Do all utility companies take the p!ss?
14 May 2009, 03:31 PM
#1
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Do all utility companies take the p!ss?
I made the mistake of moving energy suppliers from EDF to Scottish Power last year and have since got into a dispute with the robbing barstewards who are trying to nearly quadruple the amount they take out per month under direct debit. I've told them I don't authorise them to do that and under the direct debit guarantee they can only take what I agree to. Anyway they say they are still going to do it so I will either have to cancel the dd or call the bank when they do it (who i've already notified) and tell them to take the money back again which they will do under the terms of the dd guarantee.
This is on top of a dispute I now have with EDF who after leaving 6 months ago and confirmed account was all settled and closed numerous times on the phone have now sent me a bill for £88 saying they got it wrong when they closed the account and are billing me for the difference. I've told them to take a running jump too
Anyone else have issues like this or worse with their energy supplier and who do you use?
I've already got advice from Consumer Direct and The Energy Ombudsman so gladly following that advice and will happily go to court with these idiotic energy suppliers to dispute their demands.
Is there a utility company that doesn't try it on or take the p!ss out of its customers? Anyone else gone to court to take a utility company on?
This is on top of a dispute I now have with EDF who after leaving 6 months ago and confirmed account was all settled and closed numerous times on the phone have now sent me a bill for £88 saying they got it wrong when they closed the account and are billing me for the difference. I've told them to take a running jump too
Anyone else have issues like this or worse with their energy supplier and who do you use?
I've already got advice from Consumer Direct and The Energy Ombudsman so gladly following that advice and will happily go to court with these idiotic energy suppliers to dispute their demands.
Is there a utility company that doesn't try it on or take the p!ss out of its customers? Anyone else gone to court to take a utility company on?
14 May 2009, 04:23 PM
#3
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Well after demanding to speak to a manager and them actually for once phoning back i've had a pleasant and successful conversation compared to the stupid bint I spoke to earlier. He is rebilling me from the start of my account on a better package and then calling me again to agree an amount over direct debit that we can both agree to.
Why is it if a bloke speaks to a bloke you can pretty much thrash out a solution both are happy with but if a bloke tries to sort out a problem with a woman you've got no ******* chance?
Why is it if a bloke speaks to a bloke you can pretty much thrash out a solution both are happy with but if a bloke tries to sort out a problem with a woman you've got no ******* chance?
14 May 2009, 04:25 PM
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They're all the same, my company has had a dispute with EDF for the past 4 years now & they still owe me £4k for overcharges and that's after *halving* our bills. I think that all energy companies just guess a figure and put it on your bill & hope to get away with it.
14 May 2009, 04:25 PM
#5
I left Scottish Power when they tried to increase my DD to ridiculous levels, joined BG who asked me what I wanted to pay on DD and gave them figures based on three years usage and their prices. So far so good, I owed them nearly two months worth of payment on the gas when I got my first bill (winter usage of course) and they have not tried to increase my DD. In fact they've told me that they will be reducing my electricity one because of their price drop.
I'm not counting my chickens though!
I'm not counting my chickens though!
14 May 2009, 04:26 PM
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I made the mistake of moving energy suppliers from EDF to Scottish Power last year and have since got into a dispute with the robbing barstewards who are trying to nearly quadruple the amount they take out per month under direct debit. I've told them I don't authorise them to do that and under the direct debit guarantee they can only take what I agree to. Anyway they say they are still going to do it so I will either have to cancel the dd or call the bank when they do it (who i've already notified) and tell them to take the money back again which they will do under the terms of the dd guarantee.
This is on top of a dispute I now have with EDF who after leaving 6 months ago and confirmed account was all settled and closed numerous times on the phone have now sent me a bill for £88 saying they got it wrong when they closed the account and are billing me for the difference. I've told them to take a running jump too
Anyone else have issues like this or worse with their energy supplier and who do you use?
I've already got advice from Consumer Direct and The Energy Ombudsman so gladly following that advice and will happily go to court with these idiotic energy suppliers to dispute their demands.
Is there a utility company that doesn't try it on or take the p!ss out of its customers? Anyone else gone to court to take a utility company on?
This is on top of a dispute I now have with EDF who after leaving 6 months ago and confirmed account was all settled and closed numerous times on the phone have now sent me a bill for £88 saying they got it wrong when they closed the account and are billing me for the difference. I've told them to take a running jump too
Anyone else have issues like this or worse with their energy supplier and who do you use?
I've already got advice from Consumer Direct and The Energy Ombudsman so gladly following that advice and will happily go to court with these idiotic energy suppliers to dispute their demands.
Is there a utility company that doesn't try it on or take the p!ss out of its customers? Anyone else gone to court to take a utility company on?
Hope you get it sorted, even if you are a Gooner on smack
(oh no, thatd Dave isn't it )
14 May 2009, 04:30 PM
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British Gas did the same to me. Raised my monthly Direct Debits without notifying me. Jumped from £25 per month to £45. Even though I was in Credit.
Phoned up and went ******* balistic with them. Didn't achieve anything though. Stil kept both Gas & Electric at £45 each.
