David

OFGEM has published today an information leaflet regarding third-party FIT ownership.

This may be relevant to homeowners with solar panels installed and owned by another company.

The info can be found on https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2018/10/third_party_ownership_under_the_fit_scheme.pdf

It has come to our attention that Opus Energy will only start a renewal contract 30 days late if no termination has been received.

Why should the customer continue to pay expensive variable (out-of-contract) rate once a new contract is in place, just because the previous contract has not been terminated?

David Lande, Senior Consultant of Alpine Utilities comments: Such a policy is unheard of and unacceptable and we will escalate the matter to the highest level.

While domestic customers only pay 5% VAT on fuel and no Climate Change Levi, Business customers pay 20% and an element for CCL.

Small business users, however, are treated like domestic customers as are supplies for non-business use.

Yet some small businesses still end up paying the full rate if they happen to use an average of 145kwh of gas or 33kwh electricity over a billing period. This often happens to small businesses using most of their consumption during winter for heating or hot summer for air conditioning.

Looking at the whole of annual consumption would certainly be a fairer system.

We are all familiar with the ever increasing nuisance calls showing a number and when you try to call back the number doesn’t exist.
This practice is now coming to an end.
With effect from 1st October 18 all callers will need to forward an actual existing number. So no more hiding behind anonymity.
Coupled with a new law to fine company directors personally for breaches in calling numbers registered with TPS, that should greatly reduce the number of nuisance calls we receive.
Calls originating from the far east have yet to be tackled.

In line with GDPR requirements, we have now published our privacy policy available at http://www.alpineutilities.co.uk/privacy-policy/

If you have any further queries, please contact us on our usual contact details.

Eon has communicated that they will pass on Renewable Obligations (RO) and Contract for Difference (CfD) charges no longer paid by Energy Intensive Industries (EII) to all non EII customers.

The new legislation came into force in November 17 for CfD and April 18 for RO.

In line with their T&C’s they are allowed to pass on these costs to their non-EII customers once the exact figures are known. While other suppliers incorporated the expected cost in their quotes eon choose to give their customers a costly surprise.

I  also fail to understand the logic as to why the government places the burden of the EII discounts on to other energy customers rather than the general tax payers.

OFGEM has issued a provisional order against the domestic energy supplier, banning them from taking on new customers and increasing DD payments for 3 month.

Over this period, Ofgem has ordered Iresa to improve the service it provides to its customers, including in the following ways:

• extending call centre hours, bringing down average call waiting times to below 5 minutes, and responding to customers who request a call back by the end of the next working day
•  responding to customer emails within 5 working days
• clearing a backlog of consumer emails
• logging and recording all expressions of customer dissatisfaction
•  acting to manage and identify all of its vulnerable customers, including offering to put them on a priority services register

We are pleased to see OFGEM taking action against suppliers with poor customer services and hope other suppliers will take note and get their house in order.

Customer service has been a problem with many big and small suppliers, domestic and commercial ones. We urge OFGEM to increase its monitoring of all suppliers to check whether they meet expected standards.

If P272 was meant to save customers on their electricity bills, there is another drawback on this.

Besides the disproportional capacity charges and MOP costs, we found now another problem for small customers.

Various competitive suppliers would not quote for small volumes; so the choice for medium P272 businesses is restricted and the competition not really working for them.

Our Client received a letter from from British Gas Business confirming termination received.

The letter says: We’re writing to confirm your termination notice has been received and your Fixed Price Energy Plan will end on 5th March 2018. After this date if you haven’t arranged a new Fixed Price Plan … or moved to another supplier, you’ll move on to our variable Plan prices.

Please contact your new supplier to make sure that they don’t request the transfer before 6th March 19.

Yet when speaking to the customer service team the insisted that supply can only move on the 30th March 18 (despite of termination sent 1st Feb and a formal complaint logged) and the current objection will be upheld if applied for earlier transfer.

It would help if British Gas would get the dates right and clarify the actual date the new supplier can apply for to avoid unnecessary/unjustified objections.

British Gas Business called today a customer offering to winback a gas contract that had been signed with a competitor.

Even after being told that the contract had been confirmed and locked-in with the other supplier, they still continued to offer to retain the business.

This practice is unethical, illegal and most of all could cost the customer thousands of pounds in termination fees.

Many suppliers have a clause that would allow them to charge hefty termination fees in the region of 30% of the contract value if the registration is being objected to and the contract fails to go through.

We therefore warn all customers that once a contract has been signed and confirmed not to agree an alternative contract under any circumstances.

We also hope that OFGEM will once again look into such practice and fine suppliers that cause customers to pay termination fees.