Post by Patrick on Mar 25, 2009 13:22:59 GMT
Energy suppliers are effectively using customers' money as "interest-free loans" by taking unnecessarily high direct debit payments each month, according to Which?.
Four in five people surveyed by the consumer group said they paid their energy bills by monthly direct debit, and one quarter of those in credit were owed more than £100. A further 8% had overpaid by more than £200. This was particularly surprising as the research was carried out in winter when energy use is typically higher.
Now I've been against Direct Debits for many years - after back in the early 90's when I took one up with British Gas and it took me ages + numerous phone calls to get the huge excess built up with them - off them!
This year - because of the crippling cost of 'lecky and gas we've gone back onto direct debit - to help with cashflow, unfortunately because of the colder weather this Winter - our average expenditure had shot up compared with what we worked out just a few months before.
"The survey found energy suppliers were one of the lowest performing of all industries when it came to customer satisfaction, and customers were getting increasingly less satisfied. Npower was the worst performing energy provider with a satisfaction score of just 30%. Utility Warehouse achieved the highest customer satisfaction score of 83%"
So far we've found E-on (our supplier) to have pretty good customer service - in recent years if you read their corporate pages they have scrapped targets at their call centres and encouraged the CSA's to take more time with their customers, and it shows. However when it comes to direct debit plans - I'll be keeping a close eye on what they've got of mine by the end of the year - and make sure it's adjusted accordingly.
Whatever happened to "Standing Orders"?
Four in five people surveyed by the consumer group said they paid their energy bills by monthly direct debit, and one quarter of those in credit were owed more than £100. A further 8% had overpaid by more than £200. This was particularly surprising as the research was carried out in winter when energy use is typically higher.
Now I've been against Direct Debits for many years - after back in the early 90's when I took one up with British Gas and it took me ages + numerous phone calls to get the huge excess built up with them - off them!
This year - because of the crippling cost of 'lecky and gas we've gone back onto direct debit - to help with cashflow, unfortunately because of the colder weather this Winter - our average expenditure had shot up compared with what we worked out just a few months before.
"The survey found energy suppliers were one of the lowest performing of all industries when it came to customer satisfaction, and customers were getting increasingly less satisfied. Npower was the worst performing energy provider with a satisfaction score of just 30%. Utility Warehouse achieved the highest customer satisfaction score of 83%"
So far we've found E-on (our supplier) to have pretty good customer service - in recent years if you read their corporate pages they have scrapped targets at their call centres and encouraged the CSA's to take more time with their customers, and it shows. However when it comes to direct debit plans - I'll be keeping a close eye on what they've got of mine by the end of the year - and make sure it's adjusted accordingly.
Whatever happened to "Standing Orders"?
