Energy bills - “don’t pay raise a complaint let’s cost the energy companies millions”

[doingitalllagain]

Every other post on Facebook and Instagram is this same picture being shared around about cancelling your direct debit, ignoring any offers of reduction, going into deadlock and complaining to the Ombudsman so the energy company get charged £375 and if enough people do this the energy companies will get charged millions

If energy companies incur tens of thousands of extra fines, who do you think will pay for that in the long term? We will be the ones paying their losses, it will always be put right back on the consumer. These companies don’t care about us. Are people really doing this?

I doubt people are really doing this , it's SM nonsense. Even if millions were to do it the process for dispute would simply be changed.

A few will I'm sure.
But I expect people won't want ccjs and prepayment meters fitted.

This. A CCJ can have huge ramifications, I wouldn't risk getting one.

My exdh is an accountant and still has everything registered at my house. I’m not going to risk his career by not paying bills.

You speak as if not paying is a choice for people. For most people, they simply do not have the income to cover their energy bill increasing by 150% in less than a year. Good for you if you can

Sure and I do know of some people who are cancelling DDs and paying what they can, my point is that paying nothing and deliberately trying to get fines charged to the energy company will cost us all more in the long term. They’ll recoup their losses through the consumer.

It all literally makes me sick. I feel sick about it genuinely. The profits these companies make and yet old people are literally going to die of hypothermia in their homes this winter. The same people who we locked ourselves up to protect for 2 years. What the hell is happening

People,would be very silly to do this. They’re not going to “win”. They will cause themselves a load of stress and still have to pay and risk a ccj.

plus I don’t see the point in trying to cost the companies a load of money. Isn’t it true that they only make a profit of £20 per household.? I’m guessing that figure is for the companies we pay our bills to, Ovo, etc. They are buying their energy at high prices from the likes of Shell. But She’ll aren’t providing domestic customers so not paying Ovo won’t hurt Shell. 🤷‍♀️

For stuff like this to have any impact, millions need to do it. And if millions are going to do this, better those millions get their writing kit out and write to their MP. Because all anyone in power really wants is to stay in power: threaten to take that away from them and see how quickly they come up with a solution to this mess.

I get my energy from Shell

This is not the way to handle it though!

I actually don’t think it’s going to be a choice for most people. We currently pay £200 a month and we can barely afford that, when it increases again in the winter it will be a choice between paying that or eating and I choose food personally.

How should people handle it then?

Talk to your supplier. Don’t just ignore offers of reduction. That would be a good start.

If you have the funds to pay I can get on board with stopping a DD and paying by monthly bill / usage. But just not paying is irresponsible and I'm glad to see people being warned of the risks now too!