Money Saving Expert's Martin Lewis has issued an urgent warning for anyone who has a direct debit agreement for their energy bills.
Mr Lewis appeared on ITV This Morning with Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary in which he gave a message about energy companies which Ofgem has found to have "serious weaknesses", reports Birmingham Live. He said: "They have weaknesses in their processes, so there is action happening on direct debits. We would expect direct debits to go up - if it has gone up by more than 100 per cent, they are being asked to review it.
"So if it is you, and yours has gone up by more than 100 per cent, the company should be reviewing it."
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Around 500,000 households may have been affected by the severe weaknesses found in Ecotricity, Good Energy, Green Energy UK, Utilita Energy and Tru Energy. Meanwhile, 17 other large energy suppliers were found to have minor issues in their systems.
If any miscalculation are found to have taken place, then customers will receive a goodwill payment from Ofgem wherever appropriate. Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley said: “We know how hard it is for energy customers at the moment so it’s crucial that the amount they pay each month in direct debits is right so they can manage their money.
"Suppliers must do all they can, especially during the current gas crisis, to support customers and to recognise the significant worry and concern increased direct debits can cause.
"We know there is some excellent service out there, but we want to make sure that it’s consistent and standard across the board. It’s clear from today’s findings on direct debits that there are areas of the market where customers are simply not getting the service they need and rightly expect in these very difficult times.
"Today’s findings show that, with the urgent changes we are now expecting, the current system will be much fairer for consumers. Bringing down the price of gas is not in Ofgem’s control; however, we will do all we can to have a fair system and ensure suppliers look after their customers.”
It comes after Mr Lewis warned of a "catastrophic" future that will "cost lives". The energy cap, which is predicted to rise by 65 per cent in October, could see bills rise to £3,240 annually. Mr Lewis added: "The latest prediction for October is up 65 per cent from where we are now, taking a typical bill to £3244.
"It will then rise again by 4 per cent in January to £3,300 and probably start to drop but only by 5 per cent next April."
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