I got a letter from my energy provider yesterday, informing me that they were putting my cominbed gas/electricity bill up from £60 per month to £93 per month. I checked on my online account and it said I am £139.40 in credit.
Their letter claims that it's OK for them to put up the bill when someone is in credit, because people need to build up credit to cover the winter months when people use more energy. Sorry? Haven't we just come to the end of winter? If I'm in credit at the end of winter and they put the bill up, surely I'll be in even more credit and they'll have to refund me?
I think this is a swizz. They're taking more money than I can afford to pay, when I don't owe it, and they're getting the benefit of a free loan from me.
I wanted to talk to someone about it, but their call centre is available only from 08:45 to 16:45 Monday to Friday, when I am at work. Most people aren't free to phone from work, so they are effectively cutting off communication to those of us who work full time.
I have, of course, sent them a suitably snotty e-mail.
I know that gas prices have risen, but surely they can't justify a 50% increase in the bill? Or have I missed something?
4 comments:
I do admit I think its shocking. Mum and Dad had the same they used Uswitch to move to another supplier for the best deal as Rab used to work for Scottish and Southern Energy he still knows how the system works and knows that if you shop around you will always find a better deal.
It's something that an MP needs to raise. With the advent of direct debit, more and more people are being put in the same situation and nobody knows the contribution to profits that comes from the interest being earned on several million pounds of customer money held in abeyance.
Well if they refuse to drop the bill, I shall cancel my direct debit and pay it by standing order. Stuff 'em.
This is quite common Womble and worth having a good fight over.
The thing is when you do overpay them do you think they are going to give you interest on your money lying in their bank account? Of course not.
In my view this is just a sneaky way to put the prices up even more.
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