If you have a complaint about your gas supplier, you should take this up first with your gas supplier.

However, the complaints process is different for customers who have been disconnected or are threatened with disconnection, or who are considered to be vulnerable. You should try to sort the problem out with your gas supplier first but, if you get into difficulties, you should take your complaint to Consumer Direct.

Complaining to your supplier

Your supplier must have a procedure for dealing with complaints. You should be able to get a copy of this procedure from your supplier’s website. The procedure should include names and contact details of all available sources of independent help, advice and information.

If you need help or advice about making a complaint or dealing with your gas supplier, you can contact Consumer Direct or look on the back of your energy bill. However, Consumer Direct will not be able to handle your complaint for you.

You can make a complaint about any of the services or products provided by your gas supplier. If you aren’t happy with the way they have dealt with your complaint, you can also complain about this.

You can complain by phone, in person or in writing – including by email.

Once you have complained, your supplier must tell you the steps they will take to sort out your complaint how long those steps are likely to take. If you aren’t happy with the way your supplier is handling your complaint, you can ask for an internal review.

If your supplier is unable to sort your complaint out to your satisfaction, they must tell you this in writing. This is called a letter of deadlock. Once you have been sent a letter of deadlock, if you want to take the complaint further, you can contact the Energy Ombudsman. If you have not been sent a letter of deadlock, you must wait at least eight weeks (twelve if your supplier is one of the smaller energy companies) before you can contact the Energy Ombudsman.

Complaining if you’re vulnerable

Some gas consumers are considered to be vulnerable. This might apply to you if it would be unreasonable to expect you to make a complaint on your own because:

• you are mentally or physically disabled
• you lack basic language or reading skills in English. It won’t apply if you have access to interpreting facilities
• you have particularly difficult personal circumstances. For example, you may have been recently bereaved
• there is a particularly urgent need to sort out your problem and you are unable to do this in time
• your problem is especially complicated.

If you are vulnerable and you haven’t been able to sort out your problem directly with your gas supplier, you should contact Consumer Direct for contact details or look on the back of your gas bill.

Where appropriate, Consumer Direct will refer your case to the consumer watchdog Consumer Focus, who will take up your complaint with the gas supplier.

You should get a response from your supplier within ten working days after your case was referred to Consumer Focus. The vast majority of complaints should be resolved within 35 working days.

If you’re not satisfied with the way Consumer Focus has dealt with your complaint, you can complain to the Energy Ombudsman – see below.

Complaining to the Energy Ombudsman

You can complain to the Energy Ombudsman if you have been sent a letter of deadlock by your gas supplier. If you have not been sent a letter of deadlock, you can make a complaint if your complaint to the gas supplier has been going on for at least eight weeks and your supplier is one of the following companies:

• E.ON
• British Gas
• EDF
• Npower
• Scottish Power
• Scottish and Southern.

If your gas supplier is not one of these companies, you must normally wait twelve weeks before you can complain to the Energy Ombudsman.

The Energy Ombudsman can investigate complaints brought by domestic customers and small business customers. A small business customer is one with either:

• annual usage up to 200,000 kilowatt hours of gas, or
• up to ten employees and with an annual turnover of up to two million euros.

You must make your complaint to the Ombudsman within six months of the date of the letter of deadlock from your gas supplier, if you got one. If you didn’t get a deadlock letter, you can make a complaint to the Ombudsman at any time between eight weeks and nine months after the date you complained to your supplier, if your supplier is one of the companies mentioned earlier. If your supplier is not one of these companies and only joined the Energy Ombudsman Scheme after October 2008, you have between 12 weeks and nine months to complain.

You can complain to the Energy Ombudsman by letter, fax, telephone or online.

The Energy Ombudsman will be able to arrange one of the following:

• for you to get an apology
• for you to get an explanation
• for your problem to be sorted out
• in certain circumstances, for you to get financial compensation.

Technorati Tags: Complaints

A gas supplier can authorise its officials to enter premises to inspect the gas installation and appliances. If a gas leak is reported, it will be made safe free of charge. Made safe can often mean simply turning the supply off. If an appliance is faulty and has to be disconnected, you will be responsible for buying a replacement and getting it installed. National Grid (formerly Transco), the main public gas transporter, runs a 24 hour freephone national gas emergency service on 0800 111999.

Safety checks for tenants

Landlords must ensure that any gas appliances installed by them are maintained in a safe condition.

Safety checks for older people, disabled people and people with long-term ill-health

The gas supplier will provide a free gas safety check of appliances and fittings for some older people, disabled people or people with long-term ill-health. One free check a year can be requested. The check includes a basic examination and very minor work. Any additional work must be paid for. For more information about other free services you might be able to get from your gas supplier.

Buying and installing gas appliances

Anyone supplying a gas appliance must ensure that it is safe and that it meets European safety standards.

Anyone installing or repairing a gas appliance or equipment must be registered with the Gas Safe Register. They must carry an ID card listing the types of gas work which they are competent to carry out.

Technorati Tags: safety