0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you to tell us what's left you feeling totally ripped off,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07and you've contacted us in your thousands.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10You've told us about the companies you think get it wrong
0:00:10 > 0:00:14and the customer service that simply isn't up to scratch.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16There's a lot of blurb written down
0:00:16 > 0:00:19but, in practice, the words are absolutely meaningless.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22I mean, people just can't afford these prices, it's ridiculous.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25You've asked us to track down the scammers who stole your money
0:00:25 > 0:00:29and investigate the extra charges that you say are unfair.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33They're in a win-win situation and you're in a lose-lose situation.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36If you don't do something about it, I think it's your own fault.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40And when you've lost out but nobody else is to blame,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43you've come to us to stop others falling into the same trap.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49So, whether it's a blatant rip off or a genuine mistake,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52we're here to find out why you're out of pocket
0:00:52 > 0:00:54and what you can do about it.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Your stories, your money.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06where today we're going to be tackling a topic
0:01:06 > 0:01:08that affects every single one of us.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11And it's one that that costs the average British household
0:01:11 > 0:01:16in excess of £100 every month.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Yes, we're talking about energy.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20And with the continuing controversy
0:01:20 > 0:01:22about the big six gas and electricity companies
0:01:22 > 0:01:25making bigger profits than ever before,
0:01:25 > 0:01:28we'll be putting them and their customer service to the test.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30But while almost everybody now seems agreed
0:01:30 > 0:01:32that we've been paying over the odds,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35so far that's done very little to bring prices down.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39So we'll have plenty of tips on how you can keep the cost down
0:01:39 > 0:01:41without having to turn your heating down as well.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Coming up, we reveal shocking figures
0:01:44 > 0:01:47on how long the big six energy companies
0:01:47 > 0:01:48kept us hanging on the phone
0:01:48 > 0:01:51when we tested how quickly they answered their phones.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Energy companies need to do a lot better and up their game,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58and make sure that they're answering their phone calls quickly.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00And the family who spent almost all of the winter
0:02:00 > 0:02:02without heating or hot water
0:02:02 > 0:02:06after discovering that a 24-hour, year-round boiler care
0:02:06 > 0:02:08doesn't always mean what you think.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11You don't realise how bad it is.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13It was just horrendous really.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16It was unbelievable.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Now, when it comes to energy,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23one of the things that really gets you fired up to contact us
0:02:23 > 0:02:27is issues with the company that supplies you.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29The big six gas and electricity suppliers
0:02:29 > 0:02:31are rarely out of our inbox,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33or the headlines.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Cost is the main complaint
0:02:35 > 0:02:36but there's unhappiness too
0:02:36 > 0:02:39with just about every area of their customer service,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41with many of you telling us
0:02:41 > 0:02:44how frustrated you are at the length of time it can take
0:02:44 > 0:02:47when you ring them up before you get to speak to anyone.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Instead, you can spend what seems like hours in a queue,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54listening over and over again to the same piece of music.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Vivaldi's Four Seasons, anyone?!
0:02:57 > 0:02:59So we thought we'd do the same thing we did
0:02:59 > 0:03:01with some of the phone companies last year.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04We rang each of the big six energy suppliers
0:03:04 > 0:03:06and then timed them
0:03:06 > 0:03:07to see how long it would take
0:03:07 > 0:03:10to be put through to an actual human being.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16It's one of modern life's biggest bugbears,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19one we all have to put up with once in a while.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22- PHONE:- Please press the star key on your phone twice.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24It can be a total of 20 minutes
0:03:24 > 0:03:27before you actually get to speak to somebody, which is bit annoying.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28"Press one for this, press two for that,"
0:03:28 > 0:03:31when I'd rather just speak to a human being.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33If you was ringing to be a new customer,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36I bet you'd get answered in one minute.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39In our last series, we tested how quickly the phone companies
0:03:39 > 0:03:42put you through to a real person when you call.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45But, looking at our postbag again, it quickly became clear
0:03:45 > 0:03:47that there's an entirely different industry
0:03:47 > 0:03:50that keeps you hanging on, and on, and on, and on.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54The energy regulator Ofgem added fuel to the fire
0:03:54 > 0:03:57by announcing that there'd been more complaints
0:03:57 > 0:03:59about the big six energy companies
0:03:59 > 0:04:02in the first quarter of 2014 than ever before.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06So, armed with that, it was pretty clear who we should be testing
0:04:06 > 0:04:08in our next customer service challenge.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12So, we recruited a group of helpers,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14assigned each of them their own energy company,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16gave them a phone and a stopwatch,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19and asked them to make one call an hour from 10am to 7pm,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22timing how long it took from the moment the call connected,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25until an actual human being picked up at the other end.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- PHONE:- Good evening, you're through to British Gas. How can I help today?
0:04:28 > 0:04:32Key to our team were members of a local synchronised swimming team.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34They're used to working hard together.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35..7,8.
0:04:35 > 0:04:381, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41But if things go as we think they might,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43this could be the last time today they'll be able to keep
0:04:43 > 0:04:46their usual synchronicity.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48# Somebody, answer the phone... #
0:04:48 > 0:04:52We called the main customer service number of the big six -
0:04:52 > 0:04:58British Gas, E.ON, EDF Energy, Npower, ScottishPower and SSE -
0:04:58 > 0:05:00a total of 14 times each.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03To make sure we weren't just calling on a bad day,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06we spread those calls over two different weekdays.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08- PHONE:- We're busy helping other customers at the moment.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Please hold, and we'll be with you shortly.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12MUSIC PLAYS
0:05:12 > 0:05:14So, how did they do?
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Well, after all that, the best performer of them all
0:05:18 > 0:05:19turned out to be...
