thanks conniff. It would be good fo get some advice from those who've been through it before I get the call from the next level manager. Seems to me that these firms implement customer cons rather than care. Cheers.

Sorry guys and gals... a long story. Questions: should I take this to the ombudsman? How strong is my position really? last summer i received notice that my dual fual provider was going to up my monthly by about over 25%, to approx £125 ....time to switch I think....I duly switch and agree a monthly payment, £100, to cover projected energy consumption, a few £'s more than my original Monthly bill, I'm very happy. A couple of weeks later nice man 1 from the original Energy Company rings me and, after some discussion, states he can offer me a new deal....£80 pcm. I say "can you assure me that I won't be hit with a demand for extra payment at the end of the year. Assuming the same energy consumption as over the last year of my last contract with you, will £80pcm definitely cover to cost of me?" "Absolutely!" came the assured reply. Wow, of course I'll return to your company. I'm a very happy bunny now....they've cut me a great deal to get me back. That's competition at work. I monitor monthly consumption and both G & E usage is less than the last year so i might even be due a rebate, I think....towards the end of the year i get an email that i miss for a while due to life events; an additional charge of £250 paid by DD. A month later it dawns on me i have to take this up. First i use the web-site email. "what's going on" I say after explaining the above. After a week or two, Nice lady 1 rings.....after repeating the story she says she hasn't got access to the data regarding my previous account and consumption. After some pushing, she'll check it out and get back to me. She rings back acouple of days later, i'm not in, i hear no more. After a week or two i ring them up. nice man 2 says she went on holiday, so that explains it. Evidently they just allow things to drop when someone's away. that's customer service that is! Someone will get back to me. A week or so later i email via the Web-site again. I'm not HP...What's happening? No answer was the stern reply. A couple of weeks later I go on line and engage in a"live-chat" where the nice person (uncertain of gender) tries to explain that the cost of my energy consumption totalled more than my monthly £80.....by £250, it's perfectly reasonable. Ordnarily i'd agree, but I was assured I wouldn't pay more if I didn't use more..I didn't so i shouldn't! I want to to speak with someone in person please! Nice person raises a complaint for me; a week or so later nice man 3 rings and we go through the story again. It's all so reasonable...the cost of the energy used by me cost more, etc, etc. The agent who made the deal with me must have just misinformed me. I challenge him to trace the recording of our telephone coversation in which I was given these assurances. Oh, alright then, He'll do that and get back to me. A week or so later, nice lady 2 rings me...they can't trace the recorded conversation from the previous year but the energy I used cost more, etc, etc. This is a con I think...I want my money back! A few days later nice man 3 rings back, so sorry we can't find the recording, but the energy I used cost more....i've had enough, i'm adamant. Ok then, nice man 3 will have to pass it on to his manager. A week or so later nice lady 3 rings me..."ever so sorry we haven't been able to resolve your query. How about £25 compensation?" I'm incredulous. Why £25? "Oh, it's our standard offer when a customer's query can't be answered satisfactorily." No thanks I say, I want my money back. nice lady 3 has to get her manager to look into this. What a great [problem] I think. Make false promises to regain a customer, con them out of £250 and offer them £25. This is a fantastic [problem]! A few days later nice lady 4 rings; she has succeeded in tracing the the recording they couldn't previously find. I have listened to it and, Yes, the advisor did assure me that my £80 pcm would cover the costs; but, he was wrong! Her proposal in view of the circumstances, How about £125, to be paid into my account. But surely, I say, this advisor made a verbal contract with me; He lied to me for the purpose of regaining my account. Oh no...she doesn't believe he would do that. she has no idea on what basis he could have given me such assurances, and she has no other explanation for his assurances, but he didn't purposefully lie and it's not a [problem]. If I not happy with £125, what will satisfy me. £250 I say; what i have been conned out of. Well she has to pass that on for her manager to talk to me..... And that's where i am now. So, back to my questions please. How strong is my position really? Should I take this to the Ombudsman? What do you think? Thanks for reading.

Good morning all. Decided to use the quiet time to check out my ground re; a dispute i've currently got with an energy company. I've had a go on varius advice sites in the past, usually to do with cars, but always seem to find something about these sites quite intimidating. Wolfy is probably a more apt username. I'll now llook to find a suitable place to ask for advice on my Dual Fuel deal that turned out not to be such a deal afterall. Thanks in anticipation of help.