Energy firm Utility Point is blaming staffing problems caused by Covid-19 for delays to issuing credit refunds after former customers complained of struggling to get their money back.
One ex-customer of the Dorset-based provider, who contacted BusinessLive, said she was in credit to the tune of £260 - and had been waiting since October for a refund.
She said: “It’s an absolute joke. I have never heard anything like it. Over 15 weeks waiting for them to return my own money to me. It is ridiculous.”
READ MORE: {}
Alice, an NHS nurse and another former customer of Utility Point, said she was moved over to a different energy provider by a switching service and had been struggling to claim back her £80 credit from Utility Point since November.
Under Ofgem rules, once a consumer receives their final bill they should be refunded within 10 days, with up to £30 automatic compensation paid out if the refund is not issued in that time.
When BusinessLive contacted Utility Point, which was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Poole, the company said it was working through its backlog “as quickly as possible”. It also issued refunds to both customers within two days, including compensation, after we made contact.
"We have seen very high absence and sickness levels due to a significant number of our staff and their close contacts contracting Covid, and that naturally presents an ongoing challenge,” a Utility Point spokesperson said.
"Of course we are committed to providing additional support to more and more customers who are needing the extra support as part of the Covid support measures we agreed with Ofgem in March, which naturally put additional pressure on the operation.
Most Read
"We have also recruited additional staff and are training them in a Covid-secure office space. In addition, we have implemented the ability for more of our staff to answer calls from home and as such our lines are open for the usual operating hours."
Utility Point also said a large number of its customers had moved to another supplier through an auto-switching service in a relatively short space of time, which was also adding to the delay.
"We pride ourselves on billing accuracy and it takes an amount of time to process a final bill, and a subsequent refund if required, for these customers, but we are working our way through these as quickly as possible.
"We will address each individual outcome accordingly and are aware of our obligations. We are confident that we are now on an improving trajectory.
"There are many challenges in these unprecedented times and the energy sector is not immune to it. Every supplier will be working their hardest to accommodate the needs of the vulnerable while balancing their obligations and the health and safety of their team."
When BusinessLive asked Ofgem if it was investigating Utility Point, the regulator said it was “in conversations” with the energy provider but could not discuss the details of any ongoing discussions.
Sign up for more business news straight to your inbox
Stay up to date with our daily newsletter, email breaking news alerts and weekly round-ups. To sign up, find out more and see all of our newsletters, follow the link here
Don’t miss
Auto-switching service Look After My Bills, which switched a small number of customers away from the supplier, said it was working to help Utility Point customers and "speed up the process" of people getting refunds.
A spokesperson for the company, which is founded by two former Bristol University students who secured investment after appearing on Dragons' Den, said: "We share people's frustrations with how long it's taking to get refunds.
"Fortunately it's only a tiny fraction of the half a million Look After My Bills members who are facing this issue with Utility Point and we're doing everything we can to help them.
"We're in constant dialogue with Utility Point to try and speed up the process, provide support and do what we can so that Look After My Bills members who we have switched away from Utility Point to a better deal get their money as soon as possible."