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Ta-da.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23..British Gas.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24Which also happens to be
0:05:24 > 0:05:29the single biggest supplier of gas and electricity to British homes.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- PHONE:- Good afternoon, and welcome to British Gas.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35We were able to speak to one of their team on average
0:05:35 > 0:05:37in 2 minutes and 41 seconds.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39And on their fastest call,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42they only kept us waiting for 1 minute 15 seconds.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45The next quickest were EDF Energy,
0:05:45 > 0:05:49on average keeping us on hold for just a shade under three minutes.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51- PHONE:- Hello, you're through to customer services.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55At their best, EDF picked up after one minute and nine seconds,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59the fastest that any of the big six answered one of our calls.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Next up, E.ON with an average call time
0:06:01 > 0:06:04of around three and a half minutes.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07But the calls our synchronised swimmers made in the early evening
0:06:07 > 0:06:09took much longer to connect,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11in one case more than ten minutes.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12PHONE RINGS
0:06:12 > 0:06:14- PHONE:- Thanks for calling E.ON.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Fourth of the six were SSE
0:06:16 > 0:06:19with an average waiting time of just under five minutes.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22The longest wait with them was more than 13 minutes.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24But, looking on the bright side,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27they answered much faster around mid-afternoon.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Well, so far, calls to four of the big six
0:06:30 > 0:06:34have connected to a human being in an average of under five minutes.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37But I'm afraid it was all downhill from there.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39When it came to the last two companies -
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Npower and ScottishPower - we had to wait a LOT longer.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46- PHONE:- Good afternoon, and thanks for calling Npower.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Npower, the company that proportionally had more complaints
0:06:50 > 0:06:52from its customers in the first quarter of 2014
0:06:52 > 0:06:54than any of the rest of the big six.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58They took almost 13 minutes on average to answer our calls.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00The shortest wait was four and half minutes,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04and the longest - almost 21 and a half.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06- PHONE:- We sometimes record and listen to calls
0:07:06 > 0:07:07to improve our service.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11But even that pales in comparison
0:07:11 > 0:07:15to the worst performer in our big six customer service challenge.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17A company who, each time we called,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21greeted us with this recorded message...
0:07:21 > 0:07:23- PHONE:- Thank you for calling ScottishPower.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Good news, we've now extended our customer service opening hours...
0:07:26 > 0:07:27Well, that's lovely but
0:07:27 > 0:07:30the average time we were on hold to ScottishPower
0:07:30 > 0:07:33was 34 minutes and 16 seconds.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Even our shortest call to them
0:07:35 > 0:07:37clocked in at more than 18 minutes.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41But the longest was 53 minutes and 7 seconds.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Yep, that's nearly an hour.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45- PHONE:- One moment, please.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48And it might have been even longer
0:07:48 > 0:07:50but we'll never know because,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53at that point, we were cut off.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56So, on that call, even after 53 whole minutes,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00we never got to speak to an actual human being.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04In total, we spent more than six and a quarter hours
0:08:04 > 0:08:06on hold to ScottishPower.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Peter Murray from Which? says that's outrageous.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Energy prices are consumers' top financial concern,
0:08:14 > 0:08:15and over the last few years
0:08:15 > 0:08:18we've seen really big hikes in energy prices
0:08:18 > 0:08:22which are hitting an awful lot of consumers really, really hard.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24And so, consumers feel really frustrated
0:08:24 > 0:08:27when they have a basic problem with their energy supplier
0:08:27 > 0:08:29that they want resolved
0:08:29 > 0:08:32but they have to sit on the phone for a long time
0:08:32 > 0:08:33to get it answered,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36and that's why energy companies need to do a lot better,
0:08:36 > 0:08:37and up their game,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41and make sure that they're answering their phone calls quickly.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44But there was still one more twist to come in our test.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46When you're stuck on hold
0:08:46 > 0:08:48listening to the same music again and again,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51I bet you've had a sneaking suspicion
0:08:51 > 0:08:53that if you were calling up as a new customer
0:08:53 > 0:08:55rather than an existing one,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58they'd answer your call a lot more quickly.
0:08:58 > 0:08:59Let's see if that's true.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Well, what do you know, it was.
0:09:03 > 0:09:04We didn't call E.ON
0:09:04 > 0:09:07as they simply referred new customers to their website.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09But we rang the rest of the big six's numbers
0:09:09 > 0:09:13for new customers a total of three times each.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15And, without exception, we got through to someone
0:09:15 > 0:09:18faster than we did when calling as an existing customer.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20British Gas, again, answered most quickly,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23in less than 30 seconds every time.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24But just about all the companies
0:09:24 > 0:09:26picked up the phone to new customers
0:09:26 > 0:09:28in an average of around a minute or less.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32- PHONE:- Good afternoon. Can I take your full name, please?
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Even ScottishPower who, remember,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36took more than 34 minutes on average
0:09:36 > 0:09:38to speak to existing customers...
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- PHONE:- Good afternoon, you're through to ScottishPower...
0:09:41 > 0:09:43..well, they picked up one call to their new customer line
0:09:43 > 0:09:45in just 31 seconds,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48and the others in less than 90.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51It shouldn't be the case that existing customers
0:09:51 > 0:09:54of energy companies have to wait a lot longer
0:09:54 > 0:09:56for their calls to be answered
0:09:56 > 0:09:58than people who are phoning up an energy company
0:09:58 > 0:10:00to switch to them.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02People who are existing customers deserve to be treated
0:10:02 > 0:10:05in exactly the same way as new customers,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08and that's something that energy companies have got to put right.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11When we put our test results to the big six themselves,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13each of them stressed how committed they are
0:10:13 > 0:10:16to providing good customer service and dealing with calls quickly.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20And either quoted the average waiting times from their own tests
0:10:20 > 0:10:23or emphasised the improvements they've made to speed things up.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26A couple of them insisted that, despite our experience,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29they DON'T prioritise new customers over existing customers,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31while the others pointed out
0:10:31 > 0:10:33that the skills required to deal with calls
0:10:33 > 0:10:36from new and existing customers are very different,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38as is the volume of calls to each line.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41And ScottishPower, who took the longest time to pick up the phone
0:10:41 > 0:10:42when we called,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45apologised to any customer who's found it difficult
0:10:45 > 0:10:48to contact them recently, putting it down to a difficult move
0:10:48 > 0:10:51to a new £200-million account management system,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55which they accept has led to a dip in customer service levels.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58But they've taken on hundreds of additional call-handling staff
0:10:58 > 0:11:00and extended their call centre opening hours,
0:11:00 > 0:11:01so they're confident
0:11:01 > 0:11:04customers should see real service improvements.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08But what does the body that speaks for ALL energy providers
0:11:08 > 0:11:09make of all this?
