AIBU about the electric or is my DM?

[fairynick]

Hi all.
Currently living with DM and we get on really well, I pay my way and she enjoys the company etc so no problems at all.
DM has pay as you go meters for her gas and electric where you top up at the shops. I work for an energy company and have offered to switch her multiple times where she would get a lower tariff, more emergency credit, a smart meter where she can top up on her phone with an app, and no cut offs on evening weekend or bank holidays if she ran out of emergency. She has declined as even though it’s better and more convenient in every she’s one of those who don’t like change and loyal to British Gas for no reason. Fair enough, her house.
Anyway, the other day she was off out and before she left said there’s £1.24 left on the electric anyway but if you want to top up there’s a tenner on the side so I like alright have a good night. Anyway I forgot all about this, it’s not like she asked me to go she just kind of gave me the option, or at least that’s how I took it from the words she’s used.
Anyway it’s bank holiday Monday and the house alarm woke us all up, the electrics been cut off and my mum was screaming about the house getting dress to run to the shops to top up.
She thinks it’s my fault but I don’t think it is. Surely she saw the tenner on the side and knew I hadn’t topped up? Also if she had accepted my help then she wouldn’t have even been cut off today and if the electric had cut out she could’ve just topped up on her phone and it would’ve been less hassle. Obviously her house and her way goes but she didn’t properly ask me to top up and in the past I have offered her options that would’ve prevented this. So WIBU or is she??? Sorry how longwinded this is hahahahhaa

YANBU for all the reasons mentioned

When you say the other day do you mean yesterday, or some time last week? How long does £1.24 last?

If it was yesterday, YABU, you should have topped it up.

If it was some time last week YANBU.

She IBU to not switch her electrice

Well that’s a good point actually I’m surprised the £1.24 hasn’t lasted because I’m sure we only have a fiver emergency. It was Saturday night when she asked but I suppose we haven’t been in much at all since.

Has lasted not hasn’t

So the two adults living in the house knew there was only £1.24 worth of electricity left and neither of you bothered topping it up?

Did you think the power fairy would do it?

Regardless of the arguing about the other tarrif, if you don't top it up then eventually you won't have power.

I've had friends who have moved from the mobile top-up companies back to the regular companies after tons of customer service issues and app issues, maybe your DM has heard similar stories and is wary. It's her choice.

I am completely confused.

Ofgem (energy ombudsman) sets tariffs for pay as you go. To stop the over charging of people with payge. Ibwould be interested to hear how you can save her money?

British gas also has smart meters, that you can top up on the app on the phone.

Yabu, in the fact that if she changed companies this would not have happened.

Some meters you actually have to switch the emergency credit on. So it could be that you need to to do that. Rather than burned through £1.24 and £5 emergency.

Yabvu I don't want a type 1 smart meter either as they only work properly for 1 company and they go dumb if you change supplier (never go smart again even if you go back to 1st supplier) and can be hacked very easily.
They still haven't rolled out the type 2 metres as they're still using up the type 1s already bought.
Add to this the fact that you want her to move to your company rather than the 1 shes happy with when if it was really only about convenience then you could have got her current supplier to put a smart meter in.
Do you get a commission if she joins your company?

Why else would DM leave a tenner on a counter or table and mention electric down to last £ on her way out? YABU. You know she thought you would go to shop and use her tenner to put on electric. If DM thought she was topping up electric, she would not leave you a tenner- she’d have it in her pocket.
I agree with other posters. I don’t want a smart meter or app on my phone automatically taking money from me.

Does it really matter who's fault it is? Though it's a pretty poor show if two grown adults, presumably with no money worries, can't manage to keep the electricity on between them.

Also if she had accepted my help then she wouldn’t have even been cut off today and if the electric had cut out she could’ve just topped up on her phone and it would’ve been less hassle.

I might be way off here and forgive me if I am but to me it seems you didn't top the meter up in order to prove a point. The point being that if your mother had listened to you then she wouldn't have ran out of electric. By leaving the money and telling you how little credit there was I can't think of any other reason why you didn't

ffs, this is really a daft situation, do people really carry on like this ? JUST DEAL WITH IT !

I might be way off here and forgive me if I am but to me it seems you didn't top the meter up in order to prove a point. The point being that if your mother had listened to you then she wouldn't have ran out of electric.*

I agree.

Except I have British gas smart meters and top up via an app.

So the ops point isnt even valid. With BG I can top up at the shop or on my phone.

Hi all, after calming down after this morning I think it’s fair to say we were both a bit pathetic.
Also the post about ofgem setting prices, there’s a price cap so companies can’t charge over a certain amount but payg customers can definitely have varied tariffs between companies, so if you’re payg definitely worth a go! Not usually a big saving but definitely a lower tariff, in fact I saved a customer £60 a year just recently.
Also it would be a secure meter where you can switch companies.
I haven’t tried to force my DM onto my company, I wouldn’t get any commission I just think it would help her out. But like I said in my original post, it’s her house so her choice.
You’re right that British Gas could get her a smart meter with an app though, but again it’s just something she can’t be bothered with. I was just stating how I could switch her to the lower tariff, have extra emergency and book her in for the meter.
As a family we’ve come to an agreement. My younger sister who’s still at home and only works part time doesn’t pay any board but helps out my doing the odd shop or something. From now she’s offered to pay the gas and electric so she’s contributing in that way and she’ll just top up when she gets paid monthly... so next time it cuts out it won’t be my fault

A customers Bill's may have come down just recently because ofgem brought the price down. Some payge customers will do well out of it. Some wont.

Given that, as a payge, customer gets a yearly statement and that s the only way to accurate compare savings. Their yearly statement will have been on the previous higher rate that ofgem set.

The other thing is that you forgetting is that energy providers and meter companies advise you not to go into the emergency at all. The meter contains a valve that is used to switch to emergency. The more you go into the emergency, the more times the valve is used, the quicker it wear out

Then you need a meter engineer out. British Gas has more meter engineers than anyone else and usually get out quicker than any other small provider. Again why so many people say with them.

As you can guess, I work in the industry to and have done for many years. Though my latest role was meter engineers.

I get you want your mum to changes but your pro list is actually a little bit misleading.

Good resolution to the topping up problem though.

I think you’ve misunderstood what I’ve said. Ofgem don’t specifically set people’s tariffs, the companies do. And ofgem regulate those tariffs.
My job involves switching people over to my company and I see the savings every day from company to company. An annual statement is one way to do this, another way is to just directly compare the unit rates and standing charges. These definitely do vary company to company, they are not the same for every company. So I think you’re confused there.
I personally think a change would suit my mums lifestyle a lot better, but so many people are loyal to big six companies like British Gas and I respect that. As I said it’s her home at the end of the day.

I see your point. But often set pay as you go energy tariffs at quite a low rate so energy companies make very little. There fore company to company there is very little difference across the year.

Yes standing charges do vary. But inevitably those costs come in somewhere else.

Your op mentions the app, smarter meters etc. All which she would have, if she wanted it, with BG. I am confused how your supplier would suit her life style better. But thata by the by.

Again, not convinced the saving of £60 per year would be so significant without the price drop, that's across the board.

Interesting and has piqued my interest to look at what I am paying.

As I said, I am glad you resolved it.

I don't want a bloody smart meter as well, heard so many negative reports about them.