Where do you make complaints about energy companies?
Discussion
Npower want me to pay two bills for the same energy. I have a pre-pay meter that I top up each month (installed by Npower) and Npower also send me bills for the same energy. This has been going on since November last year (many wasted hours ringing them and telling them this to no avail - also, I've given them all the info about the meters still to no avail). Last month they started the usual debt collection thing with huge admin costs etc and threats to disconnect. As it proceeds to legal action I assume it will harm me in such ways as destroying my credit record. I need to find some way to contact one of these regulators and quickly get an independent assessment of this situation before suing npower.
Edited by Richyboy on Sunday 31st May 15:06
LeoSayer said:
Ofgem
^^This^^ - https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/dom...http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shopping-and-consu...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/bi...
I wouldn't ever consider using that supplier no matter how attractive their pricing might appear to be.
I was involved in a dispute with them over a £50k bill which took 3 years to sort out.
They have now lost the top spot but that's no great comfort
http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/scottish-power-named...
OP sign up to MSE. Get some help and support in fighting this
companyhttp://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/search.php?sea...
Yes Ofgem. I had an issue with another supplier who sent me about £3.5K of bills for gas and electricity for a shut down and isolated factory building.
I refuted the bill and was told by their guy that it was a mistake, the bill had been estimated.
A few weeks later someone else sent threatening reminders and I pointed out that the bills had been incorrectly estimated . He said that was impossible and that they were accurate. I referred him to his colleague and didn't hear from him again.
A few weeks later, someone else sent me threatening demands. I rang him, sent previous correspondence and he promised to close the account and cancel the invoices.
A few weeks later yet another person started harassing me.
This went on over 18 months and with 8 different names.
Then I contacted customer services, registered an official complaint and told them I would be complaining to Ofgem after the 8 week period during which they have to try to resolve the issue. This seemed to get their attention.
After about three weeks, I chased them for a resolution! They actually asked me how much I "would be happy to pay"! I told them the obvious answer in no uncertain terms!
Eventually, about a week before I was going to refer the whole matter to Ofgem, they came back, credited the invoices, closed the account and I haven't heard from them since.
This wasn't Npower, and in my experience they're all as bad as each other, but the threat of Ofgem does seem to carry weight.
I refuted the bill and was told by their guy that it was a mistake, the bill had been estimated.
A few weeks later someone else sent threatening reminders and I pointed out that the bills had been incorrectly estimated . He said that was impossible and that they were accurate. I referred him to his colleague and didn't hear from him again.
A few weeks later, someone else sent me threatening demands. I rang him, sent previous correspondence and he promised to close the account and cancel the invoices.
A few weeks later yet another person started harassing me.
This went on over 18 months and with 8 different names.
Then I contacted customer services, registered an official complaint and told them I would be complaining to Ofgem after the 8 week period during which they have to try to resolve the issue. This seemed to get their attention.
After about three weeks, I chased them for a resolution! They actually asked me how much I "would be happy to pay"! I told them the obvious answer in no uncertain terms!
Eventually, about a week before I was going to refer the whole matter to Ofgem, they came back, credited the invoices, closed the account and I haven't heard from them since.
This wasn't Npower, and in my experience they're all as bad as each other, but the threat of Ofgem does seem to carry weight.
Richyboy said:
. Last month they started the usual debt collection thing with huge admin costs etc and threats to disconnect. As it proceeds to legal action I assume it will harm me in such ways as destroying my credit record.
I made several thousand pounds out of a similar story to this. People on here will tell you Durkin isn't binding in England. But the hugely expensive commercial solicitors and Oxford Educated Barrister that the phone company instructed to defend their behaviour were not as sure and settled quickly. My credit report was also put back into perfect health. Edited by Richyboy on Sunday 31st May 15:06
If they put incorrect information on your credit report then you can make a claim - I'd stick in a 10k claim and then wait for them to panic and start offering a settlement. I am a relatively uneducated man - who managed to beat them. The abuse of the credit reference agencies by big companies is something that has to stop.
Please check your credit report NOW (it's free on Noddle) and get back if they have incorrectly damaged it. I am happy to speak on the phone and tell you how to fix this if needs be. It was a hugely upsetting time for me... And meant I lost out on buying the house I wanted. I hate the credit reference agencies.
