In the modern day, electricity is by far one of the most important necessities for humans. At home, we use electricity (and other forms of energy) to cook, keep ourselves warm, get some light at night, get warm water for the bathroom, and power our electronics, just to mention a few common uses. Now, it is highly likely like many other property owners, you get power from a particular energy service provider, especially since producing your own energy can be quite draining, if not expensive and time-consuming. But then again, the terms, prices, and operations vary from one energy company to the other. This brings us to the main point of this article… are you dealing with the right energy company? This having been mentioned, here are a few pointers on what you should know about your energy company in 2019.
1. How they handle wrong bills
Needless to mention, energy companies aren’t robots. They have personnel who are humans too. This means that from time to time, inconsistencies or errors may occur in the process of billing, such that you end up with a bill that is slightly higher or lower than what you expected. Sometimes you might even get a bill for the wrong meter. Well, in places such as the UK, the energy departments have taken initiative to have smart meters reach every home by the year 2020 in bid to curb this menace of billing errors. All the same, it is important to seek to know how your energy company handles such cases of wrong billing to avoid the inconveniences that could come from the same.
2. How bi-annual reviews affect your bill
In most cases, energy suppliers do a review on the cost to ensure that you are paying enough for your electricity. When this happens, it is highly likely for your energy bill to shoot upwards suddenly, leaving you gaping in surprise. However, experts at TXU Energy say that in most countries, energy suppliers are supposed to notify consumers in advance before this happens. This is especially important if you use the direct debit form of payment, which could leave your account with unexpected dents or debt in case the said bill shoots up too high.
3. Missed/untimely bills
Energy is a recurrent type of expenditure and for most energy suppliers, you’re expected to get a bill every month, quarterly, or bi-annually depending on the terms of your particular package. However, it is not uncommon to find yourself going a few months without receiving your monthly bill when dealing with certain energy suppliers. It is always essential to contact your energy supplier as soon as you possibly can if you ever find yourself in that situation as the bill could end up piling up since, in most governments, energy suppliers are allowed to back bill you for up to 6 years. In 2019, you should make a point of knowing how cases of missing bills are handled by your energy company and their clients if at all such cases are common.
In addition to the above, it is also important to seek to find out what would happen if you’re unable to pay your bill due to financial constraints. Can they work out a flexible payment plan that would allow you to make the payments in bits without necessarily disconnecting your property from the grid? These are just some of the few things that you should make a point of knowing about your energy supplier.
