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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.

OFGEM just announced that they are allowing Npower to trial sending out renewal reminders to domestic customers between 35 and 21 days instead of the statuary 42 to 49 days prior the renewal date.

It is argued that customer’s may more likely take action closer to the renewal date.

This statement has implication in the commercial utility market, too. As customers often take their time from acting on a renewal quote thinking there is still time. But in reality the earlier you decide on your future energy contract the less likely customers will encounter problems such as delays and out-of-contract periods.

Were are currently being inundated by data managing companies offering us to purchase 1000’s of customers details with consumption and renewal information.

Apparently this info was collected by business energy comparison websites where customers opted-in for their information to be shared with carefully selected companies for marketing purposes.

It remains questionable whether customers have indeed knowingly agreed for all their details to be passed on to any interested party offering to pay for them.

Alpine Utilities will never share customer’s details with other parties unless for the purpose of obtaining quotes and processing supply & service contracts. By default we select customer does not wish to be contacted for marketing purposes.

OFGEM has now published results of their trials sending out cheapest market offer letters to customers on the most expensive standard variable tariff for at least a year.
3.4% of customers who received a supplier branded letter switched to a cheaper tariff compared to just 1% of customers not receiving one.
It is clear that more can and needs to be done to get all millions of customers, still overpaying for their energy, to engage in the market.
What is true in the domestic market also applies with commercial customers only the stakes are much higher.
Call Alpine Utilities today for competitive rates on your water & energy.