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Later in the programme we're getting straight to the point
0:11:11 > 0:11:13with Energy UK.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15The reality is that there are many instances
0:11:15 > 0:11:18where the customer service is just atrocious.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23If it's the middle of winter,
0:11:23 > 0:11:24the last thing you want
0:11:24 > 0:11:26is for your boiler to pack up
0:11:26 > 0:11:28and leave you without either heating or hot water,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31or, worse still, without both.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32That's why so many of us
0:11:32 > 0:11:35take out special cover to make sure that if that does happen,
0:11:35 > 0:11:40then things will be sorted out by expert engineers fast.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43But here's a story to really send a chill down your spine.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45It involves a family in Wolverhampton
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and a policy that came with the promise of
0:11:48 > 0:11:51365 day cover and protection.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Not entirely accurate as it turned out
0:11:54 > 0:11:56because, when their boiler broke down,
0:11:56 > 0:12:00they were left in the cold with no heating or hot water
0:12:00 > 0:12:03not for just days, or even weeks,
0:12:03 > 0:12:04but for months.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10There's rarely a quiet moment in the Walker household.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Over the past 25 years, Graham and Linda from Staffordshire
0:12:15 > 0:12:17have fostered over 50 children,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19and had seven of their own.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23As foster parents, it's absolutely vital that their home is safe,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25secure and, most importantly, warm.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29That's why, in April 2012, they spent around £1,700
0:12:29 > 0:12:34on a brand-new boiler to power their hot water and central heating.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35- Graham!- Hello, Angela.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- Good to see you.- Lovely to meet you. - You too.- Come through.- Yes, please.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42The new boiler worked just as it should for the next 18 months.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46But then, as boilers sometimes do, it stopped.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49I'm assuming then, that this is where said boiler lives.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Said boiler lives in there, yes.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55There it is. There's the villain of the piece.
0:12:55 > 0:12:56Not very old.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58You don't realise how bad it is.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00You just don't realise
0:13:00 > 0:13:02cos you automatically get up in the morning...
0:13:02 > 0:13:04I have a shower,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Linda has a bath, the kids have baths, showers, whatever,
0:13:07 > 0:13:11and, all of a sudden, there's nothing there, so, what do you do?
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Well, Graham didn't for a moment think that
0:13:13 > 0:13:16the broken boiler would prove to be more than a brief inconvenience.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20After all, he and Linda had been paying almost £14 a month
0:13:20 > 0:13:22for a boiler care policy
0:13:22 > 0:13:25that would cover repairs in just this kind of situation.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29So, Graham picked up the phone to the boiler care provider
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Home Energy Services, or HES,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33whose website says that they offer
0:13:33 > 0:13:36365 days of care and protection.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Told them we needed somebody to come out straightaway basically,
0:13:40 > 0:13:46cos we've got a 365 days a year cover call out.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49And I wanted someone out quite urgently really
0:13:49 > 0:13:52cos we've got young children in the house
0:13:52 > 0:13:55and we needed hot water and central heating.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59But the company's response was NOT what Graham was expecting.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02They gave me an appointment within two weeks,
0:14:02 > 0:14:03exactly two weeks.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- Two weeks without central heating and hot water?- Yes.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- I bet you didn't put up with that. - No, I didn't.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13Graham convinced HES to bring the appointment forward by a week.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Even then, everyone in the house faced seven days
0:14:16 > 0:14:20with no heating or hot water...in November.
0:14:20 > 0:14:21What did you do initially?
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Got the pots and pans out of that cupboard,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26put them on the hob,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29boiled them, carried them upstairs to the bath.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33It took me 1 hour 35 minutes to fill a bath,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35for one person to have a bath.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39After a week of going out to friends' and neighbours' homes
0:14:39 > 0:14:42to wash, and wearing extra layers indoors,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45the HES engineer came to fix the boiler.
0:14:45 > 0:14:46But there was a problem.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49The engineer told Graham that he'd need to order a new part
0:14:49 > 0:14:51which would take at least a week to order.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55But when they came to fit the new part, it blew straightaway,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57so the family had to wait again.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59And it took three more engineer visits
0:14:59 > 0:15:02and another two and half weeks before the right part was fitted.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04You must have been tearing your hair out!
0:15:04 > 0:15:07- That's being polite.- Polite. - THEY LAUGH
0:15:08 > 0:15:11After they'd spent a month with no heating or hot water,
0:15:11 > 0:15:12the boiler was fixed.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15But a week later, and just a week before Christmas,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17it stopped working again.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Graham now knew that any new parts would most likely only arrive
0:15:20 > 0:15:21after the New Year,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24meaning that his family would have to face Christmas Day
0:15:24 > 0:15:26without any heating or hot water.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29To help the family cope with the cold,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32HES did give them a small heater.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35But that only saw the family's electricity bill hit the roof.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38- So your electric bill's gone up? - Yes, astronomically.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42It was a £160-something for two months.
0:15:42 > 0:15:47Christmas came and went, as did even more unsuccessful engineer visits.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Eventually, the boiler looked like it was repaired
0:15:50 > 0:15:55but, even then, the heating and hot water only worked intermittently.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57We got to the stage where I said to these guys...
0:15:57 > 0:15:59I said, "Look, enough's enough."
0:15:59 > 0:16:03I said, "If you don't fix it this time, you can put a new boiler in.
0:16:03 > 0:16:04"You shouldn't need to put a new boiler in.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08"As we've said, it's only two years old.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10"But you're not capable of doing the job,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12"so I suggest you get a new boiler in."
0:16:12 > 0:16:15As it happened, that was when it got fixed.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21At last, more than three months after it first broke down,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23the boiler was mended for good,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27and the family could finally have a bath in their own home.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29But Graham and Linda can't understand
0:16:29 > 0:16:31why had it taken so long.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33They'd only taken out their boiler policy
0:16:33 > 0:16:38which, remember, had assured them of a "24/7, 365 days a year cover"
0:16:38 > 0:16:42in the belief they would ALWAYS be able to keep warm and clean
0:16:44 > 0:16:45And if it did break down,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47what was your expectation of the kind of service
0:16:47 > 0:16:48you were going to get
0:16:48 > 0:16:51from the insurance policy that you had?
