Are Powergen allowed to do this?

[stinga]

In December 2004 I switched my GAS and ELECTRICITY to Powergen and paid by direct direct debit.

Over the years the direct debit per month gradually went up and in Jun 2006 I had a letter from them stating the the direct debit payment for GAS and ELECTRICITY was now going to be £48 per month.

All seemed fine then I got a letter in November telling me that they hadnt been charging me for both and I owed them £722! I called them to query this and they said they would look at the account. They then said I owed them £1,022!

My question is:

A) DO I actualy owe them any money?

How will I know? What is the average amount you should be paying for a dual bill (normal 3 bed semi - 2 young children)

B) If on a bill it clearly says I am paying for Gas and Electricity can they then say I havent? DO I have to pay them?

Part of me thinks, fair enough, pay for what I have used but I cant afford to write them a cheque for an amount that seems to jump up from £722 to over a £1000 from me questioning it?? How can I trust them?

Do I have any rights?? Is there someone I can contact?

many thanks

[dori2o]

You can contact Energy Watch- they are normally very good with these things.

I'm confused with your explanation, when you got your quaterly bill, was it showing an increasing balance, or did it show that you were paying for the energy you were using?

I had a problem with powergen where their statements were informing me that my monthly DD was sufficient to cover the energy I was using, but then ended up with a £1000 bill, after a lot of arguing with them, and threatening them with court action, they wrote off a lot of the bill, and are allowing me to pay the rest bak on installments.

If it is the case that you have been receiving statements showing that your payments were covering your useage, I would write to them explaining that this is their error and requesting some sort of compensation.

[stinga]

Thanks for the reply.

My monthly bill started at £27 in 2004. Over the months, years it sent up as prices increased.

In May 2006 the price went to £48 after a price review and clearly states the bill includes Gas and Electricity.

In November I recevied a letter telling me that hadnt been charging me for both and said I woed them £722. I disputed this and they then came back in December and said it was £1022!

As I was paying by direct debit I would have thought price increases etc over 3 years would vocer all of our usuage!

I will contact Energy watch as suggested.

Powergen seem to pluck amounts from the air.

[ozzywizard]

First, they can only go back 2 years for unbilled charges. Ask them how far they have not billed you. Second due to them not billing you and then suddenly putting it on I bet you have not received the full 9 per cent discount on both your gas and electric (as you only get 3 per cent for one utility but 9 for both). Phone them get the figures and ask for full statements dating back to account start date. Oh also if they have charged you for heaps of units at once make sure they have not charged you at todays prices as when the consumption was used even if only a year ago it would of been at half the price due to the 3 price increases they have had.

[stinga]

thanks - going to get on to energy watch tomorrow and see where I stand.

[Surfer01]

By any chance do you have the readings when you changed to PGEN? If you have some old bills this may also give you an indication. If PGEN messed up then they have to give you time to pay the outstadning amount. As a matter of interest did they notify you in writing every time they increased their prices and I don't mean an estimation of consumption I mean increase per unit. If they didn't then you can hold them to the original agreed price which will be a lot lower than at present,