Energy companies – stop being so pernickety about our bills

Although we spend quite a lot time complaining about the behaviour of banks here on Which? Conversation, one other industry that is in close competition when it comes
to poor customer service is energy companies.

Over the last few years, fuel bills have rocketed, with prices being increased yet again this summer. Understandably, customers have been left feeling angry at the fact that price changes only ever seem to go in one direction.

When energy companies put up their rates, they invariably blame the rise on ‘wholesale prices’. Yet, they seem to take much longer to drop the prices when the wholesale rates come down.

Dirty pricing tactics

But high prices are not the worst of it when it comes to energy companies. It’s the tactics that some have resorted to, in order to try to squeeze that little bit extra out of their customers, that have left me most angry.

Having been with the same energy provider, EDF, on the same tariff for many years, I recently received a letter informing me that the details on my gas and electricity accounts were slightly different, and so I would no longer qualify for my ‘dual fuel discount’, unless I called to set the record straight within 30 days.

When I finally rang, the problem was explained to me: although my name and address were correct on both my gas and electricity accounts, one of the accounts also included another name: my wife’s.

This additional name on one bill but not the other had apparently left EDF with no choice but to remove my dual fuel discount until I called to clarify the matter.

EDF should behave better

This letter was not specially generated for me. The call handler informed me that it had gone out to lots of customers with the same problem, many of whom will not have opened their mail and will now see their bills rise for no good reason whatsoever.

I seriously doubt that the presence of an additional name on my account makes any difference to EDF. But even if it does, it’s certainly not a fair excuse for upping my bills. Any straightforward company would have simply called to clarify and set its systems straight.

These kind of low-level inertia tactics were pioneered by the banking sector, and it’s a great shame to see yet another industry arguably treating its customers with contempt.