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Somebody out within a couple of days to mend it.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59I think a couple of days I would have been happy with or accepted.
0:16:59 > 0:17:00Linda's being lenient.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03I would have expected someone out within 24 hours.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07When we spoke to Home Energy Services
0:17:07 > 0:17:09they told us that, on this occasion,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12they did not provide the high level of service
0:17:12 > 0:17:14that customers have come to expect,
0:17:14 > 0:17:15for which they apologised.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17They said the problems
0:17:17 > 0:17:21were partly due to the uncommon make and model of the boiler,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23which made sourcing the necessary parts difficult.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27In the end, they had to order direct from the manufacturer in Italy,
0:17:27 > 0:17:28causing further delay,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32particularly as the manufacturer was closed over Christmas.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35They explained that, although Home Energy Services
0:17:35 > 0:17:38operate a 365 day a year service,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41unfortunately, their suppliers and boiler manufacturers
0:17:41 > 0:17:45do not necessarily replicate the same opening times.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Even so, they made every endeavour to rectify the situation.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52But it was only after the first fault had been fixed
0:17:52 > 0:17:54that they were able to identify further ones.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55They added that
0:17:55 > 0:17:59from around 200,000 appointments every year,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01only 1.4% result in a complaint.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03But they have now given the family
0:18:03 > 0:18:06a goodwill payment for the inconvenience caused
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and made improvements to their support systems
0:18:09 > 0:18:11to ensure that nothing similar happens again.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17But with many of us now signing up for boiler care policies,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20personal finance expert Sarah Pennells says,
0:18:20 > 0:18:21"You might need to pay close attention
0:18:21 > 0:18:23"to make sure that the level of protection
0:18:23 > 0:18:26"is exactly what you think."
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Boiler insurance can be value for money
0:18:28 > 0:18:31as long as you're clear about exactly what you're getting.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34What you're not buying is peace of mind.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37You're buying cover that will pay out in certain circumstances.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41As long as you understand those limits, it can work for you.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44All these policies say they've got a 24-hour staffed call centre.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Well, that's fine.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48But what they don't say is how quickly you'll be seen.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50So look at the small print
0:18:50 > 0:18:53and find out how quickly an engineer will get to you.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56They'll normally prioritise people who are older
0:18:56 > 0:18:59but with some policies, you may have to pay quite a lot extra
0:18:59 > 0:19:01to get seen the same day.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03But while boiler cover may not always give
0:19:03 > 0:19:05quite the service you assume,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Graham still feels that the length of time it took
0:19:07 > 0:19:10for his family's problems to be resolved was far too long.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13It was just horrendous really.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16It was...unbelievable.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Guys that I have a drink with over the road, people in the village,
0:19:19 > 0:19:23nobody could believe that we had no hot water and central heating.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Still to come on Rip-Off Britain,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34a woman who's become something of a superhero to her neighbours
0:19:34 > 0:19:36after coming to the rescue of anyone
0:19:36 > 0:19:38who's been charged too much for their energy.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42Somebody came up to me and said, "Are you the leccy girl?"
0:19:42 > 0:19:44And I said, "Well, if you mean I help people out
0:19:44 > 0:19:47"with their electricity bills where I can, then, yes."
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Every summer we open up our annual pop up shop,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57and this time we brought it to one of the biggest shopping centres
0:19:57 > 0:19:59in the West Midlands...
0:20:00 > 0:20:02..where we had more people than ever before
0:20:02 > 0:20:04calling in for help and advice.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06So you've now got to think about
0:20:06 > 0:20:08bringing a claim in the small claims court
0:20:08 > 0:20:11and putting together the evidence that you're going to need
0:20:11 > 0:20:12to make that claim.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Our team of experts were on hand, not just for one-to-one advice,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20but also running workshops for passing shoppers.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Chances are that your personal information
0:20:23 > 0:20:25may well have been exposed to hackers at some point
0:20:25 > 0:20:26over the last 18 months.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31We also set up our famous gripe corner,
0:20:31 > 0:20:32where you couldn't wait to tell us
0:20:32 > 0:20:34about the things that annoy you the most.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39What really annoys me more than anything is the energy prices.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42It seems that they have no consistency.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46The biggest rip off for me in Britain is theme parks
0:20:46 > 0:20:48as I can't afford to take my daughter to one
0:20:48 > 0:20:50as they're too expensive.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54I get annoyed with the cost of travelling with buses and trains.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56I think it's a rip off.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02- Hello, good to see you. Hi. Do take a seat.- I'm Sarah.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Richard Rice came to see financial expert Sarah Pennells for advice,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08after receiving a bill from his energy company
0:21:08 > 0:21:11to do with a gas meter that he's never even used.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Everything in the property is electric.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17There is a gas meter there.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18No gas has ever been used.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21In December I was sent a bill.
0:21:21 > 0:21:22For what?
0:21:22 > 0:21:26I was told it was a standard charge for having a gas meter.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27And how much was it
0:21:27 > 0:21:29- £5.- Right.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32So I turned around and said to them, "Why?
0:21:32 > 0:21:34"I'm not using any gas."
0:21:34 > 0:21:36After considering Richard's case,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40the energy company agreed to waive the £5 standing charge.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42But then its policies changed,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44and Richard was shocked to receive a second bill,
0:21:44 > 0:21:48this time for a much higher amount, just under £24.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50I love this. What do you owe?
0:21:50 > 0:21:52£23.91.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Your gas use this winter - zero kilowatt hours.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59- In other words you're paying £23 for nothing.- Correct.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02My first step would be to contact the company that you're with
0:22:02 > 0:22:05at the moment, and say you're going to switch elsewhere,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07you don't see why you should pay this,
0:22:07 > 0:22:08you don't think you should,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11and you want to switch without paying it
0:22:11 > 0:22:13but if they're prepared to not charge you, you'll stay with them,
0:22:13 > 0:22:14and see what they say.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17The other option is that you look around,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20cos there are at least two companies that I know of
0:22:20 > 0:22:25that won't charge you if the pipe is capped off and you don't use gas.
0:22:25 > 0:22:26That seems just too simple.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28THEY LAUGH
0:22:28 > 0:22:30I mean, is it that simple, Sarah?
0:22:30 > 0:22:33In terms of getting the money back that you've already paid...
