adjusted my payments.

Incidently, I was charged £9.52 for something called a Gas Transportation Charge. It is something to do with not being connected to the National Grid gas pipeline, how does the gas get to my house? Do I bother emailing them yet again? sigh

A.Jones · 10 December 2008 at 9:50AM

We switched to npower just under a year ago, when we moved house. They were going to raise our monthly payment just over 50% two months ago, I believe much of this was based on previous occupants winter usage, not mine. I phoned and threatened to switch straight away and they quickly readjusted it, putting it up just over 8%.

Cornishmum_2 · 10 December 2008 at 9:54AM

I am with EON and our tariff is dual fuel online.

My direct debit was £98 per month and yesterday the letter came raising it to £143. I've just rung them and without any hesitation it was reduced to £100 per month.

The explanation for the hike was because I had recently submitted my readings online and the letter is automatically generated - not very reassuring!!!

The man on the phone suggested that I enter my readings online every 6 weeks which will give them a true picture throughout the quarter and they will make adjustments accordingly. I didn't realise you could do this and usually only submitted them when EON asked for a reading - a 6 weekly date is now firmly in my diary!!!

brownfrog · 10 December 2008 at 10:17AM

Full marks to Southern Electric. When I changed back to them from BG :mad: they set it at the rate that BG had it at - SE's bills have been so cheap that we were building up a large excess. I rang them up and the advisor immediately apologised for it being so large (which wasn't their fault), arranged a refund and reduced the DD.:T

wilf55 · 10 December 2008 at 10:30AM

slightly of track but anyone struggling with benefits Direct payments which keep the price of the gas elec higher

ring energy watch and complain....
i was paying direct payments costing me 146 month to cover couple of pounds of the arrears and the gas elec i was using it would have taken approx 14 years to clear the 800 ish debt

anyway rang energy watch cos scottish power would not put me on dual fuel online type tarriff which was cheaper

energy watch arranged for me to go on dual fuel online type tarriff not only reducing my monthy bill which had to be paid by direct debit to 106 but this meant i was paying more of my arrears and cleared them within 1 year as opposed to 14 years it would have taken me

dont be frightened of arguing the point that you are being held on an artificially high tarrif when basically being on benefits being in the least likely position to afford a high bill in the first place

beware though you have to be disciplined (if like me you didnt pay in the first place and got a high amount of arrears!!) to ensure you have the money put away for the direct debit and do not incur bank charges

but thats another story......:p

BigL_2 · 10 December 2008 at 2:45PM

That's a coincidence. I'm with EON (gas and electricity) and froze any price rises earlier this year. Yesterday, got the letter saying that the Direct Debit was going up. I rang last night and explained that the price was frozen and he countered by saying that my usage must have gone up! Not very likely. He then asked me to take a reading which resulted in him reducing the Direct Debit by £35 a month. As an afterthought, I asked if I was in credit and to my amazement (and his) I am £300 in credit! I asked for this back but he asked me to wait for 3 weeks when the next bill is due. He did not have an answer to the question "If my consumption is forecast to go up, how come I have overpaid by £300. Just shows that everyone should query any price hike demand.

Former_MSE_Archna · 10 December 2008 at 3:53PM

CJN wrote: »

Incidently, I was charged £9.52 for something called a Gas Transportation Charge. It is something to do with not being connected to the National Grid gas pipeline, how does the gas get to my house? Do I bother emailing them yet again? sigh

Hi CJN,

There is some info on this in the Gas & Elec article that you can read.

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Energy Direct Debit Overcharging: Reclaim Successes

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