Powergen

[wavertreeboy]

I’m looking for some help or advice with a problem I’ve been having with Powergen.

It’s a bit of a long story but ill shorten it as much as I can:

• Powergen supplied both electricity and gas with my bills being paid by monthly direct debit.
• After my mother had a serious road traffic accident, I moved her in with me and I had to give up work to act as a full time carer. This meant a fall in salary of over £20k.
• I contacted Powergen customer services to explain my situation and request the installation of pre-payment meters. I understood that I would be paying more for the energy I would use but I wanted to avoid any possibility of going into debt.
• Customer services agreed that this was a sensible course of action and the pre-payment meters were installed shortly afterwards.
• For the 12 months that I used the pre-payment meters I maintained an ongoing credit balance on both meters of around £30.
• I was very surprised in early 2006, to be informed that I owed Powergen in excess of £190, even though each of my pre-payment meters showed a credit balance of around £30. After conversations with customer services it transpired that one of the meters had been incorrectly setup.
• I was very disappointed that I had (through no fault of my own) fallen into debt. However I agreed that I would pay off the debt at the rate of £10 per month (despite a suggestion from customer services that I should pay only £1 per month).
• Over the next few months I received several letters showing my account balance ranging anywhere from a £3 credit to a debit of £157. None of these amounts tallied in any way with my online statements available through the Powergen website, or the amounts showing on the meters.
• At this point I had had enough of Powergen and arranged to change supplier. I also set up a standing order to continue to pay Powergen the agreed £10 per month to pay off the outstanding amount.
• I continued to receive demands for payment and threats of legal action despite our agreement of £10 per month, the last of which was dated 18th September 2006.
• My last call to customer services was on 22nd September 2006. The reason for the call was to request once again that they stop demanding payment and threatening legal action given that we had agreed terms for payment to be made. Customer services have denied all knowledge of any agreement, they also claim they have no record of many of the conversations that I have had with them in the past. The lady finished our conversation stating that she intended to pass this account over to a debt collection agency. I requested to speak to the manager and was passed over, the manager has now once again agreed to the £10 per month.

Well as you can imagine I’m really pi**ed off with them. I’m not sure what I want Powergen to do (if anything) Im just so furious that I really feel the need to vent some anger.

Any help or advice complaining would be much appreciated – Ive got nowhere with their customer services – maybe a letter direct to the CE?

Or should I just drop it?

[installspark]

What you have happen is typical of prepayment billing at Powergen. There can be a lot of false credit/debit balances showing on statements because of the manner in which the accounts are billed. Generally speaking a prepay cutomer should be able to go by what is showing on their meter, including any debt set.

Unfortunately on the odd occasion when the meters are installed the correct tariff isn't set to the meter and you end up with the experience you had early this year. Tariff codes should be set when the job is booked as this is how the correct tariff is set on the meter, the billing system automatically sets the correct tariff on the account.

In relation to the agreement to pay of the outstanding balance after change of supply, did you receive a letter confirming the agreement? If not then it sounds like the agent who originally agreed the £10 per month payment didn't set this on the system. As to CS saying they have no record of previous conversations that you have had, if anyone has been onto your account it is logged by the system with the users ID number even if they haven't left any notes. It may well be worth getting a S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) under the Data Protection Act, although this will cost you £10.00. You could write and complain but in all honesty you will probably get a standard "sorry for the inconvenience caused" letter, unless the S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) uncovers something else

[ozzywizard]

If you decide to do a S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) the contact number is 0115 8434571 to phone for address for revenue protection who deal with these requests.