0:22:33 > 0:22:34- I haven't paid them.- Right.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36I've refused point blank.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Is he going to get into difficulties or problems then
0:22:38 > 0:22:40- for having done that? - Well, what I would say is
0:22:40 > 0:22:43you've got two choices about this outstanding money.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47The first is to work out whether you want to bite the bullet,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49basically pay the £20, or whatever it is,
0:22:49 > 0:22:50and know that when you switch,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53- you will never have to pay that charge again.- OK.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Or if you want to say, "Right, it's an unfair charge,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58"I'm going to dispute it, and I won't pay,"
0:22:58 > 0:23:00all I would say is don't, whatever you do,
0:23:00 > 0:23:01ignore the problem
0:23:01 > 0:23:04because if they record it as an unpaid debt,
0:23:04 > 0:23:05that could really come back and bite you
0:23:05 > 0:23:08- for years to come in terms of how it affects your credit rating.- OK.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12- But hopefully we've given you a few options there.- Yep, you have.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14- And you'll go into battle? - Yes, I will.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15THEY LAUGH
0:23:19 > 0:23:22If you've ever received a gas or an electricity bill
0:23:22 > 0:23:25that's a LOT higher than you were expecting,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28then you'll know that sorting out any mistake
0:23:28 > 0:23:29that might have been made
0:23:29 > 0:23:31is not necessarily going to be straightforward.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Not least because, despite pledging to make things a lot simpler,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37the energy companies can still bamboozle us
0:23:37 > 0:23:41with all of those figures and confusing tariffs.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44So, how wonderful for a group of residents in Liverpool
0:23:44 > 0:23:47to have their very own consumer champion
0:23:47 > 0:23:49right in their midst,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52a neighbour who doesn't just have an eye for numbers,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54but who's more than happy to go into battle
0:23:54 > 0:23:57on behalf of those who just might need her help.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Sandra Harvey may look pretty unassuming
0:24:05 > 0:24:07but appearances can be deceptive.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11And for the residents of this block of flats,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Sandra is something of a superhero.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16# She's electric... #
0:24:16 > 0:24:18I saw her at a tenants meeting.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23I was impressed by the way she grasped issues really quickly.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26She's the leccy girl, she's everyone's best friend.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29And if you need something, ask Sandra.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Meet Leccy Girl.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34She has single-handedly slashed some of her neighbours' electricity bills
0:24:34 > 0:24:36by up to 50%.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39To date, I've managed to save individuals
0:24:39 > 0:24:45with their own individual billing getting on for £7,000,
0:24:45 > 0:24:51ranging from £165 as the smallest rebate to £3,300 as the largest.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Sandra discovered her super skill quite unexpectedly.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57When she and her neighbours were told that their housing association
0:24:57 > 0:24:59planned to increase their service charges,
0:24:59 > 0:25:04she wanted to find out exactly what they'd be paying more for.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06I hunted out all my old service charge sheets,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08conferred and contrasted one with the other,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10tonnes and tonnes of paperwork,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13working out, took me hours, and hours, and hours.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16To her surprise, Sandra discovered inaccuracies
0:25:16 > 0:25:19in the housing association's accounts for her building.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21When the tenants took her findings to a tribunal,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25the housing association was told to slash their service charges
0:25:25 > 0:25:30and give residents over £77,000 of their money back.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32In the two years following that first victory,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36Sandra has found her talents have been in high demand from neighbours.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38When they feel their bills don't stack up,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40they know exactly who to call.
0:25:40 > 0:25:41Pru called for Sandra's help
0:25:41 > 0:25:45when she received a surprisingly large electricity bill.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Because the readings were so complex,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50I didn't even know what time they started switching to night-time,
0:25:50 > 0:25:56so I felt totally powerless really with this.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Pru's far from the first person to be bamboozled
0:25:59 > 0:26:02by the confusing figures in an electricity bill.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Luckily for her, she had Sandra to come to the rescue.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09At first I couldn't make head or tail of Pru's bills.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10I looked like a mad scientist
0:26:10 > 0:26:12when I was scribbling away with calculations,
0:26:12 > 0:26:14"Argh, that's no good!" Throw it away,"
0:26:14 > 0:26:16when that eureka moment came and I thought,
0:26:16 > 0:26:17I can see what they've done,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20they've mixed up the day and the night rates.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22When she discovered the source of the problem,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Sandra took her calculations to supplier ScottishPower
0:26:25 > 0:26:27on Pru's behalf,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29and, in the end, the company apologised,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31refunded the overpayment
0:26:31 > 0:26:34and compensated Pru for its mistake.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Really thrilled, yeah. I think I...
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- Did I buy some flowers for Sandra? - Yes, you did.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42As news of Sandra's success spread,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45neighbours started calling her not just by her real name
0:26:45 > 0:26:47but by her superhero name.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Somebody came up to me in the streets by the local shops,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54and they came up to me and said, "Are you the leccy girl?!"
0:26:54 > 0:26:56And I said, "Well, if you mean I help people out
0:26:56 > 0:26:59"with their electricity bills where I can, then, yes."
0:26:59 > 0:27:01I then started getting other cases in
0:27:01 > 0:27:03because I was worried...
0:27:03 > 0:27:06I assumed that if this has happened to one person,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09it could have well happened to other people on the estate.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Another neighbour, Agnes,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14has also received a bill that seems too high.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18And, once again, the person to help is Leccy Girl.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22I calculated that your bill should have been about £240.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25E.ON are saying it's £477.83.
0:27:25 > 0:27:26Not a chance on it.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- I can see straight off what they've done...- Yeah.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30They've mixed the rates up.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Sandra's convinced that the day and night rates have been mixed up,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36and that Agnes has been overcharged by more than £200.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38It completely mixed them up,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41so your bill - forget what E.ON says -
0:27:41 > 0:27:44it's not... What do they say? ..£477.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45Wow.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47Bit of a difference.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Another case solved for Leccy Girl,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52leaving Agnes to take her findings to her energy supplier.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Leccy Girl is not just for me, she's for everyone.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58She's everyone's favourite person.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01A survey this year found that three quarters of people
0:28:01 > 0:28:03find their energy bills confusing,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07and only 40% of us understand the calculation on our bills.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Leccy Girl's advice did help Agnes reduce her electricity bill.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14When their mistake was pointed out, E.ON brought the bill down
0:28:14 > 0:28:17to a much more affordable £206,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21and told us that it's sorry for any inconvenience and worry
0:28:21 > 0:28:23that this may have caused.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26The company recommends anyone who has concerns
0:28:26 > 0:28:27about their energy bill to contact them,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30saying, there's often much that they can do to help.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Now, of course Leccy Girl can't sort out all our energy bills,
0:28:34 > 0:28:37but she does have advice for those of us
0:28:37 > 0:28:39who don't live in her neighbourhood.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Tip number one - learn to love your electricity meter.
