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Key Facts
Some 200 million energy bills are issued every year to people's homes across the country. Complaints measured by energywatch have been falling and are now below 1 for every 10,000 customers across the whole industry per month.
In 2006 the ERA introduced a new Code of Practice to help domestic customers by clearly setting out what they can expect from their energy supplier, including:
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Clear, accurate, informative and timely bills and statements
Support and advice on monitoring energy consumption
Support and advice for those having difficulty paying their bills
Contact details for raising questions and issues with suppliers |
In addition, the ERA introduced an Energy Ombudsman to adjudicate disputed domestic customer claims for compensation in the unlikely event that this is not resolved between the customer and the energy supplier. The main purpose of the Ombudsman is:
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To receive and handle unresolved billing complaints made to energy suppliers by any of their domestic customers
To resolve, settle and/or withdraw such disputes; and
Provide remedies and redress in respect of matters that formed the core of the dispute |
The Code of Practice is applicable to domestic energy customers only.
ERA Position
Every year 200,000,000 energy bills are
sent to people’s homes across the
UK. These bills tend to be
the primary point of contact between the
customer and his/her energy supplier. Suppliers are therefore very aware of the
crucial importance of making bills accurate
and easy to understand, and have developed the Code of Practice for Accurate Bills to help improve this contact point.
Customers also have a part to play. It’s important to
remember that the accuracy of bills is also dependent
on the customer providing regular readings
from their electricity and gas meters.
Direct Debit
Approximately 50% of energy customers pay for their electricity and gas by Direct Debit, and by doing so often benefit from reduced bills.
Depending on your circumstances, Direct Debit can be the ideal way to manage your monthly outgoings, and your energy supplier/s will calculate your expected annual energy consumption and share that cost over twelve months.
This would mean for example that in summer months you pay your energy supplier more than you have used, but in the winter months you pay less for what you have used, even though your energy consumption is higher.
You can manage your monthly Direct Debit amount, and the day it leaves your bank account, and you will also be notified if the amount changes.
For more information about paying by Direct Debit contact your energy supplier or click here for independent information: http://www.bacs.co.uk/BACS/Consumers/Direct+Debit/Using+Direct+Debit/
Tips for Making Your
Bill Accurate
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Read your electricity
and gas meters every three months and
give your supplier(s) these readings. Even if you do this at times when a bill is not due, it will help the supplier understand the pattern of your energy consumption over time.
When you change your energy supplier make a note of the readings on the day when your energy supply is being transferred to your new supplier. Compare this with the readings on your final bill from your old supplier and the first bill from your new supplier. Small differences are nothing to be concerned about, but if you are unsure contact your supplier |
Background Information
About the Code
Governance and Administration of the Code
The Code Manager
The Code Panel
The Code Auditor
Delivering and monitoring compliance with the Code
Breaches of the Code
Questions for the Code Manager
Contact the Code Manager
Top
What are others
saying?
“Ofgem has carefully reviewed and
analysed energywatch’s evidence [regarding
supplier billing]…[our] analysis has
not identified significant and widespread
consumer detriment associated with billing
processes. For the vast majority of customers,
the competitive energy market is working
well. The quality of service they can obtain
is generally good as well as competitively
priced.
Ofgem, July 2005
“A win-win situation for consumers
and companies is within sight if companies
can make billing both timely and accurate.
Consumers get a better service and companies
get to recover their payments….It
has been a source of great frustration for
us that there is nowhere for consumers to
go when energywatch is unable to resolve
complaints. An Ombudsman scheme will be
a good solution.”
Allan Asher, chief executive of
energywatch, July 2005
Links
Ofgem
FAQs
Energy Ombudsman |
