David

Sep 27, 2024

Energy Ombudsman Experience

I opened the Enery Ombudsman complaint process to establish just what I was required to complete and it immediately asked for specific times and dates which needed extensive research which I was only in the process of completing. I did not have everything at hand to attach documents of proof etc. Once I had entered the complaint I did not know if I could exit at any point and re-enter later. I found it confusing to navigate after initial entry. So I continued to enter details of the complaint off the top of my head. Only after completing this initial stage and submitting that document am I told I can add additional evidence at a later stage. 2. I received an email towards the end of the process after I asked for an explanation regarding the decision made by the case handler. The email stated, "click here to view the new message" This opened my complaint, and clicked on MESSAGES, NO new message listed. Eventually I found the message attached to the enquiry I had sent. NOT very user friendly and certainly confusing. The case handler needs to consider he is dealing with a layman who is unfamiliar territory, this is the first encounter a complainant has had with his system, that he is working on day in day out. Some questions I asked I did not fully understand the complexities that were involved in forming his decision. ie, Found this hard going as an explanation to a layman. In regard to your 6th point, ‘we’ is the Energy Ombudsman. The paragraph is pretty self-explanatory and it generic to all our (the Energy Ombudsman) decisions. There is nothing within the remedies within your decision that British Gas as set out in the remedies. An example of something it may not be able to do is rebill historic usage from an old system, therefore, we would accept it applying a credit to offset any difference. However, this would/does not affect you. No allowance for an appropriate adult who is looking after the account of an elderly person who is without online access to your complaint system. Sorry, but it still reads a double dutch! With regard his last sentence above, my answer is WHY is there no allowance? Appears to me you have one hand tied behind your back and no teeth. This complaint would not have seen the light of day if I had not been fully committed and Mr C, 94 and his wife 92 yrs, with no internet, no email, no mobile phone would have lost out to incompetent British Gas accounting. My time is into days not just hours, all because of the incompetence of British Gas I do not consider that to be an even deal. You have found British Gas liable, Mr C could not have completed this task and would have lost out if I had not taken this onboard.