0:28:43 > 0:28:44Know exactly how it works
0:28:44 > 0:28:47so you can confidently and competently
0:28:47 > 0:28:48take your own readings.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Once you've learnt how to read your meter properly
0:28:51 > 0:28:52and take the readings,
0:28:52 > 0:28:55never ever rely on the power companies' estimates.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59If a bill turns up, immediately check your meter against their readings
0:28:59 > 0:29:03and, if they're out, either underestimated or overestimated,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06ring the power company or e-mail them immediately
0:29:06 > 0:29:07with the correct readings,
0:29:07 > 0:29:10and then they will be sending out an amended bill.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12My final tip is,
0:29:12 > 0:29:14if you really, really want to understand and know
0:29:14 > 0:29:16your electricity consumption,
0:29:16 > 0:29:18is buy one of these little gizmos.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21What you do is you plug that into a plug socket.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Say you want to test your television, how much that's using in an hour,
0:29:24 > 0:29:26switch as much off as possible
0:29:26 > 0:29:30that you don't need on, and that will tell you exactly what it's using.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34I was horrified to find out that my flat-screen television
0:29:34 > 0:29:36was using 400 watts an hour,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39whereas my old analogue was only using 30.
0:29:39 > 0:29:40That's a bit of a difference.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44Sandra's hard work sorting out other people's energy problems
0:29:44 > 0:29:45has really paid off...
0:29:45 > 0:29:49to the tune of more than £32,000 in refunds and rebates
0:29:49 > 0:29:51for her neighbours.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53If only every street in Britain was lucky enough
0:29:53 > 0:29:55to have its own Leccy Girl!
0:30:00 > 0:30:03Most companies you tell us about haven't set out to rip you off,
0:30:03 > 0:30:05so when you feel that's what's happened,
0:30:05 > 0:30:07it may be that their terms and conditions
0:30:07 > 0:30:09just weren't clear enough,
0:30:09 > 0:30:11or there's been a genuine mistake
0:30:11 > 0:30:13which they've been slow to put right.
0:30:13 > 0:30:14Whatever the explanation,
0:30:14 > 0:30:18when things go wrong you need to know what to do and where to turn,
0:30:18 > 0:30:22so we've put together a guide of tips and advice.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25You can find a link to the free guide on our website:
0:30:27 > 0:30:29Or, for a hard copy
0:30:29 > 0:30:31send a stamped A5 self-addressed envelope
0:30:31 > 0:30:34to the address that we'll give at the end of the programme.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38Next, at a time when we're all paying
0:30:38 > 0:30:40higher gas and electricity prices,
0:30:40 > 0:30:42the whole idea of bringing your bills down
0:30:42 > 0:30:46and making your home more energy efficient sounds pretty appealing,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49especially if it means that helping your finances
0:30:49 > 0:30:51is helping the planet as well.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54That was the thinking behind a big initiative
0:30:54 > 0:30:56launched by the government a few years back
0:30:56 > 0:30:59but it's one that hasn't exactly been a roaring success.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03And on top of that, it now seems it may not be quite as good a deal
0:31:03 > 0:31:06as you could be told by the people trying to sign you up.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11It's after school art club in the Cassidy household,
0:31:11 > 0:31:14and what their grandchildren are drawing is a subject
0:31:14 > 0:31:16especially close to Tony and Margaret's hearts -
0:31:16 > 0:31:18conserving energy.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21Since retiring and spending more time at home,
0:31:21 > 0:31:23they've both noticed just how much it takes
0:31:23 > 0:31:26to keep their 1930s terraced house warm.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31Well, you have to have the heating on fairly full most of the time
0:31:31 > 0:31:35which is a basic problem cos it costs a lot of money.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39And that's why a call Margaret received right out of the blue
0:31:39 > 0:31:42in December 2013 caught her interest.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45A recorded message suggested that,
0:31:45 > 0:31:47through the government-backed Green Deal,
0:31:47 > 0:31:51she could cut her bills and make her home more energy efficient.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53An advisor then explained more,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56saying that his company could get Margaret and Tony a new boiler
0:31:56 > 0:31:58or better insulation for their house
0:31:58 > 0:32:00without them having to pay for it up front.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03We did need a new boiler probably,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06and if we were going to get so much help to get it,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09then perhaps it was something I could look into.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12One man who knows all about the Green Deal,
0:32:12 > 0:32:14and how to make homes more energy efficient
0:32:14 > 0:32:17is insulation evangelist Andy Walker.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20What do you understand the Green Deal to be?
0:32:20 > 0:32:23I understood it to be a process where...
0:32:25 > 0:32:28..the householder is helped to insulate their homes,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30to keep themselves warmer.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33As well as that, to bring energy bills down
0:32:33 > 0:32:36and to help with the environment.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39The Green Deal is administered through private firms and tradesmen
0:32:39 > 0:32:42who carry out assessments on your home,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45and then come up with a plan of how to improve its energy efficiency.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48They usually charge for that assessment
0:32:48 > 0:32:49which is to see if the Green Deal
0:32:49 > 0:32:53is something suitable for you, and your home could benefit from it.
0:32:53 > 0:32:54In Margaret and Tony's case,
0:32:54 > 0:32:57the assessment was £249
0:32:57 > 0:32:59but they were told that this upfront cost
0:32:59 > 0:33:01would effectively be cancelled out
0:33:01 > 0:33:04by the savings they would make later.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07So what they were being offered wouldn't just save them money
0:33:07 > 0:33:09but, overall, cost them nothing.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11"You can't lose money on this deal," he said.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13"It's impossible to lose money."
