Panicking about my potential energy bill!

[daffodiltalk]

Apologies in advance, this will probably be long.

My pre-payment meters stopped communicating with my energy supplier in March 2018.

I reported the problem straight away and they asked for some info and meter readings etc.

After a few weeks I received an email to TELL me that my meters weren’t communicating with them.

I got back in touch and again was asked for the info. Chased them up a week later and they said they didn’t currently have any engineers available in my area so they would put me on a waiting list and let me know when one was available.

They advised me to continue to top up online in the meantime, which I have done.

After a few months doing this, before the colder months I began to worry that I was topping up ‘blind’ because only the standing charge was being taken and until the problem was sorted out, any extra that I topped up was building up a credit, which would have been used if the meter was working.

I had no way of knowing how much gas and electricity I was using so just tried to top up what I thought would be enough.

They did offer me a standard meter to replace the pre-payment one but I would then get monthly or quarterly bills and I wasn’t comfortable with that as I’ve always paid by pre-payment meter to avoid getting into debt and manage the bills, I actually went to this company as their selling point at the time was that I could top up anytime on my phone.

I was worrying that, with winter approaching, I may not top up enough and would end up in debt.

I called my provider and they advised me of the average amounts I topped up in the same months of the previous year to give me an idea.
Still no engineers available, but assured me I was on the list.

Fast forward to March this year. I’ve been topping up what I think is the right amount weekly and waiting for my call but now it had been a YEAR!

I contacted them and expressed my concerns re potential debt.
They apologised and agreed to look into it.

Waited a few weeks and contacted them again.
They said they would send an engineer and the usual waiting time is 17 working days.

So engineers were now available! First I’d heard! nobody had called me when these engineers had become available, as promised.

Waited in for engineer and they didn’t turn up.
They compensated me with a £30 cheque and arranged a new appointment, 17 working days later...

This time they turned up, couldn’t fix it and I need a new meter.

Waited another 17 working days and today is the day they will fit my new meter.
They’ll be here this afternoon.

I’m terrified that I haven’t topped up enough and when this meter communicates with my energy company, despite there being well over £1000 in ‘credit’ on my account, I’m going to end up in debt.

If that happens what should I do?

I feel it would be really unfair to be put into debt because of this.

Will I have grounds to complain about how long I’ve waited for this work to be completed and the fact that I haven’t received good service from them?

Thanks for reading if you got to the end!

Jeeze not advice but bumping for you.

Hope I'm not with your provider.

You need to contact OFGEM

@stayathomegardener thank you.
It’s really poor service isn’t it?!

@CORSACORSA thanks. I will wait and see if I have built up a debt. I may contact them anyway even if I haven’t!

I can't imagine there being much debt if you're £1000 in credit
Have you reported the issues via phone or email?
If phone, would you be able to make a log of all times and dates that you've spoken to them?

£1000 is more than my gas and electricity bill for a 4 bed house for the whole year. I think you’ll be fine.

Also remember that utility companies are not allowed to charge you for gas/electricity used over 12 mo ago if they are at fault for not billing. Google Ofgem backbilling.

Hi Op, Definitely complain to OGFEM as they will be on your side more than your supplier. This is because you have taken steps to try and rectify this on numerous occasions. If you are in debt then your supplier can only charge for the last 12 months energy (they can't backdate it more than that) and they will most likely offer a plan to help with this. I think this is the case but I wouldn't stress if I were you. You have done your best to pay the same then you will most likely be very close to your usage.

@PotteringAlong
@newmomof1

I hope you’re right but pre-payment is usually more expensive and this is a 3 bed semi with 5 of us living here. I’ve just checked and it’s £1100 now.

That’s for almost 16 months.
The daily standing charge has still been being taken though and that’s currently 61p per day so that’s a bit more I’ve paid towards it.

It’s all been done by Facebook messenger and email. I’ve kept it all.

@FantailsFly that’s really good to hear, that should help me, thank you I’ll have a look!

@missmarplesapprentice that’s reassuring, thank you.

With regards to the 12 month thing though, surely as I’m pre-paying they’ll just say the debt is for the most recent months so I still have to pay?

I hate how the debt repayment plans work too. I’ll top up £X amount but they’ll take their cut and credit my account with £Y lower amount.

Fingers crossed I’ve paid enough!

Both gas and electric meters developed the same fault at the same time?

@sacope funny you should mention that! My new meter has just been installed. It’s an electric smart meter and comes with a gadget so that I can track my usage.

The engineer said ‘you’d be able to put your gas meter on here too if it was a smart one’

I explained that the problem all along had been that I’d only been paying a standing charge and nothing for either gas or electricity and he had no idea what to say about that!

So I asked if it was possible that the electricity meter was getting information from the gas meter and communicating both sets of readings and he said no.

