Flogas Natural Gas Codes of Practice
Billing Billing Procedure Flogas will issue your bills bi-monthly within 7 working days of receipt of meter read information (actual or estimated) from the Network Provider except in situations whereby the customer has agreed otherwise or where the meter reading data appears erroneous Where in exceptional circumstances there is a delay in billing we will contact you within 10 working days of becoming aware of the delay to notify you of the late billing Where bills issued are based on estimated meter readings the bill will be clearly marked as an estimated bill Your bill will clearly indicate the period that the bill relates to including any retrospective charges In the event of a billing complaint arising, it will be resolved through our Complaints Procedure which has been approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation Content of Bill - Your bill will contain details on: Front of Bill Customer/Bill Identification Detail Meter Reading Details Financial Details (including calculations) Payment Slip (tear-off) Message Box Reverse Side Information Box Back of Bill Payment Methods Contact Information Gas & Appliance Safety including Emergency contact details Moving Home Overdue Accounts Complaints Procedure Customer/Bill Identification Details Customer Name & Address (including billing address and supply address where different) Gas Point Registration Number (GPRN) Customer Account Number Period for which the bill relates (from and to dates) Date of issue of bill Usage Band Invoice Number Meter Reading Details Your unique Meter Identification Number Meter Readings, details which the bill is based on, with an indication of the type of reading (A = actual reading, FN = final reading, E = estimated reading, C = customer reading). These codes are explained on the bill A calculation of the amount of gas used The conversion factor used (cubic meters to kwh) The actual Gas used, measured in Kilowatt-hours (kwh) Financial Details Any amounts outstanding from previous bill(s) if applicable this is the first amount shown on the bill Gas used (kwh), price per kwh, and amount due for gas used Supply charge for the billing period Any other charges, such as siteworks fees Value Added Tax (VAT) Carbon Tax Levy Department of Family and Social Affairs (DFSA) Natural Gas allowance if relevant, shown as a credit on bill Total bill amount (sum of individual charges, less DFSA allowance if relevant) Payment due date (if the bill is zero or is in credit this will contain the phrase No Payment Required) Payment Slip (tear-off) Flogas Natural Gas contact details Customer Account Number GPRN Transaction Date (date of issue) Total Due Barcode for Post Office payment incorporating the following data: company identification (Flogas Natural Gas); Customer Number; Amount due (this information is repeated in numerical form on the bottom of the slip)
Content of Bill (Continued) Message Box The message box is available for use as appropriate, e.g. for general messages to all or a group of customers, or for specific messages to an individual customer Reverse Side Information Box Specifies the information to be found on the back of the bill Payment Methods Specifies the methods of payment available to the customer Contact Information General contact details for Flogas Natural Gas Moving Home Details on what customers should do when moving home including cancellation of supply contract Overdue Accounts Information on overdue accounts, disconnection and contact details for our Credit Control Department Complaints Procedure Brief description of our complaints handling procedure and related contact details. This includes contact information for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) Gas & Appliance Safety Bord Gais Networks Emergency/Fault Reporting Contact Number Payment of Bills - You will be given 14 days to pay your bill. Payment Methods Direct Debit (including Payplan Direct Debit) Cheque Credit Card Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) At any Post Office or Retail Outlet displaying the Postpoint sign Security Deposit All new tenant customers operating on a direct debit are required to pay a security deposit of E100 and a security deposit of w250 if no direct debit is provided Any residential customer who cancels their direct debit are immediately required to provide a deposit The deposit is refunded to you when: (a) your account is closed and any outstanding balance settled or (b) you remain within normal credit terms for a minimum of 12 months i.e. invoices paid in full within 14 days (No disconnections or defaults from any pay plan direct debit payment options). Closing an Account & Final Bill Issuance Flogas will request a closing meter read from a customer in order to close the account Flogas will request the landlord or letting agent details from customers leasing a property Flogas will not keep a customer s account open if the customer is unable to provide the new account holders details Where a customer has switched supplier or closed their account Flogas will issue the final closing bill no later than six weeks from the effective date of the change of supplier taking place. Should Flogas require a replacement meter reading in order to close the account and issue the final bill this will be dealt with as an exception to the closing account code of practice
Vulnerable Customers A Vulnerable Customer is defined as a household customer who is (a) Critically dependant on electricity powered equipment, which shall include but is not limited to life protecting devices, assistive technologies to support independent living and medical equipment, or (b) Particularly vulnerable to disconnection during winter months for reasons of advance age or physical, sensory, intellectual or mental health. For the purpose of this Code, a Vulnerable Customer is a customer who has self-registered with Flogas on the vulnerable customers register. Flogas will request a customer to demonstrate eligibility for inclusion on the register of vulnerable customers which may include medical confirmation Advancing age is taken to be a person of pensionable age (66 years or above) living alone, with another vulnerable person or with minors Flogas will not request a disconnection during the winter months (1st November to 31st March) where a person is appropriately registered with Flogas as a Vulnerable Customer, relies on a recognised life support system or where a customer of pensionable age is living alone. Disconnection of Gas Supply Flogas offer a choice of payment options including direct debit, non direct debit and budget pay plan options. We operate to strict credit control policies and procedures and will assist customers where possible in order to prevent arrears on an account. If you find yourself in difficulty, please contact Flogas immediately where your call will be treated in the strictest of confidence and repayment options will be discussed and agreed in order to avoid disconnection of supply Your supply of gas may be disconnected for a number of reasons: Failure to pay your bills or failure to honour a re-payment plan Failure to