Energy company nightmare! Help!

[R_x]

We recently moved and owed our energy company money, we were unaware we owed anything as we weren't receiving the emails with the bill.
Anyway we agreed to stay with them so the debt could be transfered to our new property and to pay it off from there.
But they have taken the full amount. We had no idea this was going to happen and it's a lot of money for one go!
Are they within there rights to do this? As we had been told it was fine to pay it back in instalments

 

[mummylove]

U will have to contact them and tell them it was arranged to pay in installments see what they say they might refund the money

 

[R_x]

Thanks for the reply. We did contact them and the man on the phone was horrible, he was laughing his head off about it, trying to take the piss saying we are broke and saying we said they can take it all at once. Also spoke to someone else who said the mix up was because we hasn't been put through to the right department so while we thought the payment plan was sorted it actually wasn't. They won't refund the money but said we can get it back through the bank but we are just leaving it, least they are paid now

 

[Pearls18]

Thanks for the reply. We did contact them and the man on the phone was horrible, he was laughing his head off about it, trying to take the piss saying we are broke and saying we said they can take it all at once. Also spoke to someone else who said the mix up was because we hasn't been put through to the right department so while we thought the payment plan was sorted it actually wasn't. They won't refund the money but said we can get it back through the bank but we are just leaving it, least they are paid now

You should complain about that phone call hun that sounds horrid, they usually record them I think so he wouldn't have a leg to stand on! How nasty.

 

[R_x]

Yeah I'm going to. What do you thinks the best way to do it? Don't want to phone as will probably get through to someone that doesn't care x

 

[tallybee]

I would email them hun there should be an email address on their website. At least then you have a log of what's been said x

 

[Feltzy]

Yes I agree definitely complain about the way he spoke to you, that's appalling!

You normally have a window after something has come out of your account for it to be reversed, I think with my bank it's 2/3 days or something. Before I met DH I'd recently moved into a flat on my own and my landlord submitted new meter readings to the energy company. They didn't record the readings correctly which resulted in a £900 bill coming from my account as I paid by direct debit. Thankfully the bank reversed it and I learnt never to pay by direct debit for electricity/gas again!

 

[MrsBandEgglet]

They didn't act accordingly, not you. They made the mistake, not you. Also make a complaint here as energy companies really need to get their backsides in gear, they are a law unto themselves these days! https://www.ombudsman-services.org/energy.html

 

[R_x]

We have been in touch with them and all we got were standard replies, was ridiculous.
Will look at that website, thanks

 

[Abz1982]

when we moved BG took the standard payment we had been paying at old address, even though I had closed the account. They had no right to so I contacted the bank who refunded it. They said that if you have NOT authorised the payment you can have it refunded, but they do investigate and if its found you had agreed to the payment they will take it back.

 

[smileyfaces]

Contact your bank and ask for a direct debit indemnity claim and the bank will refund the money for you within about 24hrs. Then co tact the energy privider and tell them the DD will be returned and you will call back to arrange a payment plan.

If you asked the energy provider to refund then they simply would not do it (unless they were feeling generous) because technically it is money that is owed to them.

Xx

ETA: didnt realise you posted this on the 3rd...probs too late for indemnity claim now