Southern Electric added a debt to PAYG and not helping me

[SnapCrackleandExplode]

Anyone know how I can handle this...
On Monday I Put £90 on my gas card and the meter took £63 for a debt.
I called them and they said that a debt of £113 has been added to my account.
Spoke to two different people and said they don't know why or how it was added and they would call back - no one did.
I called again on Tuesday, woman said she would remove the debt and I can top up no problem
I put a further £3 on just to check and £2.90 was taken.
I called again. They said they would look into it and send me a letter.
Today I out £9 on and it took 80p for the debt and £5.40 for emergency credit (which I hadn't even gone into btw)
Called them again and they said the same thing, "don't know where the debt is from it could be a system error". That management would call me back at 4.30 today and tell me the outcome. They still haven't called.

What shall I do? Every time I put money on to keep me and the kids heated it gets swallowed by this random debt

Also I've been with them for 16 years and have never had this happen before

Raise a formal complaint asap - look on the company website for the correct number / email (latter better so in writing). This may give someone a kick in the pants to get it sorted.

If you are in arrears (not clear from your post if you are actually in arrears or if this is a total mistake?) then they can take repayments in this way but should have done an assessment as to affordability before doing so.

Sorry this has happened. I have no idea why they would do that.

I'm with eon and they randomly added £67 worth of debt to my account a

couple of weeks ago, I had already had the government £67. I phoned them and they didn't know why it had happened so they credited it back. I was just surprised that they can add debt to my account for no reason and not having an explanation as to why.

I hope you get it sorted.

Thank you @VanCleefArpels - no arrears with them as I've always been PAYG. I didn't use emergency this time yet the meter took for that as well. I'm so baffled and frustrated with it

@chercez oh man. Another lady said she would credit it back but as there is £58 remaining I'd have to pay that back and I said why as I don't know why I have a debt in the first place. Again she couldn't give me an answer after holding and speaking for an hour and 29 minutes 🤬

Email your MP and kick up a stink. Tell him you can't afford to keep your children warm and the company aren't helping. Look up SSE's CEO and CMO on the web site and copy them into the email.

Include all the names and the times of the failures to call you back.

Lay it on thick. SSE are completely hopeless and need a really good kick before they manage anything.

@MintJulia blooming heck I didn't know I'd have to go down that route but speaking to others they seem to have had the same runaround with SSE.
Thank you. I've got my laptop open so I'm going to write that right now.
I've only got £4.72 on there now so practically shitting myself about what I'm going to do if they don't call me back tomorrow

Yes , do what @MintJulia said. I would also threaten to go to the media and Ofgen.
They don't like the hassle of being answerable to ombudsman complaints.

You have to exhaust their internal complaints system before you get the ombudsman involved

Thanks for your advise mumsnetters.

I've emailed my local MP and copied in the complaints emails for Both SSE and OVO (who have bought it) and I copied in the ombudsman also BCC'd Ofgem.
Might be a bit excessive but I've never made a complaint before and I'm livid.

Especially as I've realised not once have they sent any letters about a debt being added to my account and any talk of repayments
My mum has lent me a tenner to put on the meter but what if it swallows that too?! 😤

*advice