I overthink everything to make the world a happier place
Like an angry Ex, my UK energy supplier won't let me switch.
What if I tell them how that makes me feel?
NEIL SCRATCHES OUT A LETTER ON HIS PAD IN BIRO, NEXT TO PILES OF DEMANDS FROM HIS ENERGY COMPANY.
NEIL
I cannot tell you in words how sad every single interaction with XYZEnergy makes me feel.
The thought of fielding phonecalls from it fills me with less joy, so forgive me for writing this down. I’ll exlpain why.
You and I should be frolicking on the beach, or playing in the park, or hugging our loved ones, or doing something - anything - that makes us better people...
...rather than making yet more profit for XYZEnergy shareholders.
And, I’ve said this on the phone, but want it in writing that if XYZEnergy treats its customers like this, I cannot begin to imagine how it might treat its staff, so I apologise for the crushingly dull and pointless business on which we will now spend our precious, limited lives.
Why has XYZEnergy chosen to withdraw my tariff of Blue+Fixed Price July 2018 - XYZEnergy’s cheapest tariff (and the tariff on which my dual fuel Gas bill was closed on)?
Was the final electricity bill set at a Standard Variable Tariff because it is a cheaper tariff than the one I was on, as an act of kindness?
If so, that’s great, and thank you.
However, I fear that the Standard Variable is XYZEnergy’s most expensive tariff.
Has XYZEnergy switched me to the most expensive tariff because I have had to start a complaint merely to get my electricity account closed down?
It seems XYZEnergy wants me to sign and comply with a pages-long fine print contract.
But at more than one stage it does not want that agreement to apply to XYZEnergy.
Which is why I have had to use my finite life contacting XYZEnergy to inform it
that:
- No action was taken to close my electricty account between 17th August & 18th October.
- XYZEnergy sat on my credit balance until I made a complaint.
- XYZEnergy continued to take money from my bank account 3 times after the date of supplier switch.
I then had to call the new supplier - who confirmed that both meter readings left them in their data stream safely on the 18th August - and because of my call they offered to call XYZEnergy and the third party readings company to manually have XYZEnergy accept my meter reading.
I was then told - when I discovered that XYZEnergy were still debiting my bank account throughout this - even though I'd left XYZEnergy months ago - that XYZEnergy are unable to be sure that further debits will not be taken, because the electricity account was still “active”
(Even though I had left XYZEnergy months ago).
And that I would have to call my bank myself to make sure that XYZEnergy would not take any more money from my bank account.
Now XYZEnergy has chosen to withdraw my cheaper tariff for the Final Electricity Bill.
(Is that true? I do hope it is not and that XYZEnergy has chosen to do something nice).
So what do I do now?
I do not work for XYZEnergy, but I have had to do the work above - which 30 quid goodwill is starting to make me feel somewhat shabby.
XYZEnergy’s seems to be making £53,653 per hour in operating profit, and I’m figuring that the poor complaints team might not be seeing much of that.
Yet XYZEnergy seems to have done nothing to close my electricity account for 2 months, sat on my credit balance until I complained and continued to debit my bank account.
Maybe this is why XYZEnergy is making £53,653 per hour.
And now I am down on XYZEnergy’s level.
What’s that about?
It seems money, and one-sided contracts seems to be the only thing driving XYZEnergy’s unpleasant enterprise.
I have invested - pointing out these basics, and correspondence and phonecalls - I judge about two hours of my life doing work for XYZ, on something that by its own advertising should take zero hours.
Have I got any of this wrong?
Either way, XYZEnergy chooses for there to be a detailed contract between us in this relationship - and so I would prefer to keep our correspondence written to make sure I am not confusing what I am being expected to do at each step.
I would also appreciate an answer from the billion pound utility to my question:
What specific actions, if any, did XYZEnergy take between 17th August and 17th October to close my electricity account?
What specific actions and on what dates did XYZEnergy make to contact the new supplier for a meter reading, and why did it act upon my gas meter reading but not my electricity meter reading?
Right now, fate has delivered you the gift to lift us both up from this.
We need you, thank you.
SHOTS OF ANONYMOUS GENERIC CORPORATE BUILDINGS, PYLONS, GENERATORS, CITY OF LONDON SKYLINE, COOLING TOWERS ETC.
XYZ ENERGY
Thank you for your emails of 9 and 10 November 2017 regarding your complaint. I appreciate you taking the time to highlight the error in the electricity bill you received.
Your prices on the Blue+Fixed Price July 2017 tariff should have been held for electricity, as they were for gas. The difference per unit was 4.45 pence; we billed you for 170 units of electricity on the higher Standard (Variable) prices which totalled £7.57. Allowing for VAT at 5% the total you were overcharged was £7.95. I have applied a credit to the account for this amount today.
I have also spoken to our Business Support team to try and gain some answers for you on what held up the closure of your account.
On 29 July 2017 received the instruction from your new supplier that they would take your supply effective from 17 August 2017. On 20 September 2017 your account was reviewed by our billing team as the account was still showing as live when the supply had been lost. They raised a request to our Business Support team to investigate and fix the issues preventing your account closing in the normal manner; regrettably they were unable to take any action on this until 17 October 2017. At this point they resolved the issues and your account was closed to the readings provided. We normally receive electronic information flows from suppliers during the transfer process to indicate transfer requests, readings and meter details; because of the issues encountered I was unable to see these which lead me to understand that we had not received the information from your new supplier.
In your email you advised that you feel the £30.00 goodwill applied to your account is insufficient in view of the time you have taken to try and resolve this matter. As a company we do not compensate for time because everybody values this differently and we must be seen to treat everyone fairly and equally. I am happy to increase the goodwill offer by a further £50.00 in full and final resolution of your complaint.
NEIL STARES OUT OF THE WINDOW AS THE LETTER CONTINUES.
XYZ ENERGY
Please let me know if this is acceptable and I will credit the account with the £50.00 and send this payment to you.
SHOTS MOVE INTO CLOSE UPS OF ANONYMOUS GENERIC CORPORATE BUILDINGS, PYLONS, GENERATORS, CITY OF LONDON SKYLINE, COOLING TOWERS ETC.
XYZ ENERGY
I am writing further to my email of 10 November 2017, copied below for your reference, regarding your complaint.
We are very keen to ensure your complaint is resolved to your satisfaction. Please can you review this and contact me and let me know if you are happy with the actions I have proposed. If not, then I would be grateful if you could let me know what further actions you would like me to take in order that I can discuss these with my manager and ensure a satisfactory outcome for you.
SHOTS MOVE CLOSER ON NEIL STARING AT HIS HAND WRITTEN LETTER.
NEIL
Thank you for your kind reply. We appreciate it.
I took this to our Board Meeting last night.
It was over turkey meatballs.
Our Chief Financial Officer (my wife) proposes we accept it with thanks.
We would like to accept your kind offer and again appreciate the time you have taken to reply.
The cheque for £7.95 has already arrived.
If there is nothing more for me to do, we will await the final payment you outline in your email and will then consider the matter and our business with XYZ Energy as closed.
With best wishes on XYZ Energy's future hi-jinks and adventures.
Neil Mossey
CEO, Mossey Family
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