Energy Special
Rip Off Britain’s Energy Special on 27 May 2024 contained a wealth of information and advice about gas and electricity charges – and what to do when things go wrong with your energy supplier.
Incorrect bills
We were joined by Alex Belsham-Harris from Citizen’s Advice, who discussed the case of John, who’d discovered he was being billed for an imperial meter rather than a metric one, pushing his bills up. John’s energy supplier didn’t accept this explanation but the Energy Ombudsman did – and ordered John’s supplier to refund him.
Citizens’ Advice produces an energy supplier performance rating which can help show existing and potential customers how suppliers are doing on customer service.
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Faulty meters
Alex Neill from Consumer Voice provided advice to Jenny in our advice clinic, who found her bill jumped to £680 a month when her supplier claimed she was using 59,000 kilowatt hours a year – roughly the amount a medium sized business would use.
If your meter starts giving erratic readings, Alex says it’s your energy company’s responsibility to make sure your meter works correctly – and the problem should be sorted promptly.
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Energy supplier errors and debt
We featured Toni, who’d faced a litany of problems with her energy company, including setting her direct debit too low, an extended period of estimated readings that caused her to underpay, and a faulty meter that charged her 40% more than it should have done.
Toni complained to her supplier but struggled to get the issues resolved. Eventually, after complaining to the Energy Ombudsman, the company was ordered to put all the problems right. However, Toni was still left with £3,500 of debt, which she is struggling to pay.
Later in the programme, Simon Francis from End Fuel Poverty Coalition advised that if you’re struggling to pay your direct debit or think it’s been set too high, don’t cancel it, as direct debits are generally the most affordable way to pay. Instead, speak to your energy company and find out from them whether it’s possible to lower your direct debit, or switch to a different supplier.
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Link: Energy bills: What should I do if I can’t afford to pay? - Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News
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