I’m very confused

Ofgem don't deal with individual complaints, you need to complain to the the Energy Ombudsman.
www.ombudsman-services.org/sectors/energy

Definitely contact the energy Ombudsman with full details. They have failed to provide a level of service and fobbed you off.
In the meantime, email them your concerns via a n official complaint- do not call them as you have no proof or record of what was said. Tell them of the inconvenience and anxiety this is causing and suggest that, should you be behind it is fully down to their negligence several times and their failure to fix the problem you immediately flagged to them over a year ago.
I would also Google to see if there are standard wait times for the industry that they are bound by. Waiting a year is a joke, and it sounds like it should have been done within the 17 day period.
They cannot fault you here.

www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/who-contact-if-its-difficult-paying-energy-bills/energy-backbilling-guide-your-rights

BTW You cant raise a case with Ombudsman until you have raised a complaint with the company. You need to do that first. You nee to give them the opportunity to make this right. If you are not happy with their response then the complaint needs to be referred onto the ombudsman.

www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/complain-about-your-gas-or-electricity-bill-or-supplier

Thank you everyone.
I will complain to my provider about all of this.

I don’t think the problem is fixed, the new meter isn’t communicating but I have to give it until Monday to see if it does.

If it does work I’ll have to get them to check I’m now only hooked up for electricity, instead of both.

Can I complain now or is it best to wait until they’ve fixed the problem.

Are there timescales for going to the ombudsman following a complaint?
If so perhaps it’s best to wait?

Best to start the complaint now yo have to give them time to respond and fix the problem - the sooner you complain the sooner it gets fixed.

I feel it would be really unfair to be put into debt because of this. You need to be helped to repay anything you owe - they need to set up a repayment plan which doesn't cause you to go into debt.

Which supplier is it or would you prefer not to say?

Could it be seen that I’ve already begun a complaint with the stuff that’s already gone on, like an ongoing complaint or should I be outlining the whole lot as a new complaint?

It’s Boost (was with Ovo, then they created Boost for their pre-pay customers and switched us over)

Making the complaint
Explain what the problem is and what you want your supplier to do about it.

Your supplier will have a complaints procedure. You should follow this so they have the information they need to resolve the issue.

All gas and electricity suppliers are required through strict complaints handling standards to deal proactively with complaints. They have up to eight weeks to come to a decision on the complaint with you.

How to complain
You can make a complaint by email, in writing or on the phone. Keep records of contact you have with the supplier on the issue.

Find Ovo's complaint procedure here.
www.ovoenergy.com/feedback

Ask Boost if you need to make a fresh complaint. They really hate being referred to the Ombudsman - they will try their best to avoid it.

Ok further clarification from dh - the expert in this stuff!
If you have complained by phone and you have expressed dissatisfaction - (you don't need to have called it a complaint) about an issue and it was not resolved to your satisfaction within 8 weeks then you are entitled to raise it with the Ombudsman.

I'd just sit tight for now. They haven't yet confirmed a debt and you have records of your communications with them.

@hedgehoglurker why would you sit tight? - why wouldn't you follow the procedure as laid out by law rather than storing up problems by sticking your head in the sand - I'm curious to know what your thinking behind this comment is?

To PP WholelottaPaint - I didn't suggest sticking her head in the sand, just that I wouldn't jump the gun.

I had an issue with Ovo (the parent company) not billing me for the 2 years I lived in a rented property due to an issue with their meter and incorrect billing. I had been providing monthly meter readings throughout, photos of the meters, had records of my complaints, etc. Eventually they tried to bill me over £6,000!

Due to the legislation and the time they took to provide an accurate bill, I was only legally liable for my usage during the last 12 months from that date.

Considering that I had moved out months earlier, I only had to pay for approx 6-8 months usage rather than 2 years. £6k reduced to approx £1300.

If I had followed through with my complaint to the regulator early on, I'm sure OVO would have fixed the problem a lot sooner and then I'd have been responsible for the entire £6k if they had billed me correctly within the first 12 months.

Another part of my complaint was that from the day I moved in, I had contacted them with meter readings as I wanted to change supplier/ tariff. I was on their standard (most expensive) tariff, which I inherited OVO from the previous occupants. But they wouldn't allow me to do so until the billing was resolved. So for that, as a goodwill gesture, I also got a reduction on the £1300. I think I paid £1050 altogether.

They offered me instalments to clear the "debt", which they confirmed was not on my credit file and wouldn't go to debt collection, but I paid immediately. Like the OP has continued to pay on the meter, I had been putting money aside each month based on an average for my home and family size.

That is why I would sit tight whilst continuing to keep good records and putting the money on the meter (or put aside safely) so that it isn't spent on other things.

@WholelottaPaint. If this meter doesn’t fix the problem then I may go to the ombudsman with this. Do you think this (below) constitutes a complaint? It’s taken from some of my messages to them.

23rd March 2019: Hi, are you absolutely sure I’m going to get an engineer sent to sort the above problem out? I’ve been waiting too long now, it’s ridiculous really.

24th March 2019: My meter stopped communicating A YEAR AGO.
I’ve been topping up ‘blindly’ ever since. Someone told me back in October (October, after I raised the issue in March) to ‘Rest assured you're on our engineer's radar for a slot, they just can't give timeframes to us sadly’

I’ve had enough of waiting, wondering if I’ve topped up enough. Worried if I haven’t topped up enough, that I’ll end up in arrears. Something that I wanted to avoid by pre-paying.

I’d like this issue sorted now.

What do you think? That’s more than 8 weeks ago.

@hedgehoglurker. I’m going to wait and see if this meter resolves the problem and if not I’m taking it further straight away.
Similarly, if it does fix the problem but leaves me with a debt incurred over the last 16 months then I’m taking it further.