How to make a complaint about energy bills issues
Judging by the size of my postbag, energy bills are the single biggest concern for readers at the moment.
So this week, I’m going to fly through all of the main complaints, and explain how to tackle them and how to take things further.
Billing errors
Energy bills are so complicated, it’s hard to know if they are right or not. But here are a few pointers.
The cost of your bill will have increased over the last two years, but if you seem to be using noticeably more units than you used to, despite no major lifestyle changes, you should complain.
You can ask your energy provider to clarify in plain English why things have changed. Ask them things like: why your energy usage is higher; if they are relying on estimated readings; if they are billing you for energy used over a year ago and if you’re on the cheapest tariff.
Back billing
If your energy company sends you a new bill that goes back further than 12 months, they should not be charging you for anything other than the last year. This is known as ‘back billing’ and is explicitly forbidden by regulator Ofgem.
However, if you have an existing debt that you were correctly billed for at the time, the energy firm can pursue it for up to six years.
Meter errors
Smart meter complaints are the second biggest area of complaint after billing disputes.
This could be a technical problem or to do with the meter not transmitting data.
If you complain about this, you will usually be asked to take meter readings every day for around a week to assess the problem. Photograph your meter readings so you can prove there was a problem.
The energy firm needs to identify and correct the problem. This could involve sending out an engineer to assess the meter’s performance. Even then, the readings might not make sense. So make a formal complaint and ask the firm to spell out their investigation and proposals in writing.
Credit balance refunds
This year, I’ve been flooded with complaints about energy firms sitting on massive credit balances. The rules say energy firms should refund you if you ask for the cash within 14 days.
Hold fire on a full refund though. All the energy experts I’ve spoken to suggest keeping at least two months’ worth of credit payments to keep costs down over winter.
Debt threats
Many people who make complaints tell me that they have continued to receive debt collection letters. This is because debt letters are often automated. But this should not be happening.
Tell both the energy provider, solicitor and/ or debt collector that you are making a formal complaint. Insist that they confirm the matter will not be pursued while this is investigated with both the energy firm and the Energy Ombudsman in writing.
Financial difficulties and vulnerable customers
If you don’t have enough money to cover an emergency, when you’ve paid your essential outgoings each month, then you meet the definition of ‘financial difficulties’. That means the energy firm must come up with tailored solutions.
Complaints and the Energy Ombudsman
Energy businesses are obliged to address all complaints in writing unless you agree otherwise. Their ‘final response’ should set out what they’ve done to resolve your complaint and any compensation that they might be offering. This should also tell you about your right to go to the Energy Ombudsman.
The Energy Ombudsman is a totally unbiased, free service at energyombudsman.org/