0:33:13 > 0:33:16- I see.- And he must have said that about five or six times
0:33:16 > 0:33:19- in the time he was sitting...- The actual word "impossible"?- Yes.- Yes.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21The price of the proposed new boiler
0:33:21 > 0:33:25would be somewhere between £2,200 and £3,000,
0:33:25 > 0:33:27with the cost of that paid back over time
0:33:27 > 0:33:29from the savings made through the energy bills.
0:33:29 > 0:33:30So far so good.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32But when they looked at the paperwork more closely,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35things didn't seem quite so impressive.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39They would pay the boiler off at no more than £33 a year,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41a figure they could easily afford
0:33:41 > 0:33:43if their energy bill dropped by a decent amount.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47But the company was estimating that they'd save just £34 a year
0:33:47 > 0:33:49on their bills. So, in other words,
0:33:49 > 0:33:53Margaret and Tony would end up pocketing a measly £1 in savings.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55They weren't convinced that the figures stacked up
0:33:55 > 0:33:58with the other energy-saving measures the company was recommending
0:33:58 > 0:34:00because, although they would be making savings,
0:34:00 > 0:34:02they'd be paying off the costs for years.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07We'd have to live to 150, I think, to be able to pay for all of it.
0:34:07 > 0:34:13In fact, with the size of the repayments, it would take 112 years
0:34:13 > 0:34:16to pay off the cost of their Green Deal home improvements.
0:34:16 > 0:34:17Even the fittest pensioner
0:34:17 > 0:34:20couldn't count on being around for as long as that.
0:34:20 > 0:34:21Environmental experts
0:34:21 > 0:34:23have claimed that the savings originally estimated
0:34:23 > 0:34:26under the Green Deal were a little over ambitious.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29For example, when the Green Deal launched,
0:34:29 > 0:34:31the government suggested that by using the scheme
0:34:31 > 0:34:35to get a new boiler, you could save up to £305 a year.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39Critics say the saving would be a less dramatic £70 a year.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43But the Department for Energy & Climate Change
0:34:43 > 0:34:47disputes such claims, saying that while potential savings
0:34:47 > 0:34:50are highly dependent on individual circumstances,
0:34:50 > 0:34:54their initial calculations were robust but cautious.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56It advises consumers to shop around
0:34:56 > 0:34:58to find the best price for their assessment.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01And the department pointed out that they've now made changes
0:35:01 > 0:35:03to the Green Deal, which they're confident
0:35:03 > 0:35:06will make the whole thing both simpler
0:35:06 > 0:35:08and more attractive to consumers.
0:35:08 > 0:35:09They expect as a result,
0:35:09 > 0:35:12that interest in the scheme will increase.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14We also contacted the Green Deal provider
0:35:14 > 0:35:16which assessed Margaret and Tony's home.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19It told us that the estimated savings for their home
0:35:19 > 0:35:23came from indicative, average costs and not actual costs,
0:35:23 > 0:35:26and that if it had been given the chance to go any further,
0:35:26 > 0:35:28the couple would have seen the real savings
0:35:28 > 0:35:30they could have gone on to make.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34So with the Green Deal clearly not providing the kind of savings
0:35:34 > 0:35:36Margaret and Tony would really benefit from,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39not to mention them being £249 down
0:35:39 > 0:35:40for the assessment they forked out,
0:35:40 > 0:35:42signing up to a scheme like this
0:35:42 > 0:35:44isn't the only way that you can bring down
0:35:44 > 0:35:45what you spend on your energy.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49Expert Andy has simple tips that could save us all some cash.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53Some of the things that we can do are cheap, if not free,
0:35:53 > 0:35:56and behaviour change is a big part of that.
0:35:56 > 0:35:57It's HOW we use our houses.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59Turning things off we're not using.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01Turning down the radiators.
0:36:01 > 0:36:02Drawing your curtains.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Insulating your pipes.
0:36:04 > 0:36:05These are very simple things.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08They only cost a small amount of money
0:36:08 > 0:36:10and, yet, can make a very big difference.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12So it's time for Andy to see
0:36:12 > 0:36:14if he can make the Cassidy's home more energy efficient.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17And first, he needs some very willing helpers...
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Margaret and Tony's grandchildren.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22- I'm Josh.- I'm Amy. "I'm Summer."
0:36:22 > 0:36:24I'm Liam.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Andy's arming the kids with a smoke pen,
0:36:26 > 0:36:30to find the drafts where cold air from outside is getting in,
0:36:30 > 0:36:32and a thermal gun, to find the spots
0:36:32 > 0:36:35where the heat from inside is leaking out.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39These two little pieces of kit could help identify the trouble spots
0:36:39 > 0:36:43that cause Margaret and Tony's heating to work overtime.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46So, while the kids go in search of the hot and cold spots,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Andy gives Tony and Margaret a few radiator rules.
0:36:49 > 0:36:55Now, with some radiator foil, very easy to get at your DIY shops,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58if we stick that to the wall behind the radiator,
0:36:58 > 0:36:59and we can tuck it down,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02cut it so that it's just a couple of inches down
0:37:02 > 0:37:04below the top of the radiator,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06and a couple of inches in from either side,
0:37:06 > 0:37:09that will reflect a great proportion of the heat
0:37:09 > 0:37:13that would otherwise have gone back and come back into your room.
0:37:13 > 0:37:14- Back into the room, yeah.- Yeah.
0:37:14 > 0:37:20Now do that on all your radiators and you'll be losing less heat.
0:37:20 > 0:37:21Next it's the kitchen.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24So, one of the things that I'd noticed straightaway
0:37:24 > 0:37:27is that we've got bare copper pipes here
0:37:27 > 0:37:30with only partial insulation on them.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33One of the things you'll have to fix as part of this,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35which should be also to your advantage,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37are these halogen light bulbs.
0:37:37 > 0:37:42More than 90% of the energy that goes into a halogen light bulb
0:37:42 > 0:37:44- comes out as waste heat.- Really?
0:37:44 > 0:37:48If we swap those for LED light bulbs,
0:37:48 > 0:37:52not only do you get a really good light at low energy,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55but that means that we can pack insulation directly above it.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58- Oh, right.- So that's two birds with one stone.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Andy's found a series of things that can be improved,
0:38:02 > 0:38:07some inexpensive and easy, others more pricey and far bigger jobs.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10But Margaret and Tony seem very keen to follow his advice.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13What do you think you'll do?
