Green deal - I have been over charged

Over billing is a serious issue. Market research suggests energy companies have overcharged customers last year £1.6 billion. Most complaints to energy companies are about inaccurate, late or unclear bills. In 2005, new standards for bills were introduced to make things easier for consumers but mistakes are still made and things still do go wrong. You should check your bills carefully to see if you have been charged the rate you expect for energy, and if your bills suddenly increase in cost you should look for errors. There are several potential reasons for overbilling, including:

• Energy companies often try to calculate how much energy (electricity or gas) you use over the year and then average payments. If they calculate this incorrectly you can over pay. If you've either given correct meter readings that your supplier has ignored or they haven’t maintained regular meter readings themselves, you may not have to pay back any arrears from the past 12 months.

• In the case of overcharging due to a faulty meter, if you've complained to your supplier already and they've done nothing, you may not have to pay all of it, though the supplier is allowed to base bills on an estimate in this case.

• Some tariffs, called Economy 7, mean you get cheaper energy during off-peak night times. But suppliers have been known to mix up rates and charge night time usage at the pricier day rate.

If you think you have been billed too highly, you should contact your energy provider’s customer services department and write giving clear details of your case - such as what happened, when, and why you are complaining. If after three weeks you are unhappy with their response, you can contact either the Citizens Advice Consumer Services or the Ombudsman. Resolver recommends that you submit your concern in writing and we can assist you in all aspects of your complaint; formulating letters, recording dialogues, and reminding you when and who to escalate to.

There is a Code of Practice which sets out requirements designed to ensure that all Green Deal Participants and Certification Bodies:

• operate fairly and transparently;

• deliver good customer service;

• have appropriate levels of training;

• and provide appropriate redress mechanisms for customers.

Green Deal Participants and Certification Bodies must ensure that a copy of this Code of Practice is made available, free of charge, to anyone who requests it. This should help you to understand your specific rights if something goes wrong.

A copy can be found here: