Water complaints, Energy credits, Delivery charges
Nearly half of the water companies in England and Wales are getting more complaints. And should you pay more for deliveries if you live at a remote address?
Nearly half of the water companies in England and Wales are getting more complaints. That's according to the Consumer Council for Water. The watchdog says ten companies had more written complaints between 2015 and 2016 than in the previous year. It's the biggest increase in complaints since 2008. Most were about billing and charges. It follows a fall in the number of complaints over several years. What do the complaints tell us about the water industry and what changes are needed?
You & Yours listeners have been telling us how some energy suppliers are allowing their accounts to accumulate huge credits. It happens when people over-pay on their regular direct debit, and don't notice the credit rising. Several have discovered a credit of 拢3,000 on their account, one told us of a 96-year-old relative whose credit had climbed to 拢6,000. Earlier this month we discovered that energy suppliers have been holding on to nearly 拢4 billion of customers' money on live energy accounts. Today the energy regulator, Ofgem, has issued new figures on how much companies are retaining in accounts that have been closed, after customers switched to another supplier or moved house.
Should you pay more to have things delivered to your house, if you live at a remote address? The Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has spoken out after a woman was charged 拢50 to deliver a 拢6 pair of towels to her home in Speyside. A flat-rate ensures that everyone pays the same delivery charge, but it does mean people in urban areas, in effect subsidising the cost of delivery to remote addresses. An industry expert explains how online retailers are tackling this dilemma.
Producer: Jonathan Hallewell
Presenter: Winifred Robinson.
Last on
Chapters
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Energy Credits
Energy suppliers retaining money from their former customers
Duration: 06:50
Tree Planting
The government looks set to miss its target to plant 11 million trees by 2020
Duration: 07:00
GP Closures
What can be done to stem the closures of GP practices?
Duration: 06:35
Delivery Charges
Should you pay for more for deliveries if you live in a remote location?
Duration: 05:26
Water Complaints
Nearly half of all water companies in England and Wales are getting more complaints
Duration: 04:47
International Scammer
The latest on a man who made his way round Europe scamming unwitting travellers
Duration: 07:03
Broadcast
- Thu 22 Dec 2016 12:15麻豆社 Radio 4