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Shall I Get A Smart Meter?

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Some customers have contacted us to find out whether to accept the supplier’s invitation to install a smart meter.

One thing is for sure, by the end of 2020 every consumer domestic or commercial will need to have a smart meter installed.

That means we are now in the last 18 months of the smart meter rollout and suppliers are under increasing pressure to the deadline as well as the year on year target. While SMETS1 should no longer be installed in many instances installation of SMETS2 may not be feasible. As installing the former is no longer counted towards the supplier’s expected targets it is unlikely that customers will be offered one when there is no other need to change a meter.

So if you think you would benefit from a smart meter, why wait. But if you rather don’t get a revisit to change the current meter just make sure you get a SMETS2.

A clear and comprehensive guide about the options is available on the ovo website:

https://www.ovoenergy.com/guides/energy-guides/smets-1-and-2-new-smart-meter-generation.html

British Gas Closes Email Channel

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Just received notification from British Gas saying: we’ll soon be closing our email channel. Instead, our webchat team will be happy to help with your query.

We strongly object to such a move as many customers prefer using emails than webchat. You would have to remember the log-in details and webchats are usually only open during office hours. Emails allow customers to do their paperwork evenings and weekends. Also emails can be used by brokers on behalf of their clients by attaching a valid letter of authority, webchat will make that much harder.

We hope  British Gas will reconsider and other suppliers will not follow suit.

Telecom Users To Get End Of Contract Alerts

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Under a new OFCOM rule, telecom users must be alerted before their contract comes to an end to avoid customers paying excessive out-of-contract rates unnecessarily.

Alpine Utilities have long campaigned to bring telecom contracts in line with energy ones.

Although we would like to see contract end dates printed on bills as required on domestic & microbusiness energy contracts our telecom provider Plusnet have taken a step into the right direction and now clearly display the CED on the members landing page.

We hope that shopping around and changing all utility suppliers should become as easy as shopping for your cheapest washing powder.

OFGEM Does Not Validate Suppliers T&C’s

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In response to our recent complaint regarding supplier’s limit on their liability for causing customers to go out-of-contract, we received the following response:

I can confirm that Ofgem does not approve suppliers’ terms and conditions of their contracts with their customers and this issue is outside of Ofgem’s remit.

We strongly disagree with this statement and feel that the regulator should be more proactive in ensuring the small print does not disadvantage customers.

Mr Lande our senior consultant says: “In light of endless complaints surrounding suppliers performance it is high time that OFGEM starts to scrutinize all aspects of the energy suppliers business including their T&C’s as well as their IT systems. Only once this happens can we expect customers to be treated fairly and with the due respect!

Npower Limit Its Liability For Out-Of-Contract Cost To £1000

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Many customers are aware of the excessive cost of being out-of-contract.

Often enough being out of contract isn’t the customer’s fault but the suppliers. Quite obvious in such a case the supplier should be liable to reimburse the customer in full.

Yet Npower put a limit of just £1000 to its liability.

We believe this is unacceptable and have written to OFGEM to disallow such a limit.

Ofgem introduces new tougher entry tests for energy suppliers

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Following a number of new entrants in the energy supply market going out of business, OFGEM is now introducing tougher entry tests for new applicants.

OFGEM is also proposing new measures with the aim of raising standards of existing suppliers.

We certainly welcome any program to improve customer experience within the energy market. However part of these measures should be a full audit of any new IT system introduced by any company new or old, big or small. All too often consumers suffered serious inconveniences and incorrect billing due to a failing system.

NPower Refuses To Speak To Brokers

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Calling Npower regarding an unwarranted objection I was told they no longer speak to brokers and I would have to email instead.

Firstly in many instances it is far too long until an email response is being received as often matter are of urgent nature.

But in general we find such a policy totally unacceptable as it is usually the broker who has all the relevant information and is being paid by the customer to sort out everything. Obviously they must adhere to data protection, but a valid letter of authority is sufficient and works fine with all other suppliers.

They are not doing any service to the customer by restricting communication with brokers.

Solarplicity Banned From Taking New Customers

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OFGEM has announced that it has issued a provisional order against Solarplicity, banning it from taking on new customers and increasing Direct Debits of vulnerable customers.

Solarplicity, a supplier with 60’000 customers, has been warned by OFGEM to get its house in order within 3 months or face extension of the order or revocation of its license.

It is encouraging to see OFGEM taking a firm stand against suppliers failing to deliver the service expected by customers.

However we have long campaigned that rather than waiting for complaints to flood, any application for a supplier license should be scrutinized as to whether the applicant will be able to deliver a satisfactory service both from within the human resources and more importantly a sound and capable IT system.

All too often customers experience great trouble as a result of a poor or faulty IT system.

Npower Rejecting All LOA’s

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While we have successfully submitted hundreds of LOA’s (letter of authority) ever since joining the industry 19 years ago, over the past few weeks Npower has made it a sport to systematically reject almost all of our LOA’s presented, citing the new GDPR regulations.

While we strongly support data protection, business has to continue to operate and rejecting a valid LOA can result to customer’s going unnecessarily out-of-contract and/or Npower missing out on their opportunity to quote for a lucrative business.

We call upon Npower

  1. To show some flexibility and only to reject a LOA where there is reasonable concern of its validity
  2. Instead of simply rejecting a LOA, they should find a way to verify  it’s validity by checking company director details, contacting the customer and if available comparing signature with other correspondence from same customer
  3. Make good on their promise of Account manager to speak to the customer to verbally validate the LOA when tel. no. has been provided as requested

Alpine Utilities will not hesitate to escalate the matter, should a customer get negatively affected by their new policy.

Less Than 4 Weeks Into The New Year 2nd Supplier Out-Of-Business

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In less than 4 weeks into the new year the 2nd energy supplier Our Power with 38’000 domestic customers out-of-business.

Perhaps time for OFGEM and the DTI to do some soul-searching and demand some rigorous tests before granting a license to a new energy supplier.

Allowing  one supplier after the other to go out of business and fail it’s customers only harms customers and the industry as a whole.