"Tim Jarvis, Ofgem's director general of markets, said that although suppliers work very hard to return money to people when they close an account, in line with industry rules, without the right contact details, they're stuck. The message is clear if you've moved in the last five years, reach out to your old supplier, provide them with the correct information, and you could be due a refund, Jarvis said."
"Energy bill payers face a difficult winter after the regulator lifted the maximum cap that suppliers can charge their 29 million household customers for each unit of gas and electricity from the start of this month. The average price cap for households paying by direct debit increased by 35 to 1,755 for a typical annual dual-fuel bill, despite a 2% fall in the wholesale price in the energy markets over the summer, reigniting concerns about energy affordability in the UK."
"Ofgem said on Thursday that it would move ahead with plans to clear 500m of debt from about 195,000 people on means-tested benefits who have built up debt of more than 100 during the energy crisis. The first phase of its scheme could offer debt relief of about 1,200 per account, or about 2,400 per dual-fuel customer, to eligible bill payers. The cost of this policy would be paid for by adding about 5 a year on the average dual-fuel bill by 2027-28."
About 1.9 million energy accounts closed over the past five years have outstanding credit balances totalling 240m left unclaimed. Ofgem is urging people who moved in recent years to contact their previous supplier with correct contact details to claim refunds; amounts owed range from a few pounds to more than 100. Suppliers attempt to return money when accounts close, but lack of accurate contact information prevents refunds. The regulator lifted the energy price cap this month, raising the average typical annual dual-fuel bill despite a small fall in wholesale prices. Ofgem plans to clear 500m of debt for around 195,000 means-tested benefit recipients, with the cost spread by a small annual increase to average bills by 2027-28.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]