Add your feedback on energy supplier Iresa

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  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 13,228 Forumite
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    grumpycrab wrote: »
    Ofgem forwarding people worried about getting their Iresa credits back to Citizens Advice. https://twitter.com/ofgem/status/973967081115963393

    Seems ultimate buck passing to me. I've not checked but wouldn't be surprised if CAB tell punters to contact Ofgem
    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    Farway wrote: »
    Seems ultimate buck passing to me. I've not checked but wouldn't be surprised if CAB tell punters to contact Ofgem

    Ofgem has always hidden behind the principle that it does not deal with individual complaints. Citizens Advice has an Extra Help Unit that allegedly has a direct line to Executive teams. The most interesting part of the post was:

    We're not able to comment on Iresa just yet, but hope to update consumers in the coming weeks.
  • nickcc
    nickcc Posts: 2,265 Forumite
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    I expect there will be some that will not want to hear this but my switch from Iresa to One select has so far gone through without a hitch. I started the switch towards the end of January and the switch was complete by the 24th of February. I supplied my start readings to One select on the 24th of February and entered the finish readings to my Iresa on line account. Iresa's on line account shows me to be in credit of just over £80, Iresa have now confirmed that this amount will be refunded into my bank account.

    When I first requested the switch I contacted my new supplier and warned them to expect Iresa to block my switch, fortunately this didn't happen.

    It would appear that either Iresa have made some effort to resolve their previous poor performance or I have been extremely lucky.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    nickcc wrote: »
    I expect there will be some that will not want to hear this but my switch from Iresa to One select has so far gone through without a hitch. I started the switch towards the end of January and the switch was complete by the 24th of February. I supplied my start readings to One select on the 24th of February and entered the finish readings to my Iresa on line account. Iresa's on line account shows me to be in credit of just over £80, Iresa have now confirmed that this amount will be refunded into my bank account.

    When I first requested the switch I contacted my new supplier and warned them to expect Iresa to block my switch, fortunately this didn't happen.

    It would appear that either Iresa have made some effort to resolve their previous poor performance or I have been extremely lucky.

    Your final readings to Iresa should be ignored as the gaining supplier manages the transfer. The meter readings that you provided to your new supplier are verified by the Data Collectors and passed back to the two suppliers to open and close your accounts. This link explains the opening reads process:

    https://octopus.energy/blog/secret-life-opening-meter-reading/
  • nickcc
    nickcc Posts: 2,265 Forumite
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    edited 14 March 2018 at 10:20PM
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    Hengus wrote: »
    Your final readings to Iresa should be ignored as the gaining supplier manages the transfer. The meter readings that you provided to your new supplier are verified by the Data Collectors and passed back to the two suppliers to open and close your accounts. This link explains the opening reads process:

    https://octopus.energy/blog/secret-life-opening-meter-reading/

    Yes I was well aware of the above. The opening reads have been supplied to the new supplier but Iresa requested my readings which I was more than happy to supply if it meant less hassle with the move. Incidentally as my readings given to Iresa and my new supplier were the same surely this would have helped with the validation process.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    edited 14 March 2018 at 10:32PM
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    nickcc wrote: »
    Yes I was well aware of the above. The opening reads have been supplied to the new supplier but Iresa requested my readings which I was more than happy to supply if it meant less hassle with the move.

    OK - but the losing supplier has to use the verified meter readings to close your account or raise an Agreed Readings Dispute. This protects you from double billing.

    Will your readings provided to Iresa help? Not necessarily:

    Disputes can only be raised if the difference between the readings is sufficiently high. If the difference is more than 1200 kWh for gas, or 250 kWh for electricity, then the dispute can be raised; if the difference is within these values, the readings are deemed to be accurate, and the dispute cannot be raised. These are the values set by OFGEM, to regulate disputes.

    Validation of switch readings is a SLC placed on the gaining supplier.
  • thelight
    thelight Posts: 141 Forumite
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    Hengus wrote: »
    OK - but the losing supplier has to use the verified meter readings to close your account or raise an Agreed Readings Dispute. This protects you from double billing.

    Unfortunately this didn't stop me being double billed. When I switched from Solarplicity to Iresa they both used completely different end/start readings.
  • SnowMan
    SnowMan Posts: 3,358 Forumite
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    Farway wrote: »
    Seems ultimate buck passing to me. I've not checked but wouldn't be surprised if CAB tell punters to contact Ofgem
    I expect your hunch is wrong based on my experience.

    At the end of 2017 I contacted the Citizens Advice Consumer Service about IRESA not refunding my credit promptly when I switched to EDF.

    Although I am not a vulnerable customer the Citizens Advice Consumer service referred me to the Extra Help Unit (EHU).

    The EHU took on my case. I was assigned a caseworker at the EHU who took on my case and eventually I did get my refund, although it took about 16 weeks after my supply switched to get this. Although the EHU were totally brilliant :T they don't have the powers to force IRESA to refund my credit, but importantly they are able to pass on information about IRESA's shocking non-compliance in not refunding me to OFGEM.

    My understanding is that the EHU were dealing with a number of similar IRESA 'not refunding credit' cases at the same time as mine.

    In the process of the EHU involvement, my new supplier, EDF, were extremely helpful and provided documentary evidence of the flows that went from them to IRESA with the opening reads. IRESA denied they had been sent the flows, but this pretty much proved IRESA were supplied the flows. Having 'lost' the flows there was clear evidence available to the EHU that IRESA did not make any attempt to get the closing read from EDF, even after the EHU had been involved. Many weeks after the EHU had been involved IRESA rang EDF got the read from EDF, but then refused to use that read and refused to instigate a missing reads procedure with EDF. Many weeks later they caved in, but the full picture of IRESA's outrageous non-compliance was visible to the EHU.

    In summary following my contact with the Citizens Advice Consumer Service they did help get my credit back, and I also believe that the evidence passed on by them on my and other similar cases to OFGEM would have formed some part of the evidence that enabled the much needed formal investigation into IRESA to be instigated.

    I would suggest anyone who is having trouble getting their credit back from IRESA does contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. Pursuing things through the Energy Ombudsman is an alternative, subject to the 8 week delay after a complaint is made.
    I came, I saw, I melted
  • Treble44
    Treble44 Posts: 3 Newbie
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    Iresa have blocked my move to edf even though I’m in credit, I’m due another DD now is my first thing to do cancel it so they can’t take any more money from me thanks
  • SnowMan
    SnowMan Posts: 3,358 Forumite
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    Treble44 wrote: »
    Iresa have blocked my move to edf even though I!!!8217;m in credit, I!!!8217;m due another DD now is my first thing to do cancel it so they can!!!8217;t take any more money from me thanks
    1. Raise a formal complaint with IRESA, if you haven't already done so, to get the 8 week clock ticking to go the Energy Ombudsman

    2. Contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service

    3. Whether to cancel the direct debit depends a bit. If you are sure you will be in credit in about 3 weeks time based on usage until then (the time it might take to make a switch if it wasn't blocked) then it make some sense to cancel the direct debit, but state why you are doing this in your communication to IRESA. Alternatively if you don't need the money immediately, then you will get the payment back at some point even if IRESA goes under following the investigation.

    4. Download/screenprint all your account bills/readings/communications etc from the IRESA website, they have a habit of deleting old bills and putting new bills in their place, so you need to keep this as evidence.

    Good luck
    I came, I saw, I melted
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