Not much point in complaining to OFGEM. They do not handle complaints from consumers - all they will do is forward your complaint to your supplier.
Your options are:
1. Follow your supplier's complaints procedure. If you find their resolution unsatisfactory, then you can ask for a "letter of deadlock" which you will need for option 2.
2. Once you have received a "letter of deadlock" from your supplier, you can approach the energy division of the ombudsman services. They will investigate your complaint, and issue an adjudication legally binding on your energy supplier (should you choose to accept the ruling).
3. If you are still unsatisfied you can EITHER lodge an appeal with the ombudsman services OR
4. Begin court proceedings against your energy supplier.
Your options are:
1. Follow your supplier's complaints procedure. If you find their resolution unsatisfactory, then you can ask for a "letter of deadlock" which you will need for option 2.
2. Once you have received a "letter of deadlock" from your supplier, you can approach the energy division of the ombudsman services. They will investigate your complaint, and issue an adjudication legally binding on your energy supplier (should you choose to accept the ruling).
3. If you are still unsatisfied you can EITHER lodge an appeal with the ombudsman services OR
4. Begin court proceedings against your energy supplier.
WatchfulEye said:
Not much point in complaining to OFGEM. They do not handle complaints from consumers - all they will do is forward your complaint to your supplier.
Your options are:
1. Follow your supplier's complaints procedure. If you find their resolution unsatisfactory, then you can ask for a "letter of deadlock" which you will need for option 2.
2. Once you have received a "letter of deadlock" from your supplier, you can approach the energy division of the ombudsman services. They will investigate your complaint, and issue an adjudication legally binding on your energy supplier (should you choose to accept the ruling).
3. If you are still unsatisfied you can EITHER lodge an appeal with the ombudsman services OR
4. Begin court proceedings against your energy supplier.
You're right, it's the ombudsman service you need to complain to after registering a complaint with npower and giving them 8 weeks to resolve it. Your options are:
1. Follow your supplier's complaints procedure. If you find their resolution unsatisfactory, then you can ask for a "letter of deadlock" which you will need for option 2.
2. Once you have received a "letter of deadlock" from your supplier, you can approach the energy division of the ombudsman services. They will investigate your complaint, and issue an adjudication legally binding on your energy supplier (should you choose to accept the ruling).
3. If you are still unsatisfied you can EITHER lodge an appeal with the ombudsman services OR
4. Begin court proceedings against your energy supplier.
Richyboy said:
Npower want me to pay two bills for the same energy. I have a pre-pay meter that I top up each month (installed by Npower) and Npower also send me bills for the same energy. This has been going on since November last year (many wasted hours ringing them and telling them this to no avail - also, I've given them all the info about the meters still to no avail). ]
This might have happened already, but has your complaint been escalated to their Executive Compaints team?Similar but different. I recently switched from Eon to NPower and they've managed to get their closing/opening meter readings out of sync so that BOTH want me to pay for the same 1,000 KWh of electricity.
I've flagged this with NPower (the new supplier) and we'll see what happens, but I predict a long and drawn-out process...
I've flagged this with NPower (the new supplier) and we'll see what happens, but I predict a long and drawn-out process...
REALIST123 said:
WatchfulEye said:
Not much point in complaining to OFGEM. They do not handle complaints from consumers - all they will do is forward your complaint to your supplier.
Your options are:
1. Follow your supplier's complaints procedure. If you find their resolution unsatisfactory, then you can ask for a "letter of deadlock" which you will need for option 2.
2. Once you have received a "letter of deadlock" from your supplier, you can approach the energy division of the ombudsman services. They will investigate your complaint, and issue an adjudication legally binding on your energy supplier (should you choose to accept the ruling).
3. If you are still unsatisfied you can EITHER lodge an appeal with the ombudsman services OR
4. Begin court proceedings against your energy supplier.
You're right, it's the ombudsman service you need to complain to after registering a complaint with npower and giving them 8 weeks to resolve it. Your options are:
1. Follow your supplier's complaints procedure. If you find their resolution unsatisfactory, then you can ask for a "letter of deadlock" which you will need for option 2.
