Gripe of the day - What is yours?

[Luckypants]

Agreed you should set it yourself. Like you John I was 500 in credit so just refunded 350 of that. I was paying 50 a month. So i went to change the amount and they recommended I pay 148! I've set it for 40.

[admin]

Re: octopus, I've been with them a few years now and this is a regular occurrence. Last year I got into a row with customer services over this very thing. I've altered my DD many times in past based on my own assessment. I don't need their algorithm trying to inflate their coffers.

[DarrenSV650S]

They should be required to show how they come up with the projected amount. Rather than just pluck a number out their ar5e and assume you will go along with it.

[Ruffy]

Originally Posted by admin

Re: octopus, I've been with them a few years now and this is a regular occurrence. Last year I got into a row with customer services over this very thing. I've altered my DD many times in past based on my own assessment. I don't need their algorithm trying to inflate their coffers.

I'm the same. The disappointing thing is that Octopus seem to be generally pretty good but this aspect is such a bad implementation that it results in me having a quite dim and cynical view of them in the end. It definitely corrodes the brand impression they're trying to create.

Whilst I've always been able to reset my DD amount, my view is that I shouldn't have to waste my time doing it simply because they've made an unnecesary [IMHO] adjustment without consultation. I think this year was the 3rd time it's happened to me. Each time previously I've objected to them. And that correspondence proves they have clearly ignored my previous clear instruction never to change my DD amount unless I go into debit.

Their responses to me on this matter always strike me as arrogant and somwhat dismissive, evading responsibility. (Paraphrasing: 'It's not our fault, the Regulator says we have to review to protect consumers', 'we want to make sure our customers don't get into problems'.) Yep, treating us like idiots, it seems.

Anyhow, on a loose basis of '3 strikes and you're out', if they try it again I think I'll probably go straight to formal complaints procedure and deliberately not be satisfied until I've referred them to Energy Ombudsman and Ofgem etc. Not because I'll really be bothered that much but because I think it'll possibly be good sport to see their reactions when really pressed! And I'll be OK having to move my business to someone else if required. (I'm also saving a disclosure I've not used before, that perhaps I do in fact have a bit of relevant knowledge due to my many years' professional experience in the Electricity Supply Industry!)

And now I've declared my hand on a public forum I wonder if I've just given away any advantage I might have had ...

[admin]

Originally Posted by DarrenSV650S

They should be required to show how they come up with the projected amount. Rather than just pluck a number out their ar5e and assume you will go along with it.

If you login to your account they'll show you a fancy graph showing your usage and projecting that into the future but in my experience it's based on a flawed algorithm and certainly doesn't take into account the temperature over the next six months.

[admin]

Originally Posted by Ruffy

I'm the same. The disappointing thing is that Octopus seem to be generally pretty good but this aspect is such a bad implementation that it results in me having a quite dim and cynical view of them in the end. It definitely corrodes the brand impression they're trying to create.

Whilst I've always been able to reset my DD amount, my view is that I shouldn't have to waste my time doing it simply because they've made an unnecesary [IMHO] adjustment without consultation. I think this year was the 3rd time it's happened to me. Each time previously I've objected to them. And that correspondence proves they have clearly ignored my previous clear instruction never to change my DD amount unless I go into debit.

Their responses to me on this matter always strike me as arrogant and somwhat dismissive, evading responsibility. (Paraphrasing: 'It's not our fault, the Regulator says we have to review to protect consumers', 'we want to make sure our customers don't get into problems'.) Yep, treating us like idiots, it seems.

Anyhow, on a loose basis of '3 strikes and you're out', if they try it again I think I'll probably go straight to formal complaints procedure and deliberately not be satisfied until I've referred them to Energy Ombudsman and Ofgem etc. Not because I'll really be bothered that much but because I think it'll possibly be good sport to see their reactions when really pressed! And I'll be OK having to move my business to someone else if required. (I'm also saving a disclosure I've not used before, that perhaps I do in fact have a bit of relevant knowledge due to my many years' professional experience in the Electricity Supply Industry!)

And now I've declared my hand on a public forum I wonder if I've just given away any advantage I might have had ...

Not just me then. I'm happy to receive a recommendation and leave it to me to alter my DD, then that would be fine. It's the assumption that they can just take another £40 a month without knowing whether I can afford it or not.

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by admin

It's the assumption that they can just take another £40 a month without knowing whether I can afford it or not.

One thing you should never do in correspondence with an energy company is suggest your payments might be too expensive for you. They may just turn up at your door with some legal work insisting they have a right to install a prepay meter owing to their revised evaluation of your credit risk...

[Ruffy]

Originally Posted by admin

Not just me then. I'm happy to receive a recommendation and leave it to me to alter my DD, then that would be fine. It's the assumption that they can just take another £40 a month without knowing whether I can afford it or not.

Definitely not just you. I've seen other similar reports on some social media, so seems to be a more widespread phenomenon. Like you, I have no issue with them pointing out a concern and suggesting a change, but I think leaping to unilaterally making the change is an unreasonable step too far.

Oh for the days of Standing Orders that dealt with regular payments but couldn't be easily messed with at the whim of suppliers!

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

One thing you should never do in correspondence with an energy company is suggest your payments might be too expensive for you. They may just turn up at your door with some legal work insisting they have a right to install a prepay meter owing to their revised evaluation of your credit risk...

Wise advice there. Even thought I'd never go so far as to declare an affordability worry, I'd not thought about it like that.

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

One thing you should never do in correspondence with an energy company is suggest your payments might be too expensive for you. They may just turn up at your door with some legal work insisting they have a right to install a prepay meter owing to their revised evaluation of your credit risk...

Hmmm yes, looking at it from their end that would be a sound move. Good advice!

[admin]

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

One thing you should never do in correspondence with an energy company is suggest your payments might be too expensive for you. They may just turn up at your door with some legal work insisting they have a right to install a prepay meter owing to their revised evaluation of your credit risk...

Good point but they might have trouble making that arguement if you're £400 in credit.