Atlantic Electric and Gas Review

Overall Rating

They were the cheapest for our area.

Unable to use customer meter readings.

We are using them for both our electric and gas supply. We have found their online web account just doesn't deliver what it should, and that they do not use customer meter readings and overcharge at time price increases. Read on...

Atlantic Electric and Gas have a very complex pricing structure, based upon the region of the UK in which you live. They also have a few different pricing schemes. Having used www.uswitch.com to find the cheapest supplier for us, we settled on the "no standing charge, online account" with Atlantic Electric and Gas.

This account is run online, but really fails to deliver both in functionality and customer service.

Their web site has the facility to enter meter readings which you take yourself. No problem at all, I know where my meters are, I can read them and I can enter the readings within my web account.

Atlantic Electric and Gas issue invoices periodically within your web account, and send notification that an invoice is there to your designated e-mail address. No problem. That works, and an invoice can be downloaded. Fine you might think...

But, Atlantic Electric and Gas take absolutely no notice of readings you give. After being with them for quite a time, I have never had an invoice directly generated that actually uses my readings for the date that I gave that reading.

On 1st January 2007 Atlantic Electric and Gas hiked up all their prices (way above inflation). They gave notice of the price increases. When they hike the prices they do not actually ask you to take a meter reading so that your usage can be costed correctly up to and after the price rise. What they do is issue and invoice some time later using an estimate that they derive, and they make a guess at what your meter readings were on the date of the price increase.

What they do is assume a low reading at the time of the price increase so that you then get charged for more usage at the higher cost.

Having been stung before, we decided to take reading before the latest price increase. I took readings on 31st December 2006 and submitted those via the web account. For the gas reading I actually submitted my readings 3 times; each time the readings were ignored.

So, I contacted them via their e-mail address. They do have a contact form but don't bother with that. Eventually, I was given a credit for the overcharging. But here is the amazing thing... I was told that they can't actually use your meter readings as given. I quote exactly what I was told.

Quote:
I regret that our billing system is configured to pro rata through price changes, and that we don't have the facility to instruct it to use a specific reading on the day of the price change.

We are however happy to calculate any adjustments should a customer contact us after the bill has been issued, to take into account of a meter reading on the day of the price change.

Customers should contact us via telephone, email or letter as the adjustment is a manual process. Opening and closing meter readings submitted for any other bills are used and the charges amended as normal.

I apologise for any inconvenience this has caused you, and I trust this is to your satisfaction.

Customer Liaison Adviser

Unquote:

They are relying on the fact that most customers will not think about taking a reading at the time of a price increase.

We will now be looking again for a cheaper supplier, and we will try to get someone who does not overcharge their customers.

Members' Comments ondavidfthorn's Review

• davidfthorn on 29th Mar 2007

  We have now switched to NPower. Start up readings have been provided to NPower. Those very same readings were given by NPower to Atlantic for the closing invoice.
  
  But, our final invoice has arrived from Atlantic and they have used totally different readings. Needless to say, their readings are higher than they really were on the transfer date. I checked the meter again today and we are not even up to the figures that Atlantic are trying to charge for.
  
  The last Atlantic invoice states that these were actual readings taken on a date when we were out of the country and no-one could have accessed the meters!
  
  I called Atlantic and they said the readings were those given to them by NPower. I called NPower and double-checked the figures they had. Sure enough, exactly as I gave them.
  
  Atlantic say that NPower must provide them with the readings, and they can't take the figures from me (the customer). This process may take 3 weeks.
  
  Atlantic also admitted to me that if there is a difference of less than 250 units on any figures given, they do not consider this to be an error! What total nonsense is that?
  
  So I've cancelled the direct debit with Atlantic, as they had planned to just take what they think I owe from our bank soon.