An apology from our CEO about issues with our new billing system

Dear Customer

I wanted to write to you following issues with your gas bill. I am very aware that these events can cause stress and concern, especially at a time like this, and I wanted to personally apologise for any confusion or worry that we may have caused.

You may be aware that we have recently upgraded our billing system, with the intent to make it easier for you to understand your bills and for you to manage your account online. Unfortunately, there have been some teething problems with the system, which has resulted in some people either not receiving a bill, having direct debits taken from accounts without corresponding invoices arriving on time, or not receiving invoices for some considerable time.

This is not acceptable and we are taking urgent steps to rectify these issues to ensure you get the most benefit from the investment we have made in the new system.

For the most part, I can clarify that the errors have been made on the bills themselves, rather than in the amounts paid. For example, if a customer pays by standing order, the credit may not have appeared correctly, but it has been added to their account and will be present on their next invoice.

There have also been some instances that we are aware of where a bill may be estimated, or an incorrect amount has been shown. We are working through these errors as a priority and will correct them as quickly as possible.

I am also aware that due to these ongoing issues it has been very difficult to get through on our phone lines. I understand that it’s incredibly frustrating not to be able to speak to someone, so we have provided more staff to answer your calls and are working through your queries as quickly as we can.

We are confident that once we have worked through these initial problems, it will be easier for you to manage your account, pay your bills, submit a meter reading and order gas via our new website – which is part of our commitment to making your interactions with us easier and better in the short and long term.

Again, I offer my sincere apologies and my assurance that we are working as quickly and as hard as we can to resolve the issues and clear the backlog so that we can deliver the customer experience that you expect and we absolutely want to provide.

Kind regards

Jo Cox, CEO