ASK AN EXPERT
I GOT a final bill in from my energy supplier and, upon inquiry, it seems that another company has taken over the supply of myconsumer electricity and gas. I never requested this and don’t know what to do. I’ve tried phoning both suppliers and it isn’t clear where I stand. Can you help? THIS problem usually occurs when another customer with a similar address or meter/location details arranges a switch of supply or moves into a new property and requests an install.
This is referred to as an “erroneous transfer” and can usually be resolved by contacting your original supplier directly and advising that you neither requested nor authorised a switch over to a new provider.
You could also contact the new supplier to advise of the problem.
You should advise either supplier to cancel this if the transfer is still in progress or reverse it if the transfer has already taken place.
You should ensure that detailed notes are kept of any correspondence, with specific details of the calls made.
After contacting the supplier, they should contact you within five working days to advise of the course of action that they will be taking in respect of the incorrect transfer.
They should also contact you within 20 working days to confirm reversal of the switch.
These timescales are set out by the “erroneous transfer customer charter” and detail the specific course of action suppliers should take in these situations.
If there is no response from the supplier, or the request runs over the timescales set out, then you should follow the process of logging a complaint with the supplier.
Information on how to make a complaint can be found on most energy supplier websites.
This should also detail information on how to proceed to the ombudsman, should the complaint with the supplier reach a stalemate. Hopefully you get this issue resolved soon. MY BABY was born last month and I’m struggling as a single parent. I am already on benefits but finding it hard to buy the necessities such as clothing and other baby items. This is my first baby and I don’t know what to do. Can you help? SOCIAL Security Scotland have introduced Best Start benefits to allow children the best start in life.
This is a series of three payments made for children with parents on qualifying benefits.
The first one you can apply for is the Pregnancy and Baby Payment.
This is a payment of £600 for the first baby, with £300 being paid per child thereafter.
This can help with expenses in pregnancy or having a new child, such as new clothes, a pram or additional heating.
There are also additional Best Start payments available, such as the Early Learning Payment, £250 paid for children aged between two to three-and-a-half.
This can be used for anything from children’s clothes and shoes, to toys, books or days out.
The School Age Payment is a payment of £250 available delivered round about the time a child would normally start school, to help with the costs of a child starting education.
There are strict timelines on applications and care should be taken to ensure you are applying within the correct timeframe, to ensure you are not losing out.
For more information on Social Security Scotland and benefits available, you can visit www.socialsecurity. gov.scot.