Hundreds of people have complained to the government’s consumer watchdogs about problems with their gas bills.
Isle of Man Energy, formerly Manx Gas, has upset customers with a series of blunders.
The problems have been highlighted in our newspapers and iomtoday.co.im in several stories in the last six months.
For example, the Manx Independent revealed that customer Gloria Ver Elst had had £64,601.19 taken from her bank account by the gas firm.
Now the Office of Fair Trading is asking other people with problems with Isle of Man Energy to come forward. They shouldn’t suffer in silence, it says.
The OFT has received more than 300 complaints from Isle of Man Energy customers since September 2022, about a wide range of issues, including bills not being issued, inaccurate meter readings and problems with direct debits.
The OFT says it has been ‘actively engaging’ with the gas supplier to help those affected and a significant percentage of those helped have found a quick resolution.
However, for others it is taking considerably longer and some complainants are returning with different issues, such as, bills that don’t add up.
John Wannenburgh MHK, chair of the OFT, said: ‘Considerable OFT resources have been committed to helping those who have reached out to us.
‘Whilst the situation appears to be improving, there is no room for complacency and we will continue to hold Isle of Man Energy to account.
‘We are particularly concerned about the more vulnerable customers who may be extremely worried about not being able to pay, charges attached to going overdrawn, or even being cut off due to missed payments. We urge people not to suffer in silence, but to get in touch.
‘The OFT will escalate all complaints by vulnerable gas customers to help protect them against unexpected bills, so they can keep up with their payment plans.’
People can get in touch by phoning 01624 686500 or emailing [email protected].
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