Another beef about energy companies!
by hazel from LinuxQuestions.org on (#5M9BA)
Earlier this year my energy supplier, GNE, went bankrupt. I suppose I should have expected it. They were one of those new companies who charge very low rates in order to secure a high position on the price comparison websites. Their customers were switched to EDF, one of the "big six".
Today I got my first EDF bill. It was for 4 months rather than the quarter (probably because it was a starter bill) and used my own meter readings. I have no quarrel with the usage figures or the calculated cost (about 124). I do have a serious quarrel with the monthly amount they propose to charge me from now on (89). The rate they originally chose after I transferred to them was 52 per month. I have never paid anything like 89 per month for energy and have no intention of doing so now.
I talked for some time to a clerk who agreed that the demand did look very strange but didn't seem to know what to do about it, other than putting me on a different tariff. I pointed out to her that the tariff was not the problem; the figure for the actual cost of the energy was quite reasonable. What is disproportionate is the suggested monthly payment to cover the amount. What they are proposing in effect is that they become my bank and hoard up for their own profit money which is actually not due to them, without paying me interest on it or providing any banking services.
It's no good losing your temper with these poor women so I told her that I would freeze the monthly payment at the current rate of 52 while her bosses sorted the matter out. But when I went round to my bank, I was told that you can't do that with a direct debit. You can cancel it but you can't freeze the amount. As long as the order is active, the bank is obliged to pay out whatever the payee asks. Isn't that ridiculous?
I don't want to cancel the order at this stage because then they can get you for non-payment. So I will give them one more month. If I hear nothing more from them and they draw 89 pounds in August, they have lost me for good. I will switch to Octopus, a company with a very good reputation for reasonable rates and good service.
Today I got my first EDF bill. It was for 4 months rather than the quarter (probably because it was a starter bill) and used my own meter readings. I have no quarrel with the usage figures or the calculated cost (about 124). I do have a serious quarrel with the monthly amount they propose to charge me from now on (89). The rate they originally chose after I transferred to them was 52 per month. I have never paid anything like 89 per month for energy and have no intention of doing so now.
I talked for some time to a clerk who agreed that the demand did look very strange but didn't seem to know what to do about it, other than putting me on a different tariff. I pointed out to her that the tariff was not the problem; the figure for the actual cost of the energy was quite reasonable. What is disproportionate is the suggested monthly payment to cover the amount. What they are proposing in effect is that they become my bank and hoard up for their own profit money which is actually not due to them, without paying me interest on it or providing any banking services.
It's no good losing your temper with these poor women so I told her that I would freeze the monthly payment at the current rate of 52 while her bosses sorted the matter out. But when I went round to my bank, I was told that you can't do that with a direct debit. You can cancel it but you can't freeze the amount. As long as the order is active, the bank is obliged to pay out whatever the payee asks. Isn't that ridiculous?
I don't want to cancel the order at this stage because then they can get you for non-payment. So I will give them one more month. If I hear nothing more from them and they draw 89 pounds in August, they have lost me for good. I will switch to Octopus, a company with a very good reputation for reasonable rates and good service.