Electric Ireland - New prices, new VAT rate

TRS30 said:
Cheaper isn't always better.....
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Level pay isn't supposed to be cheaper. The goal is to be more predictable for consumers that might struggle to pay large winter bills, or just prefer more regular outgoings.

The utilities load the bills in their favour, usually over-charging so that you don't get surprised by a large bill and fall into arrears that costs them money to chase.
 

I was referring to Electric Ireland in general.
 
Still no bill from Electric Ireland since 16th March despite repeated requests from me and empty promises from them! (can't find a "scratchin' me head here" emoji)
 
I had a hospital appointment in Dublin today and apparently, a meter reader called or so customer services in Electric Ireland told me. The meter readers are employed by ESB Networks and, getting a reading from Cork to Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2, has taken 5/6 days in the past, so I stopped using that communications channel years ago..

If I take a meter reading and phone it in to Fitzwilliam Street, I can have an e-bill (PDF file emailed to me) in 24 hours, before the Government messed it all up and made it complicated. The government changed product pricing and changed the VAT rate. If a primary school pupil couldn't do these basic maths, I'd be very worried, and get her to change schools.

This Scarlet Pimpernel of meter readers never left his calling card (yellow and blue postcard) in the letter box. These were common in the good old days when the consumer had the option of posting the card with a new reading filled in or phoning in the reading. As I didn't get a card, I'm skeptical about anyone calling. I asked why they'd need another reading as they'd done nothing with the last one, and I was assured yet again I'd have a bill up to April 29th by next Friday, 15/7 2022. And pigs might fly.

As my medical treatments are complex, with more than one condition, and three hospitals, I can't always predict when I'll be home, so I asked if the Scarlet Pimpernel could phone me for a specific time. No, said customer services, he doesn't do appointments, he just shows up. Seems like an awful waste of time money, fuel, and effort for no result, but who am I to dare voice an opinion?

I had downloaded this and asked the customer services rep who I could address my complaint, based on the fact that Electric Ireland are now in breach of their own

Customer Service Guarantees


Relevant extracts: "Electric Ireland will issue scheduled bills to customers no later than one month after the receipt of meter reading data for the billing period involved, except in situations where the customer has agreed otherwise, or where meter reading data appears incorrect."

I’ve never agreed otherwise and I've never been told the data appear incorrect - they've had lots of opportunities to review it for veracity so it appears correct, several years’ worth of correct.

"Electric Ireland issues bills on a two-monthly basis to residential and small business customers. Larger business customers may receive monthly bills where appropriate.

Your bill is calculated on the basis of meter reading(s), actual or estimated, and other data supplied by the relevant Network Operator*. Customer readings may be used where provided."

I've been supplying actual meter reading for in excess of two years now, when I got an estimated bill, or if the bill didn't materialize in or around the two-month time frame mentioned.

The next stage is letters to all board members at the registered address.
 
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I thought all my queries, phone calls, and exasperations with Electric Ireland (EI) ended on 25-Jul-2022 when we agreed on a final bill of €88.04Cr being issued to me. Then a smart-meter installer called to the house this morning …

He wanted to install the new meter, said he’d a few bits to take care of and that he’d call back. I took the opportunity to take a reading and to photograph the old meter in situ. 15 minutes later he called back and said he couldn’t do anything today and that he’d call back on Monday. I mumbled something and bade him good morning. More of the same, this time from ESB Networks contractors.

I logged into my EI account to see what the state of play was and was shocked to see that my credit balance now showed a balance owing of €11.96, flagged as overdue!! I checked through all correspondence from EI, gathered my evidence, and rang customer services. Halfway through explaining the intricacies of what a service company had subjected one of their customers to, the call disconnected. Eir (my phone) or EI, who knows who’s at fault, and does either company care?

I rang back, stated my case yet again, and got to a stage where the initial point of contact person could help me no further with either explanation as to what had happened or detailed corrective actions so I requested access to a supervisor, which request was granted immediately. Undoubtedly the agent was glad to be rid of me. I apologized to her for the position her employers placed her in having no decision-making authority and apparently no access to certain key information.

The supervisor explained that the past due notice on my account was created by “someone” deciding to reverse the €100 account renewal bonus I’d been awarded. There was a problem identified with the contract and pending resolution, the bonus was debited to my account. Queried as to why this happened without reference to me, he had no answer, but promised it would be re-credited. I offered the opinion that this was rather high-handed. He said he couldn’t disagree with me.

I asked why I had a hard-copy letter dated 22-Jul-2022 confirming the resolution of a complaint reference xxxxxxxxxx, and why I had not been informed of the disposition of the complaint from early July, that’s July 2022. He informed me that the letter confirming that my complaint had been upheld had been issued to me on the same date with an ex-gratia payment. He believed the payment was by cheque but he couldn’t confirm the value. My own belief is that the value will exceed the recent US lottery win of $1BN. Apply via the mods if you want a slice.

I reminded the supervisor that with all the to-ing and fro-ing an old query about my Pay On-time Bonus remained unresolved. The basic bonus is a 4% credit against the pre-VAT Electricity Charges. If you opt for e-billing this is increased to 4.5%. Historically all my bills have had 4% applied and I calculated I was owed a few quid. We agreed on a figure over the phone to be credited to my account immediately and another little ex-gratia payment as the query had never been dealt with - more than enough to put my account back in the black.

I hope that’s the end of this saga but I won’t know for sure until all the account fiddlers in Electric Ireland have finished their work at the Fitzwilliam Street Fleadh Ceol, hopefully before the end of next week.

mathepac.
 
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Rather than appearing as an account with an overdue debit amount, my EI account now has the correct credit balance as calculated by me before the manual changes plus the additional once-off credit agreed over the week-end.

The last time I had a consistent, correct balance showing on this account was 21 weeks ago on 16-Mar-2022. Is this a record?
 
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