Powergen-der specific (Powergen)

Member Name: wildmink

Product:	Powergen
Date:	16/06/03 (506 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gas and electric on one bill with discount for dual fuel, Can submit meter readings on internet

Disadvantages: Abrupt and rude manner of meter readers, No forewarning of price changes

What can be said aside from the fact that I'm disappointed and that when powergen issues a bill it must come from computer with strange settings that doesn't use past usage for it's estimates.

The story starts back on the last bank holiday weekend in May when without warning at 9 in the morning on Saturday there's a banging on the door and an insistence of this man reading the gas and electric meters but grudgung that he was asked for ID confirming where he was from. He reads the meters then goes.

A week later a bill is received through the post from Powergen for the electric and gas with the reading for the electric being correct but the gas being wildly underestimeted at 30% of what it should have been as read by the man who turned up a week earlier. It also states on the bill that the rates that they charge are going up as of beginning of May for gas. First I heard of it was on receipt of the bill. Also for some reason it was estimated that I didn't use any gas in May which if they looked at the trend of my gas usage would show them that I've got some way of heating my house by gas.

First port of call was the website where I input the new readings so that a new bill could be issued and 2 days later I called asking what was going on with my bill seeing as 1. They hadn't told me the prices would be going up before they charged me so I lost my opportunity to shop around before the price increases 2. why hadn't the gas meter readings been used in the original bill as the electric had.

Unfortunately when I phoned for the first night which I'm sure everyone else was phoning and complaining I couldn't get through but the next day at lunchtime I eventually got through and bless his soul he had the patience of a saint not to snap back but then had probably been asked the same questions for the previous few days.

The response to question 1 was 'we let you know as soon as we knew'.

Surprisingly really that they had known to charge me the new rate from the beginning of May and 1 only found out nearly 1.5 months later.

Question 2 wasn't much better as in, 'we're a different department to the electric so the information gets through to us differently to them', but they seemed to be able to issue the bills on the same sheet of paper miraculously.

Not entirely impressed I said 'Well can you tell me what the new totals will be as I have input the readings on the internet site.'

'Ah unfortunately no as you see we have confirmation that you have submitted the figures and a new bill is being sent out to you but I can't see it. However when your bill does come through please do call us if you have any queries'

Funny that, because two weeks later I still haven't received the new bill and am unable to view it on their website. My concern is that they will try to charge me at a rate that I haven't been forewarned about.

It's scary that I'm sure I'm not the only person affected by this but most worrying is the rate increase could earn powergen millions without some people noticing despite the fact the press announced that gas prices should be coming down. I will update upon eventual receipt of the revised bill

********UPDATE*********

Well according to the demand that I received for payment it took them over a week to sort out my new bill but they failed to issue it through the post so have now sent me a red letter for the payment which allegedly was issued on 23rd but not received until 1st July. Rubbish service I must agree.

However it's not all doom and gloom depending upon your opinion as I have turned to the dark side as BG have come personally courting my patronage and appear to provide a similar package with a guaranteed 4 quarterly readings so that bills are accurate and dual fuel reduction as well as prompt payme
nt bonus.

Have yet to read reviews on BG but will have to see what happens and keep dooyoo informed.

Summary: