Green Energy Co...where do I stand?

[ottocarius]

In summary, we had been Green Energy customers since 2004, paying for electricity via standing order Direct Debit.

However, In May 2007 we were contacted by Green Energy and advised that our Direct Debit had been cancelled "some months before", and despite the fact that we had not therefore been paying for our electricity, Green Energy had continued to regularly send out ‘Payment Invoices/Advices’ which clearly showed that the payments were in fact being paid.

Whilst it has now always been accepted that indeed these payments were not in fact being made, we nevertheless, through the fault of Green Energy, found ourselves in a position of some considerable debt.

We immediately reinstated the ‘rogue’ Direct Debit of £141.90 and wrote back to Green Energy to try and and address and resolve the situation that had now developed.

We heard nothing more from Green Energy until some six months later, in October 2007, when we were advised by Green Energy Customer Services that over the last 6 months, our Direct Debit had been wholly inadequate in so far as it didn’t even meet our current consumption let alone the outstanding amount.

However, we received a letter dated 15th October 2007, from 'JH' at Green Energy Customer Services, (I quote),

“.........No payments were received by direct debit between September 2006 and June 2007 but payments recommenced on 5th July 2007. I apologise that you were not contacted regarding these missed payments..............”

and in the same letter.........

“In light of the fact that you were not contacted regarding the missed payments at an earlier date I do not expect a lump sum payment to clear the outstanding balance.......”

'JH' clearly acknowledges Green Energy is at fault and therefore she accepts, in this letter (and later correspondence), that the ‘debt’ can be spread over a number of months.

Please note that there are no conditions whatsoever attached to this proposal at this time.

We were understandably extremely dissatisfied with the handling of our account thus far which had led to this wholly avoidable situation.

We contacted Energy Watch and on their advice made a number of suggested proposals to Green Energy Customer Services.

These included a request for an assurance from Green Energy that they would not seek to block our transfer if we were to ever consider transfering to another electricity provider.

Green Energy simply dismissed all of the Energy Watch inspired proposals and at the same time now claimed that any suggested proposals for the repayment of the debt were always conditional on our staying with the company.

This was manipulation, totally dishonest and unethical, no such condition had previously been mentioned.

Green Energy had already admitted their mistake in respect of failing to monitor and review our account and apologised to us for failing to keep us informed.

As soon as they realised that they might lose us, they now sought to turn this situation to their advantage, we were, in effect, being held to ransom. We could not afford to pay the outstanding amount in full, a fact that Green Energy UK were only too well aware of because we had told them.

Internet comparison websites had indicated that savings of up to £700 a year were possible if we switched our supplier. As high energy users, it was little wonder that they didn’t want to lose us and therefore sought to trap us by threatening to ‘block’ out transfer unless we settled the debt in full. Something we had already told them we could not afford to do, particularly just before Christmas.

We felt extremely upset and betrayed that Green Energy were now renaging on their proposal and attempting to blackmail us.

The choices we had therefore were to stay with Green Energy and pay a premium for our electricity until such time as our debt was cleared and we could then leave, or find the money from somewhere and switch straight away. With savings of up to £700, and in due to Green Energys Customer Service treatment of us, we had no alternative but to switch.

We were therefore forced to borrow the money and paid over £1500.00 to Green Energy so that they would then allow us to switch to a more competative supplier.

Then, towards the latter part of January 2008, we received what we now now to be our final invoice from Green Energy, it is in excess of £450.

We had been told that there would be a meter reading taken on 2nd January 2008, the day our supply switched to another supplier. Because of our previous dealings with Green Energy, we also took our own meter readings that day ‘just to be on the safe side’. We were not aware however of anyone else having come to read the meter.

The meter readings that we had taken were at a considerable variance (to the disadvantage of Green Energy) to those readings on which Green Energy has based their final bill.

We advised them that once that matter had been resolved, we would then seek to get a final resolution on the remaining issues between ourselves and Green Energy that had ultimately led to our departure and had still not been resolved.

Finally, when we told Green Energy that there were further issues in respect of the final meter reading on which they had calculated their bill, we were threatened by their Customer Service that;

(quote) “I have consulted with my Finance Director regarding your account and your emails and it is with regret that I have to advise you that should we not receive payment in full by Friday 8th February 2008 we will have no alternative but to instruct a debt collection agency to act on our behalf. They will take responsibility to recover all monies including and costs and charges incurred”.

It would appear that Green Energy are now firmly in a stance of ‘non negotiation’ and I find it particularly distasteful that they still seek to threaten, bully and intimidate.

In concusion, I would appreciate any comments or assistance

Thanks

[Conniff]

I don't think you can put all the blame on to Green, you should have been checking your bank statements, you would then have known that the dd was not coming out and could have taken action earlier so only been one or two months in arrears.

I think I read that it is only the bill since the meter reading that is in dispute, and the meter reading itself.

Is your meter indoors so you would know that no one called or on the outside wall and could have been read while you were not there.
The figures can be checked by the starting reading from the company you are now with. Ask them for that figure and send a copy to Green.

[ottocarius]

Whilst I accept that with hindsight we should have been checking our bank statements we have approximately 20 Direct Debits paid from the 'Bills' account, and every month the residue from this account is 'swept' into a savings account. We chose DD payments because they are sold along the lines of 'peace of mind'. Furthermore, the fact that Green Energy kept sending invoices showing the DDs were going out gave us absolutely no reason to suspect that there was a problem.

That aside, my major gripe is the fact that they offered us an 'unconditional' staged repayment vehicle then immediately moved the goalposts and demanded settlement in full when we sought to change supplier.

The nub of my question is this.........once we found out the true cost of our electricity we immediately sought and moved to a much more competative supplier (savings estimated at £700 a year from our previous annual consumption of more than £2,000 per year). My argument is therefore, had we known/been made aware/realised earlier that we were in effect using electricity at such a prohibitive cost then we would have switched earlier and hence the 'debt' would have been far smaller than that which surfaced when it all came on top.

Is this a reasonable argument?

Where do I stand?

Regards

OC

[Conniff]

I can see how you might have missed the dd not coming out with that much traffic on your bank account.
Make them an offer that you can afford and send a cheque for that amount with the offer and continue to pay that much each month or week whichever suits you best.

You will probably find they will accept it but say nothing unless you miss a payment.

You can also send them copies of their letter that apologises.

[ottocarius]

We are still waiting for the meter readings on change over to be sorted out then I shall do as you suggest. Thanks