Watched a video yesterday saying that everyone should raise a complaint, the minute that happens they can't push for any debt collection, you can push it as long as they exhaust their system and then escalate to ombudsman. It costs them £500 per person to go to the ombudsman and they have a limit in their system for complaints. That's how this will get sorted.
Energy bills - don't pay
- Thread starter Uwefuchs
- Start date
SilentProf
Well-known member
A more effective plan could be a move to not use any utilities for a day or a weekend every week. Get people to unplug any non essential devices and just spend the day or weekends out of the house. If everybody did it, demand would reduce significantly, forcing prices down.
ThatFragranceGuy
Well-known member
They can still mark your credit file for non payment even if you go down that route and all those costs will just get added to standing charges when ofgem assess energy supplier costs
Energy suppliers aren't responsible for the size of your bill so not sure why we are wanting to cost them £550 per person and then have them go bust and bills go up as they did with bulb etc as the costs are massive for supplier of last resort taking the customers on
SilentProf
Well-known member
Who do you think ends up paying those £500 ombudsman fees in the end? It’s just passed on to the customer.
Corco65
Well-known member
If only people had voted Labour who wanted to renationalise the energy companies at the last 2 elections, and water and rail. Pity people were more interested in keeping out Jonny Foreigner and cutting ties with our closest trading block. Still we got control of our borders back. 
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There's a few red flags in the privacy policy...
"Don't Pay is currently an unincorporated association run entirely by volunteers. We are currently seeking to incorporate an organisation.
If we do this, the data you provide us and responsibility for handling that data will be transferred to the new organisation as the data controller. In providing us with your personal data, you are agreeing to us transferring that data to the new incorporated organisation"
I'm out.
"Don't Pay is currently an unincorporated association run entirely by volunteers. We are currently seeking to incorporate an organisation.
If we do this, the data you provide us and responsibility for handling that data will be transferred to the new organisation as the data controller. In providing us with your personal data, you are agreeing to us transferring that data to the new incorporated organisation"
I'm out.
Uwefuchs
Well-known member
People are talking about protests that will never happen, well this would be one. How would you get millions not to charge their phones or watch TV? It would never happen, plus the energy companies would still take a standing charge off you anyway.
allied_assault
Well-known member
I have used 90 pounds last month in energy overall but my DD is £217! It's the charge they put on top irrespective if you are carrying out the housekeeping tasks.
And in October it is going higher!!
boroboy6872
Well-known member
Same
Can`t get involved due to not knowing who they are other than "anonymous activists" and the privacy policy
SilentProf
Well-known member
I didn’t say it was going to happen. I just said it would be more effective than people ruining their personal finances by refusing to pay or forcing suppliers to put their prices up further by dragging them through the ombudsman process.
Any individual doing it would reduce their own bills even if others didn’t join in and some suppliers don’t have a standing charge.
Energy suppliers are responsible along with other companies. Do these companies not make a profit? The bills only went up with bulb as the other suppliers have a cartel and have ripped people off for years. Ofgem isn't fit for purpose and never has been.
SilentProf
Well-known member
I don’t know your circumstances but is that because they’re trying to build credit to lessen the impact of increased use over the colder months? You could just pay the £90 now but it might cost you a lot more than it’s going to in winter if you do.
ThatFragranceGuy
Well-known member
That's because your usage is low in summer but high in winter, you build up a credit balance over the warmer months and expend it in the colder ones
The talk of £500 DD's in Jan is where people are paying monthly usage only as some providers do that
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ThePrisoner
Well-known member
Surely nobody doesn't know this?? I recently reduced my DD and told them to transfer most of the credit in my energy account back to my bank. Don't risk losing it if/when your provider goes bust.
JM14
Well-known member
It’s extremely dangerous, they haven’t exactly made it clear what the implications of a missing payment will be for people following it. Yes it’s a very valid protest but what about the ruined credit rating if you ever want a mortgage or to rent a property, ever need finance on a car, credit cards, want to buy now pay later on products. None of that is possible without a good credit rating. As well as that you have the possibly of legal action being taken against you which will end up costing you thousands too. Not sure all of that is worthwhile to protest a bill you will end up having to pay at some stage anyway
ThePrisoner
Well-known member
If you are already on the bread-line how good a credit rating will you currently have? I don't think they would be losing much in that respect.
JM14
Well-known member
That’s not exactly true, once the period of time has passed that they can’t push for debt collection this will start again and you will be left with a huge debt to pay off plus have a non existent credit rating. There really isn’t a way to cheat the system, the money will need to be paid at some stage, doing this will only delay the inevitable but cause significant long term problems
You won't lose it if your provider goes bust, its protected.
ThatFragranceGuy
Well-known member
Most energy suppliers make a loss
Most energy producers with a supply arm make a loss on supply, or fairly small profits . Seeing centrica profits soar for example isn't because they're making a killing at British Gas supply, it's because they are a diverse conglomerate involved in generating as well.
Who had a cartel? I've had low bills for years all available on the open market. Consumer laziness and lack of awareness meant many were sat on SVR's but tariffs were there regardless and many sites like MSE compare the market etc made good money on people switching regularly
The bill went up because bulb and about 20 other suppliers went broke and the taking on of those customers / running bulb is expensive
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JM14
Well-known member
When you want a new car but can’t get any credit so end up with a bad deal paying thousands over the price in interest
Moving house but can’t get any decent landlords to consider you with bad credit
It doesn’t matter how much or little money people have, they will likely need credit at some stage in their lives. Obviously if people genuinely can’t pay then they can’t exactly do anything else, but those who can and won’t are just causing so many problems for themselves further down the line