0:38:13 > 0:38:15I'll probably do the insulation in this one.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19- And the radiator foil?- Yes. - Oh, yes, that's a good one.- Yes.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23And doing those in all the rooms in your house would make a difference.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25- Hmm.- Yeah, it certainly would.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36It's clear from our stories today that the list of complaints
0:38:36 > 0:38:39about energy companies isn't getting any shorter.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41They may not treat you as well as you'd like,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43perhaps make mistakes with your bills
0:38:43 > 0:38:45or just generally charge too much.
0:38:45 > 0:38:46And then, of course,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49they can sometimes keep you hanging on the telephone
0:38:49 > 0:38:51when you really do need to speak to them.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55The umbrella body for most of the energy companies,
0:38:55 > 0:38:57the big six and the small providers as well,
0:38:57 > 0:38:59is called Energy UK.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01They've been on this programme before,
0:39:01 > 0:39:03in fact, several times.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05So, what will they have to say this year?
0:39:05 > 0:39:09Lawrence, this is the fifth time I've been here to these offices
0:39:09 > 0:39:11to interview for Rip-Off Britain,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14and each time you say to me, or your representative says to me,
0:39:14 > 0:39:16"Changes don't happen overnight."
0:39:16 > 0:39:19The reality is that those changes have not happened.
0:39:19 > 0:39:20Since we last spoke actually,
0:39:20 > 0:39:22there have been a tremendous amount of change.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Things we're making happen faster are things like faster switching,
0:39:25 > 0:39:29so we're making it easier for people to change companies.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31We've also introduced clearer, simpler bills
0:39:31 > 0:39:33so people can get a better understanding
0:39:33 > 0:39:35of how they're using electricity and gas.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39And we've also reduced substantially
0:39:39 > 0:39:40the number of tariffs,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43the whole point being to make it easier for our customers,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46and to actually make sure that they're on the best tariff
0:39:46 > 0:39:47for their personal circumstances.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Now that's a very good spiel from your point of view
0:39:50 > 0:39:52but the reality is that there are many instances
0:39:52 > 0:39:55where the customer service is just atrocious.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58And we've done it in our office. We've carried out our own survey,
0:39:58 > 0:40:01and we've been sitting there 40-45 minutes before you get to a person.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04If you have a problem with your bill,
0:40:04 > 0:40:05if you've got to sit on 40-45 minutes,
0:40:05 > 0:40:09you're frustrated by the time you actually get a person.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11I agree, and look,
0:40:11 > 0:40:13all I can say is
0:40:13 > 0:40:17we haven't performed as well as we would want to.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21There are instances where companies are turning the boat round,
0:40:21 > 0:40:26if you will, where, actually, wait times and volumes are falling.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28The past few months have been particularly busy
0:40:28 > 0:40:30for the energy companies.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32Not only were they all forced by the government
0:40:32 > 0:40:36to reduce the number of tariffs they each offer to just four,
0:40:36 > 0:40:40but, in June 2014, the energy regulator Ofgem
0:40:40 > 0:40:42referred the whole industry for an investigation
0:40:42 > 0:40:45by the Competition And Markets Authority
0:40:45 > 0:40:47over whether it really performs
0:40:47 > 0:40:50in the interests of you and me, the consumers.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52There is going to be elements we agree and elements we disagree
0:40:52 > 0:40:55but I think, overall, the most important thing is
0:40:55 > 0:40:59that the industry welcomes this because we want to get trust back.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02I think what's really frustrating is you watch on the telly
0:41:02 > 0:41:04and you see that the energy companies
0:41:04 > 0:41:06are making enormous profits
0:41:06 > 0:41:08and, yet, consumers look at their bills,
0:41:08 > 0:41:10and their bills are going up and up. It's very hard to take.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14Well, I think we need to base these conversations around fact,
0:41:14 > 0:41:19and actually look at the actual numbers that companies are making.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23If you look at their accounts for last year, so 2013,
0:41:23 > 0:41:26on average it was around £45 per household.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28That's the margin before interest and before tax.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32- What, that you make?- That the company makes on average, yeah, yeah.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34So these aren't vast numbers.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37We also are investing that money back,
0:41:37 > 0:41:38and introducing new systems,
0:41:38 > 0:41:42and helping the country move to a new, low-carbon future.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44You're a very nice man and we've liked talking to you,
0:41:44 > 0:41:47but can you guarantee our viewers that you will act a bit faster
0:41:47 > 0:41:48and not just talk about it?
0:41:49 > 0:41:53We are pushing all the companies as hard as we can,
0:41:53 > 0:41:54I'm happy to make that statement.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56And we want to solve these problems.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Here at Rip-Off Britain
0:42:02 > 0:42:05we're always ready to investigate more of your stories.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07Confused over your bills?
0:42:07 > 0:42:10You can write to us at:
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Or send us an e-mail to:
0:42:21 > 0:42:25The Rip-Off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29I think it's true to say that the cost of heating
0:42:29 > 0:42:31and powering our homes
0:42:31 > 0:42:34is something on which almost everyone has an opinion.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37And it's certainly something that we'd like to hear about from you
0:42:37 > 0:42:40because very soon were going to be having a special week
0:42:40 > 0:42:42of live editions of Rip-Off Britain.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45It's certainly a chance for all of us to bring you up to speed
0:42:45 > 0:42:48on the most topical of consumer situations.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51You can find out how to do that and get more information
0:42:51 > 0:42:52on some of today's stories
0:42:52 > 0:42:57at our website, that's bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59You'll also find on the website full details
0:42:59 > 0:43:02of ways that you can get involved in some of those live programmes
0:43:02 > 0:43:03that Angela was talking about.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05They're coming up very soon.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08And, who knows, perhaps you might even take part on the day.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10But, for now, I'm afraid that's all we've got the time for,
0:43:10 > 0:43:12so from all of us on the Rip-Off Britain team,
0:43:12 > 0:43:15thanks for watching, and we'll see you very soon.
0:43:15 > 0:43:16- Bye-bye. ALL:- Bye.