IOM Energy AKA Manx Gas

[CallMeCurious]

7 hours ago, Non-Believer said:

The problem is Stu, that the same thing was said before the previous regulatory agreement was binned and replaced by the new, current.

It took Barry Murphy & Co. to galvanise public opinion and organise the demonstrations outside Tynwald to get anything done, as OFT and Martyn Perkins were defending the existing agreement to the hilt and would have done nothing without those very public protests. If they hadn't happened, would anything have been done, certainly at the pace that it was?

Nothing focuses Tynwald's attention as effectively as the prospect of the plebs on the streets.

Well at least Martyn has £30,000 to offset the rising costs, should last him a year or two..

[finlo]

9 hours ago, 2112 said:

What I can see happening is IOMG taking over, and it becoming another behemoth, probably annexed to Manx Utilities. 

Do you not think they're a big enough shambles already!

[hissingsid]

The last thing the Government want or need is to have to take on Isle of Man Energy and I think that is why OFT is holding back a bit probably under orders.  

[Bazza Smurf]

The Chair of the EPRC has been in touch to advise me that the first draft for their investigation regarding gas 'regulation' 2015/2021 is complete and it will be discussed at their meeting next week. Soon after it should go on the 'register of business' for Tynwald. As I get more information I'll post. 

 

Thank you to all of you that signed the petition some time ago.

 https://www.change.org/iomgascustomers

[2112]

IOM Energy are reducing their office reception/counter opening hours from Monday 3 April 2023, from 11am to 14.30pm Monday to Friday. Perhaps they are short of staff to man a counter and deal with customers? 
 

The best comment is where they are encouraging customers to leave messages and email them, The trouble is they aren’t responding to emails, or complaints. 

Edited March 31, 2023 by 2112

[2112]

Another day, another piece of bullshit. The NPM has John Wannabe Douglas North MHK in his guise of Head of the Office of Fair Trading, waffling on about not suffering in silence about billing issues. I’m sorry Mr Wannabe but in this instance, I have complained, complained and complained both to Island Energy been passed from pillar to post, had complaint numbers given. I have spoken to CURA who in turn have passed on my issues to Mr Wannabes Department. I’m still waiting for a call back from a Manager from Island Energy since early January, and my original complaints were lodged late 2022. The OFT is another toothless, bureaucratic and quite frankly pathetic IOMG department not fit for purpose. When John Wannaburgh was originally elected, I had hopes he would make a difference - he would actually do something. Obviously I was wrong. The time for bullshit, spin and appealing is over. Mr Wannabe does need to do something instead of copying Professor Ashford, the King of Bullshit. If he can’t then he needs to give his attention to the voters of Douglas North, who like others will tire of the inaction of their constituency MHK.

[Roxanne]

They’re really not doing well, are they. 

I received this yesterday. 
 

[hissingsid]

I wonder how many of these letters they have sent out ?    They will probably get a big fine.  If all the people who have had problems had contacted OFT instead of complaining on FB I bet the number of complaints would run into thousands rather than a few hundred the situation seems to going from bad to worse.

[2112]

8 hours ago, hissingsid said:

I wonder how many of these letters they have sent out ?    They will probably get a big fine.  If all the people who have had problems had contacted OFT instead of complaining on FB I bet the number of complaints would run into thousands rather than a few hundred the situation seems to going from bad to worse.

It doesn’t matter if you complain to Island Energy, CURA, OFT and MHK, each one will treat you with contempt and do nothing. IOMG are scared of the likes of Island Energy, otherwise action would have been taken. However IOMG are as bad as IEG both as clueless. 
 

John Wannabe MHK Political Head Ofiice of Fair Trading sadly despite all his ‘fighting’ talk has proved himself to be totally useless, and gutless. It’s a shame, he really has become ripe fodder as a shoo in for Bill Henderson’s MLC seat when he retires. 

Edited April 26, 2023 by 2112

[rodders]

Pretty much agree @2112. Since i sent letters out to the oft, IoME and the bank, as explained many pages back, I have had action from the bank and to a certain extent IoME, but nothing from the oft. IoME were adament that the meter reading was an actual reading (3100) so I was to pay it immediately. (It is currently 3002.) I told them I will pay it when my meter reads 3100 or when the bill is corrected. Since then, there has been an estimated bill of 3178 and a total "owed"is £511.49. As I say, the reading now, 4 months later is 3002. And the OFT is silent.

[2112]

1 hour ago, rodders said:

Pretty much agree @2112. Since i sent letters out to the oft, IoME and the bank, as explained many pages back, I have had action from the bank and to a certain extent IoME, but nothing from the oft. IoME were adament that the meter reading was an actual reading (3100) so I was to pay it immediately. (It is currently 3002.) I told them I will pay it when my meter reads 3100 or when the bill is corrected. Since then, there has been an estimated bill of 3178 and a total "owed"is £511.49. As I say, the reading now, 4 months later is 3002. And the OFT is silent.

Forget any assistance from John Wannabe MHK who is too interested in other things, except his role as political head of the Office of Fair Trading. 

[x-in-man]

Big fine  - paid how?

From putting the prices up.

I'd be taking to them and asking for at least 18months of no bills in compensation for all the hassle of having to swap emails and things.  

[2112]

57 minutes ago, x-in-man said:

Big fine  - paid how?

From putting the prices up.

I'd be taking to them and asking for at least 18months of no bills in compensation for all the hassle of having to swap emails and things.  

Island Energy may have a monopoly but that doesn’t entitle them to take advantage, overcharge, manipulate the billing regime, reduce counter hours, not reply to emails etc etc etc. IOMG are guilty by not enforcing standards - they are quick enough to hammer landlords and other businesses when it suits, but are shit scared of challenging this unacceptable monopoly energy supplier. Granted you can increase prices to pay for fines etc - that’s where IOMG should be laying down the law, taking action and telling them if you want - sue us! If you don’t pay we will sieze your assets and business. 

[John Wright]

4 hours ago, x-in-man said:

Big fine  - paid how?

From putting the prices up.

I'd be taking to them and asking for at least 18months of no bills in compensation for all the hassle of having to swap emails and things.  

Except, because what they charge, and the profit they are allowed to make, is regulated to give a fixed return on capital employed, any fine comes out of their profit, and should have no effect on gas price.

[Roxanne]

Still no written assurance from gas company

 

Isle of Man Energy still hasn’t supplied written assurance pledging it will change its behaviour towards its customers following billing problems. 

The Office of Fair Trading stepped in during January after the gas company had received a number of complaints about its billing system. 

The system had been upgraded in October and was described as experiencing ‘teething problems’. 

The problem has now been fixed but over 350 complaints have been received by the OFT since the problem began. 

 

Isle of Man Energy, formerly known as Manx Gas, has over 23,000 customers. 

It’s mainly dealing with a rolling number of new complaints on historical issues, dealt with sometimes ‘within 24 hours’. 

It’s possible that further action could be taken if the OFT isn’t satisfied. 

Mr Wannenburgh said: ‘Where it appears to the OFT the person is behaving in a manner that is detrimental to consumers, it will do its best to obtain a satisfactory written assurance they will not behave in that manner.’ 

If not, the OFT will refer the issue to the attorney general’s office. 

The chair confirmed that no written assurance has been obtained and the OFT is ‘considering further action’. 

‘The OFT can only fire the arrows it has in its armoury,’ Mr Wannenburgh added. 

Isle of Man Energy chief executive Jo Cox apologised for errors that had appeared on gas bills, with one customer having just under £65,000 wrongly withdrawn by direct debit. The OFT previously warned the company that enforcement action would follow if billing issues weren’t resolved in a timely fashion.