lozz
21-10-2008, 03:19 PM
I've just had quite an interesting chat with my Gas supplier and want to share it with you...(hope this is the appropriate section:))
After watching a very enlightening video posted by h2pogo it literally opened my mind to the fact that we blindly go along with things especially those things that are or appear to be official.
Here it is: http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-7040453665540929835
I had a few phone calls to make and one of them was to my Gas supplier.
I wanted to phone them as i had received a letter from them, Atlantic Electric and Gas signed from Ian Marchant, Chief Executive, stating that their Gas prices are set to rise by 29.2 % and this would be back dated to the 25th of August. The justification for this is the apparent increase in oil prices!
You may be aware of the recent media coverage highlighting the global increase in gas and oil prices, and the effect this is having on wholesale prices for the UK energy industry.
At the end of this letter it also says:
I'm sorry that we are no longer able to resist the pressure to put up prices, but hope to reduce the impact by making this help and support available to you
The number of our helpline is; 0845 078 6784
So thank you very much, i think there are a few questions i'd like to ask. Firstly the operator answers and i got her off guard instantly as instead of just giving her all the personal information she asked for a questioned why she needs it when i'm in actual fact phoning to speak to the man that sent this letter. She firstly said that its not possible to speak to the chief executive but when i persisted but totally friendly and curtious and asked for a more direct number she became almost apologetic and put we through straight away.
The call was then answered by Andy a nice man but not Ian who i had asked to speak to.
Andy tells me its not possible to speak to Ian as he is the Chief Executive but he can help. After he reassured me that he was infact the manager for that department and able to help in anyway and pass on any problems to Ian i decided he was as high as i was going to get.
I firstly asked him how much will my bill go up with this 29.2 % increase including the back dated amount and gave him my meter reading. As he was working this out i asked him in his professional opinion why was it that his company was increasing prices based on oil prices increasing when infact they are dropping?
He laughed and said "I don't really know" lol but he said "my letter was the last of a batch sent out and were out of date with the current climate"!
He told me they haven't told them anything yet and he was aware of the contradiction too.
He then went on to tell me i didn't owe anything even with the increase and credited my account with £10 for the inconvenience :D
It pays to ask! not just the £10 and what ever else it would of cost me, but to hear the manager to the chief executive at Atlantic Electric and Gas say "he didn't know why they were hiking prices when their suppliers prices were dropping.
I'll be using my new found questioning mind a lot more often from now on lol Roll on the letter about my electricity going up lol
After watching a very enlightening video posted by h2pogo it literally opened my mind to the fact that we blindly go along with things especially those things that are or appear to be official.
Here it is: http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-7040453665540929835
I had a few phone calls to make and one of them was to my Gas supplier.
I wanted to phone them as i had received a letter from them, Atlantic Electric and Gas signed from Ian Marchant, Chief Executive, stating that their Gas prices are set to rise by 29.2 % and this would be back dated to the 25th of August. The justification for this is the apparent increase in oil prices!
You may be aware of the recent media coverage highlighting the global increase in gas and oil prices, and the effect this is having on wholesale prices for the UK energy industry.
At the end of this letter it also says:
I'm sorry that we are no longer able to resist the pressure to put up prices, but hope to reduce the impact by making this help and support available to you
The number of our helpline is; 0845 078 6784
So thank you very much, i think there are a few questions i'd like to ask. Firstly the operator answers and i got her off guard instantly as instead of just giving her all the personal information she asked for a questioned why she needs it when i'm in actual fact phoning to speak to the man that sent this letter. She firstly said that its not possible to speak to the chief executive but when i persisted but totally friendly and curtious and asked for a more direct number she became almost apologetic and put we through straight away.
The call was then answered by Andy a nice man but not Ian who i had asked to speak to.
Andy tells me its not possible to speak to Ian as he is the Chief Executive but he can help. After he reassured me that he was infact the manager for that department and able to help in anyway and pass on any problems to Ian i decided he was as high as i was going to get.
I firstly asked him how much will my bill go up with this 29.2 % increase including the back dated amount and gave him my meter reading. As he was working this out i asked him in his professional opinion why was it that his company was increasing prices based on oil prices increasing when infact they are dropping?
He laughed and said "I don't really know" lol but he said "my letter was the last of a batch sent out and were out of date with the current climate"!
He told me they haven't told them anything yet and he was aware of the contradiction too.
He then went on to tell me i didn't owe anything even with the increase and credited my account with £10 for the inconvenience :D
It pays to ask! not just the £10 and what ever else it would of cost me, but to hear the manager to the chief executive at Atlantic Electric and Gas say "he didn't know why they were hiking prices when their suppliers prices were dropping.
I'll be using my new found questioning mind a lot more often from now on lol Roll on the letter about my electricity going up lol