direct debits

[Michael Rolls]

I pay my electricity bill by monthly direct debit. They have been grossly overcharging me of late and after correspondence back and and forth, they have accepted that to be the case. On the telephone I agreed with one of their staff that the current £691 a month should be reduced, and we agreed a sum of £450 a month in future. So far, so good. However, the company, SSE, isn't the quickest to reduce costs, although increasing them is another matter, so I wrote to my bank - Lloyds - advising them of the situation, and asking them to ensure the March payment - due around the 20th wasn't at the £691 figure. I was appalled at the bank's reply. They said only the company could change the payment and that I had no say in the matter.
I have no intention of ever agreeing to a DD again

[Silver Tabby]

I don't - and won't - pay anything by DD.  No-one has access to my bank account except me!

[Sheila]

Michael, if you are not happy just cancel the direct debit, either with your bank or SSE.

We have quite a lot of direct debits and have never had a problem.  It is a convenient way of paying but I do keep an eye on our accounts.  I worked in a bank for 19 years!

[Raven]

They are correct Mike, cancel it and make a new arrangement to pay monthly but only for what you have used. Lots of people are now doing this.
I used to be with Lloyds and found them to be a nightmare. I left them and went to RBS, up the Dunkeld Rd. They have always been helpful.....Think about it.

[Diasi]

I pay my electricity bill by monthly direct debit. They have been grossly overcharging me of late and after correspondence back and and forth, they have accepted that to be the case. On the telephone I agreed with one of their staff that the current £691 a month should be reduced, and we agreed a sum of £450 a month in future. So far, so good. However, the company, SSE, isn't the quickest to reduce costs, although increasing them is another matter, so I wrote to my bank - Lloyds - advising them of the situation, and asking them to ensure the March payment - due around the 20th wasn't at the £691 figure. I was appalled at the bank's reply. They said only the company could change the payment and that I had no say in the matter.
I have no intention of ever agreeing to a DD again

Unfortunately you're paying the price for being a technology Luddite regarding banking apps etc.

If you ditched SSE & went with, say, Octopus Energy, you could set & change your DD as often as you wanted to.

But of course you'd have to install their smartphone app!!!!!!!!!

I could, if I so wanted to do, open my Lloyds banking app & cancel all our DD's in 20 seconds.

I changed my DD with Shell Energy from fixed to variable.

We have never had the slightest problem with DDs & it's far safer than us paying online or over the phone where our details could be intercepted.

If I spot something odd or my cards get lost / stolen, I can, with a few clicks on the banking app, cancel my cards & stop all activity on my accounts.

No waiting on the phone to get through to speak to someone at the bank.

[Raven]

Mike, Do you use their App? Or do you come into Perth if you need to do something?
Diasi is correct, I also use the RBS Banking App. It's very easy and I check my accounts every day without fail, even while I was stuck in hospital.  Anything can be done from it in moments.
Something else to have a think about. 

[Diasi]

Mike, Do you use their App? Or do you come into Perth if you need to do something?
Diasi is correct, I also use the RBS Banking App. It's very easy and I check my accounts every day without fail, even while I was stuck in hospital.  Anything can be done from it in moments.
Something else to have a think about. 

I like the notifications where the phone goes 'ping' & shows each activity on my accounts & cards.

None of this "did my pension go in? I'll have to phone up & check" etc.

[Michael Rolls]

thanks for the advice - I'll try and follow - looking on the SSE site it says I can 'manage' the DD.
Raven - this is Lloyds - my nearest branch, thanks to the EU, is in Carlisle

[Diasi]

thanks for the advice - I'll try and follow - looking on the SSE site it says I can 'manage' the DD.
Raven - this is Lloyds - my nearest branch, thanks to the EU, is in Carlisle

Our nearest branch is a mere 20 miles away but I can't envisage having any reason to go into the branch.

On the odd occasion we've had a cheque, we've paid it into our Lloyds account at the local Post Office so it wouldn't bother me if my local branch was changed to Inverness.

[Raven]

thanks for the advice - I'll try and follow - looking on the SSE site it says I can 'manage' the DD.
Raven - this is Lloyds - my nearest branch, thanks to the EU, is in Carlisle

Definitely time to shift banks then. The RBS will do everything for you if you phone them. They will deal with the whole change while you put your feet up.

[Scrumpy]

I am with NatWest.. I can pick my phone up and cancel any DD instantly..
I am aware of all transactions .. immediately they happen..
 It is me that is in control of my money.. not those whom I pay..

[klondike]

I don't do any of these dealings by phone. Online for all. Banking apps are especially handy. I have the Nationwide one (where my current account remains) Lloyds for a cashback CC currently hardly used as Chase (an online only bank) not only offer a decent rate on their savings account but gave 1% cashback for a year on their debit card which they are extending for another year. There is fair bit of moving money around involved to maximise interest received but all those apps work on fingerprint so no annoying access codes usually.

I don't actually bother with the Octopus app I use their website which gives the ability to set the DD to anything you chose and I expect the SSE one does too.

[Alex]

I've never had a problem with a DD so can't really comment.  I am however surprised at the monthly amount Michael has to pay !  £691 A MONTH ???  even £450 is a lot, I'll stop complaining about my leccy payments after reading this thread.     

[Michael Rolls]

the £691 is a gross overcharge, based on an erroneous 'estimate' by the company and which should be sorted out. It's a large 4 bed bungalow - the main lounge is 26x16 the 'small' lounge is bigger than the main lounge in our previous house, and apart from an imitation, Calor fired (no mains gas here) log burner in the small lounge, everything is electric. What make me gnash my teeth is that in 2018 the bill for the whole year was £1440 - now it will be around that a quarter!

[Michael Rolls]

Just received the revised DD from SSE. From £691 a month it has dropped to £316! I can live with that!
Of course, even that represent £3792 a year, compared to £1440 as recently as 2018