Energia - cut off gas, will not reconnect for three weeks.

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Muddle2018

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Changed bank recenty due to UB pulling out of Ireland and my gas with energia seems to have not come out the past few months which I had not noticed.
Did not see a disconnection letter come in the house but low and behold yesterday when I was at work, gas networks came and shut off my gas supply. Energia of course have no way of being contacted outside business hours so only able to get them on phone this morning
My bill is currently 180 euro and whether I pay it or not energia say the soonest they can get this sorted is 13th October. I have gas for heating, for water and for cooking so fairly fecked for the next three weeks. Is there anything I can do I anyone I can complain to as we will freeze in three weeks of no heat as already cold in the house and no electric showers etc. I have spoken to gas networks and they said it is only energia that can make the booking with them.
 
I can clear the 180 now no problem but they have put an actual lock apparently on the outside meter so not sure anyone else can take it over cacn they?
 
Will you have to pay a disconnection / reconnection fee?
I would pay the €180 straight away and then switch.
 
They did not mention a fee just that gas networks could not come till 13th and I am cut off till then so would it be a case that if i pay and try change that whomever takes over will have an issue?

Also my bills the last two times were underestimated. Hugely. The last gas bill for sept was 38euro apparently so it is only the previous one that did not go out of the account, the 38 was due 21st and they came out and cut me off on 22nd. I will be moving either way anyway.
 
Well i have paid them their 180 euro which i am fairly sure was not going to bankrupt them and changed service provider so will see how this plays out. Not in contract and owe nothing so this might be amusing bar the fact I have no hot water or heat. I am sure I can magic up some oven dinners....
 
Switching provider won't automatically mean Gas Networks Ireland will send someone out to turn the gas back on. In fact it might delay the process. if your current provider cancels their request with GNI.
 
While utilities need to be paid for, and in your conversations, you strike me as someone who is not trying to evade the system.

If it were me, I would really like to see any evidence of demands sent, or even evidence of the disconnection warning, as your disconnection should be the final straw in the utility company taking that action.

While it seems you can manage the situation, there are many who would find this extremely difficult, ie, heading into the Autumn, colder weather looming, looking after an elderly relative, etc..

Most companies will have an email address, phone number, postal address for contact pupposes, that's a difficult process to avoid, I find it pretty bizarre in this day and age not to be contactable in more than one form.
 
God no I pay all my bills and on time so this was a sudden thing. I have the money and have paid the bill in full etc it is just how it is taking so long for it to be sorted. Surely 3 weeks is a HUGE amount of time to be without y0ur primary energy source?

I have no paper demands here but if I go online there is one apparently sent in august or uploaded in august at least. No phonecalls either and I am a dinosaur with a landline and answering machine and nothing there either.

I emailed them, contacted on fb and have been twice on the phone to them today alone and still saying they have escalated it as urgent but surely if it takes under two mins to disconnect (ring doorbell history gave me the times when I finally got to look) then it cannot take weeks to come and undo? The fact of course is that they ONLY operate 9-5 is an issue as I got home after business hours last night so had no way to get anyone there till 9am.
 
Muddle2018 said:
Did not see a disconnection letter come in the house
Click to expand...
The CRU code of conduct says:

Before a supplier disconnects a customer, they need to take the following steps:

  • The supplier must make at least two attempts to contact the customer by notice in writing.
  • The supplier must make at least two additional attempts to contact the customer.
  • Each attempt to contact the customer should take place no less than three working days apart.
  • The disconnection notice issued by a supplier must provide at least 10 working days’ notice in writing. The notice must specify the reason for disconnection and the costs involved.
When a customer who has been disconnected pays off their arrears or reaches an agreement with the supplier, the customer is entitled to be reconnected under the standard terms and conditions. This may include the payment of a deposit.
Click to expand...

So either you've ignored quite a bit of post or Energia are in severe breach of their obligations
 
I work 50% of the time from home and none of the kids would be home before me so fairly sure no letters arrived.

Gas networks have been in touch to say they will reconnect Monday. Its not ideal but glad we have a country club membership to use till then for showers but glad I made three calls to gas networks as THEY were the ones to help me in the end. I will deal with the other crowd asap though. I never ignore bills.
 
Muddle2018 said:
I work 50% of the time from home and none of the kids would be home before me so fairly sure no letters arrived.
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Then you have a good case for financial compensation from Energia. See link above.

Make a written complaint and if they don't give you compensation take it to the CRU. They can't cut you off without any notice as you claim.

Let us know how you get on!
 
NoRegretsCoyote said:
Then you have a good case for financial compensation from Energia. See link above.

Make a written complaint and if they don't give you compensation take it to the CRU. They can't cut you off without any notice as you claim.

Let us know how you get on!
Click to expand...

Yep do it. And, if you don't get satisfaction then why not contact Conor Pope in the Irish Times who will go after Energia relentlessly until they apologise!
 
I actually am acquainted with Conor so that is a good idea. Might fire him off a text this morning. #

Plus side is that gas networks have already been here this morning an reconnected me. Downside is that energia have a LOT of explaining to do and I am switching over as this was a bloody ridiculous nightmare. The house was freezing last night and we had to shower elsewhere plus couldnt use the hob function on the cooker and my child with additional needs only really eats rice and pasta which all need to be cooked on the gas rings. I will be kicking up an utter stink when I log off from work today.
 
I can't really see how this is the fault of Energia.

When you sign up to them and accept paperless billing you are also agreeing to online notifications. You have the choice to receive bills and notification by snail mail if you wish. (at a fee)
"In writing" does not mean a physical letter.

Also, I think with the current switching everyone needs to run their eye over payments from their new accounts and almost have a checklist of payments due to go out so that you are sure the payments have been set up properly with your new bank. Old fashioned pen and paper is what I used

You may not like my conclusion, but it looks like your error was the causation and you are trying to defer the blame to Energia. On the reconnection, they work within the Gas Networks system and go by their availability but as you found out, a call to Gas networks can get this done very quickly especially if its a very recent disconnection.

I'd put it down as an experience to learn from. Life is too short for getting worked up on little minor gripes. You've moved to a new supplier (probably with same notification system) and they have lost your business - that ultimately is the best "redemption" you can get.
 
peemac said:
When you sign up to them and accept paperless billing you are also agreeing to online notifications. You have the choice to receive bills and notification by snail mail if you wish. (at a fee)
"In writing" does not mean a physical letter.
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You can argue about letter and spirit of the rules here but something as consequential as having your gas cut off should be at a minimum announced via a piece of paper addressed to the billpayer.

In any case I regularly get stuff in my spam folder that shouldn't be there. Letters always get delivered.
 
NoRegretsCoyote said:
You can argue about letter and spirit of the rules here but something as consequential as having your gas cut off should be at a minimum announced via a piece of paper addressed to the billpayer.

In any case I regularly get stuff in my spam folder that shouldn't be there. Letters always get delivered.
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I agree fully and possibly a letter was sent. Letters can get lost in a bundles on junk mail or simply put aside and forgotten about.

But the OP has to take some responsibility and not try and say it all someone else's fault.

Remember it is several months of non payment before you get cut-off (admitted by the OP) - so I suspect there are several emails that were ignored (possibly because there is so much spam mail out there too and email does get lost in the constant deluge)

Frankly I'd see it as a good lesson learnt to keep an eye out - especially when doing a change - rather than a "how much compo can I get from blaming someone else for my error"
 
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