Has since gone down to £32 & £38.
British company sold to Foreign company. Foreign company raises prices and rips off the British.
Phoned up and went ******* balistic with them. Didn't achieve anything though. Stil kept both Gas & Electric at £45 each.
Has since gone down to £32 & £38.
British company sold to Foreign company. Foreign company raises prices and rips off the British.
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14 May 2009, 04:33 PM
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well be happy it was only £45 - Scottish Power were attempting to put my DD to £240 a month
Choc the cheeky bint suggested they come round a rip out my meters and put in pre pay meters I told her I dont want my 2 year old property altered by them and she said they weren't altering it just changing the meters 
: - told her to go poke that idea lol
Choc the cheeky bint suggested they come round a rip out my meters and put in pre pay meters
I told her I dont want my 2 year old property altered by them and she said they weren't altering it just changing the meters : - told her to go poke that idea lol
Last edited by Bravo2zero_sps; 14 May 2009 at 04:40 PM.
14 May 2009, 04:41 PM
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Two Hundred and fcking what?????? Do you have the heating/cooker/lights/hobs/washing machine (whatever one of them is?) etc etc on all day?
**** me man. People pay less on a Mortgage.
14 May 2009, 04:48 PM
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In winter me and the Mrs will use about £15 of electric and £20 of gas a week. But the heating system in here is crap, not a combi and the house don't get very warm for what it costs us.
14 May 2009, 04:53 PM
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14 May 2009, 05:05 PM
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I've never had to deal with such a useless company as npower. We signed up with them before Christmas and following 3 separate errors on their part we mutually agreed to cancel.
Apart from they first tried to cancel only half the dual fuel contract. Several phone calls later, talking to seemingly knowledgable people, its apparently ALL cancelled.
Until we receive a bill for £4 something about a month later,despite the DD being cancelled and the bank confirming this and npower saying we owed nothing.
Nearly six months on we're still getting the odd letter saying they're investigating our case. We've given up.
Good luck and give 'em hell.
Apart from they first tried to cancel only half the dual fuel contract. Several phone calls later, talking to seemingly knowledgable people, its apparently ALL cancelled.
Until we receive a bill for £4 something about a month later,despite the DD being cancelled and the bank confirming this and npower saying we owed nothing.
Nearly six months on we're still getting the odd letter saying they're investigating our case. We've given up.
Good luck and give 'em hell.
14 May 2009, 05:20 PM
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It should be possible to get onto a variable Direct Debit plan, where they debit you for what you used, rather than running up big a credit of your money in their coffers. 'Course, they'd prefer the fixed DD option, so they tend not to make it obvious that variable is an option.
14 May 2009, 05:21 PM
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14 May 2009, 05:55 PM
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Told EDF to go take a running jump when we got letters saying gas and electric DD's were going up £25 a month each. Turns out they had already done it (payments came out 8 days before I received the letters) which is illegal under DD rules.
I went mental with them, especially as we were already £95 in credit and this was during winter.
So I cancelled both DD's via my internet banking there and then. I also wrote to them explaining I had done so as they were in breach of the DD agreement. I now get both gas and electric as quarterly bills I pay by cheque. Now way I'm going to have them continue to make interest on my money sat in their accounts.
But EDF are not the only ones it seems, they are all at it.
I went mental with them, especially as we were already £95 in credit and this was during winter.
So I cancelled both DD's via my internet banking there and then. I also wrote to them explaining I had done so as they were in breach of the DD agreement. I now get both gas and electric as quarterly bills I pay by cheque. Now way I'm going to have them continue to make interest on my money sat in their accounts.
But EDF are not the only ones it seems, they are all at it.
14 May 2009, 07:00 PM
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They're all the same unfortunately. I'm with EDF (I think 
), they were charging me circa £100 for G&L. It suddenly went up to £165 for n reason as I was in credit - a phone call later and it was back down to £105 - a bit more than before, but as winter was approaching.....
My favourite is BT. I've had a longstanding argument with them. I use to be the UK Sales Manager for a Swiss company and hence my home phone bill was high - £400ish per quarter. After I left the company I contacted BT and told them to reduce my DD. Instead, they 'wrote' to me - but I never received the letter, informing me that the DD was increasing from £90 to £167, even though my usage was near zero (the line is only used for Orange internet access and the odd fax). When I found this out after a couple of months I requested a refund. It took about 3 months to get the money back. Now the DD is set to take £25 a month and so far it's working.
), they were charging me circa £100 for G&L. It suddenly went up to £165 for n reason as I was in credit - a phone call later and it was back down to £105 - a bit more than before, but as winter was approaching.....My favourite is BT. I've had a longstanding argument with them. I use to be the UK Sales Manager for a Swiss company and hence my home phone bill was high - £400ish per quarter. After I left the company I contacted BT and told them to reduce my DD. Instead, they 'wrote' to me - but I never received the letter, informing me that the DD was increasing from £90 to £167, even though my usage was near zero (the line is only used for Orange internet access and the odd fax). When I found this out after a couple of months I requested a refund. It took about 3 months to get the money back. Now the DD is set to take £25 a month and so far it's working.
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