2. Once you have received a "letter of deadlock" from your supplier, you can approach the energy division of the ombudsman services. They will investigate your complaint, and issue an adjudication legally binding on your energy supplier (should you choose to accept the ruling).
3. If you are still unsatisfied you can EITHER lodge an appeal with the ombudsman services OR
4. Begin court proceedings against your energy supplier.
I would add that the "complaint" begins the moment you first express dissatisfaction so in your case you should already be passed the cut off to go to the Ombudsman. If they claim that you aren't, then point out that you consider your complaint to have been opened back whenever you first expressed dissatisfaction, in line with the CEAR Act (Consumer Estate Agents Redress act). They almost certainly will have either not logged it properly, or logged it and closed it on the same day.
REALIST123 said:
WatchfulEye said:
Not much point in complaining to OFGEM. They do not handle complaints from consumers - all they will do is forward your complaint to your supplier.
Your options are:
1. Follow your supplier's complaints procedure. If you find their resolution unsatisfactory, then you can ask for a "letter of deadlock" which you will need for option 2.
2. Once you have received a "letter of deadlock" from your supplier, you can approach the energy division of the ombudsman services. They will investigate your complaint, and issue an adjudication legally binding on your energy supplier (should you choose to accept the ruling).
3. If you are still unsatisfied you can EITHER lodge an appeal with the ombudsman services OR
4. Begin court proceedings against your energy supplier.
You're right, it's the ombudsman service you need to complain to after registering a complaint with npower and giving them 8 weeks to resolve it. Your options are:
1. Follow your supplier's complaints procedure. If you find their resolution unsatisfactory, then you can ask for a "letter of deadlock" which you will need for option 2.
2. Once you have received a "letter of deadlock" from your supplier, you can approach the energy division of the ombudsman services. They will investigate your complaint, and issue an adjudication legally binding on your energy supplier (should you choose to accept the ruling).
3. If you are still unsatisfied you can EITHER lodge an appeal with the ombudsman services OR
4. Begin court proceedings against your energy supplier.
It lays down on their website the procedure including the compulsory upgrade to "executive complaint"
Also note just speaking with a customer service advisor and saying you're complaining doesn't actually start a complaint despite what they say. Neither does filling in the complaint form on their website. Neither does actually talking to someone in their complaints team unless you happen to be talking to the correct team. For example I was talking to billing complaints team when in their world should have been talking to metering complaints team. Did you know that you had to register with the correct complaints team? No neither did I, but once did AND getting an agreed date for the start of the 8 weeks countdown for taking it to OFGEM, then and only then did they get their arses in gear. It also helped in my case that it was clear that I had accurate and detailed evidence including photographs to back up my case.
Ps they've still got it a little bit wrong but the error is so small as to be not worthy of kicking up a fuss.
WatchfulEye said:
Not much point in complaining to OFGEM.
Indeed. Their website has a link to Ombudsman Services: Energy - http://www.ombudsman-services.org/energy.htmlAlso, see paragraph 1.8 on page 9 of this document - https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/38164/...
OFGEM can deal with certain types of dispute. These will tend to be where consumers collectively have been affected rather than determinations of individual cases. The upshot is the company concerned receiving a financial penalty. The more people complain long and loud the more likely this will result in action being taken.
A couple of examples.
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/npowe...
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/93404/...
Such decisions can be found on the Electronic Public Register - https://epr.ofgem.gov.uk/Document
Unfortunately they are pretty rare. I would like to see a much tougher approach being taken.
The big energy companies get away far too often with treating their customers with indifference and/or contempt.
Red Devil said:
WatchfulEye said:
Not much point in complaining to OFGEM.
OFGEM can deal with certain types of dispute. These will tend to be where consumers collectively have been affected rather than determinations of individual cases. The upshot is the company concerned receiving a financial penalty. The more people complain long and loud the more likely this will result in action being taken.Each issue ultimately starts with an individual having a problem with some aspect of the service. There is no independent body other than OFGEM to have sufficient overview to see and collate the instances and detect an unacceptable pattern of errors and behaviour. Clearly the companies should be doing it assuming they want to have continuous improvement, but they cannot be trusted. So the only way at the moment is to put their feet to the fire and trust that the OFGEM system works.
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