ENERGY customer delivered into safe hands after dire billing muddle
GETTY - STOCK It is not always easy to calculate energy costs
The confusion surrounding Dorothy Swaine’s contract with British Gas was also compounded by a mix-up over her address. “I keep getting calls from customer services and tell them I will pay what I owe if they send me a bill. But that never comes and then there is another call,” she told Crusader. The 89-year-old, who lives alone in Yorkshire, had been a duel fuel customer of the supplier for many years and had never had a problem with her electricity account that she was still paying regularly.
But she had moved home in the past year though, and it was now too difficult for her to read her gas meter, nor could she recall the last time anyone else had checked it. When she had called to query her gas account a few months ago, she learned she had over £100 surplus. Shortly after that she cancelled her payments, unaware that power companies now must return surpluses, known as ‘credit refunds’.
Save over £300 on your energy bills Thu, January 19, 2017 Simple tips that can help you save over £300 on your energy bills from British Gas Smart Energy Expert, Sarah Scrivener. Play slideshow Getty 1 of 7 Top tips to help you save money on your energy bills
A weight has been lifted, thank you so much Dorothy Swaine
We knew too there was a lot more help out there designed for consumers such as Dorothy not up to all the demands of modern systems and that she needed to be linked up with it, instead of going round in circles with customer services, something that could lead to a debt collection notice.
GETTY Dorothy Swaine's contract with British Gas got mixed up
Dorothy had not changed tariff for a while, so it was likely that she was on the more expensive standard ones as well, a situation consumer organisations and the Government are actively trying to change by making people more aware of cheaper options. Big anonymous systems are not the best geared for tangled webs like this though, and we realised anyone looking at her gas account it might wrongly conclude she was trying to dodge paying which was actually a million miles from the truth. So together we drew up a list for British Gas about what she needed: a clear bill, the reinstatement of her direct debit, the best tariff possible given that Dorothy did not want the upheaval of switching providers, and going forward awareness that she would need help supplying her energy readings.
GETTY - STOCK The 89-year-old customer had never had a problem with her electricity account before
This week Dorothy was delighted to be back to normal. Our contact at British Gas understood her plight and established that the bills Dorothy had asked for after she had cancelled had gone to an old address. Now her details have been updated, her direct debit is working again, she has agreed the amount to settle her gas account, and is being transferred to British Gas’s Home Energy Secure Tariff with prices fixed for two years. “A weight has been lifted, thank you so much,” she told Crusader.
GETTY Now her details have been updated and her direct debit is working again
How to make yourself a priority: If you are vulnerable energy customer, there’s lots of help at hand The situation isn’t perfect but much more support exists now for vulnerable customers to ensure they get a smooth supply and at the best price possible. So start thinking smart meters (and forget estimates), whether you are eligible for a warm home discount, getting on the priority services register, and remember if you build up a £5 plus credit you can get it back immediately and will automatically after a year, so don’t go cancelling direct debits if you are still under contract. Dorothy, featured in Crusader’s August 14 story, could have joined the quarterly meter reading register, but has chosen to take the offer of a free upgrade and get smart meters. This means her usage will soon be automatically recorded, she can monitor it and get accurate bills.