provide the required Security Deposit Safety or Emergency Situations No Registered occupant Where the customer is aware long term access to a premise is an issue and access is refused Account Holder request Flogas will not request a disconnection Where a customer has entered into a payment plan and is honouring the arrangement Where a customer is pursuing a complaint using the complaint handling procedures and the complaint is related to the reason for disconnection. A customer pursuing a complaint in this manner will be required to pay any portion of the bill that is not in dispute and any subsequent bill that is issued For failure to pay a bill based on a regular estimate unless it is fair and reasonable in the circumstances During the winter months (1st November to 31st March) where a person is appropriately registered with Flogas as a Vulnerable Customer, relies on a recognised life support system or a person of pensionable age living alone. Disconnection Notice In the event that gas bills and/or Security Deposits remain unpaid, your account may be selected for disconnection Should this occur Flogas will issue you with a Notice of Disconnection This notice will give you 10 working days (domestic customers) notice of our intention to request your disconnection (5 working days commercial customers) We will outline the reason for your disconnection and the cost of temporarily disconnecting/reconnecting your meter We will give you contact details for our credit control department if you wish to make immediate payment or enter into an arrangement with Flogas Standard Timeline for disconnection of natural gas supply* Day 1 - Bill Day 14 - Payment Due Day 15 - Letter 1 (Overdue Reminder automated) Day 40 - Disconnection Notice (10 days notice residential / 5 days notice commercial) Day 50 - Disconnection request BGN processed * Contact will be made via phone by the Flogas credit control department throughout the disconnection process with each attempt to contact taking place no less than 3 working days apart
Disconnection of a premises with No Registered Account holder Where Flogas are supplying a property and the existing account holder has closed their account, Flogas will issue a notice (10 working days in advance), in writing by letter, to the new occupant of the property in advance of a request to disconnect the property due to no new account holder being registered This notice will set out the actual costs which will be incurred to the disconnection of the premises and the contract details for the new occupier to open an account Reconnection A customer who has been disconnected will only be reconnected when: All outstanding payments, including the reconnection fee, have been made, or a repayment plan has been agreed. A security bond or other means of ensuring that disconnection for non-payment will not occur in the future, has been entered into, as deemed appropriate by Flogas. The required security deposit has been paid. If a customer has repeatedly been disconnected and reconnected, the customer may be subject to additional requirements (e.g. higher security bond, payment in advance) prior to reconnection. Any additional requirements will be determined by the Finance Director.
Complaints Handling Flogas is committed to providing our valued customers with a high level of customer service. However, at times you may feel that we have not achieved this. This procedure details the steps you need to take to raise your concerns. A complaint is defined as: The expression (through various possible channels, letter, email, phone call, physical claim) of a customer s dissatisfaction and his/her explicit expectation for a response or resolution. Step 1 Please contact us and let us know what your issue is. We aim to resolve all complaints as quickly as possible and in the case of more complex complaints within 20 days. If you contact us by telephone, we aim to resolve your complaint during the course of the call. If this is not possible we will provide you with a contact name and a time frame within which you will receive a response. If you contact us in writing, we guarantee that we will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days of its receipt and we will respond within 20 working days. In some cases it may not be possible to resolve your complaint within 20 working days. In these cases we will contact you and agree a time frame with you. Where this occurs we will contact you and give you regular updates. Step 2 If you believe we have not resolved your query you may request that it is escalated to our Customer Service Manager (CSM). Our CSM will review your case and respond within 10 business days of the escalation. Step 3 Commission for Energy Regulation If you believe we have not resolved your complaint you may refer your complaint to the Commission for Energy Regulation for further review. Where the CER has issued a direction for compensation or redress Flogas will make payment to the customer within 14 days or within one billing period where compensation or redress is in the form of a credit to the customer s account. The Commission will only review your complaint if you have completed the full Flogas complaints process. CER s Energy Customers Team Phone: 1890 404 404 Email: energycustomers@cer.ie Post: Energy Customers Team, P.O. Box 11934, Dublin 24, Ireland
Marketing General Flogas will ensure that marketing materials are accurate, easy to understand and specify clearly the product(s) and the period it covers Flogas will not misrepresent the company, or portray competing suppliers in an inaccurate or negative manner A mechanism will be provided to enable current and potential customers to opt out of marketing campaigns All Flogas representatives and customer service agents are fully trained in our products and services and they will ensure accurate information is provided Telephone calls and visits to premises of domestic customers by staff (or others) for marketing purposes will only take place during the following times: Weekdays: 9am to 9pm, Saturdays: 9am to 7pm Sundays, Public or Bank Holidays, Christmas Eve: No Calls Marketing by Telephone Marketing staff will give the following information as soon as it is practical: Caller s name Contact number (if requested by customer) Company on whose behalf the call is being made (Flogas Natural Gas) Purpose of the call Give you the opportunity to end the conversation at any time If a customer indicates at any time that he/she does not wish to continue, the call will cease (the customer will be asked if they wish to be taken off the marketing contact list) Marketing at Customer s Premises Staff (or others) involved in marketing at the customer s premises must: Show the customer their photographic identity card Provide the customer with a copy of the Doorstep Checklist prior to the commencement of the sales pitch and in advance of any sale being progressed Inform the customer of the purpose of the visit Ask the customer if they wish to proceed If the customer does not wish to proceed, the visit will terminate, and the customer will be advised on how to be removed from the contact list Marketing via E-mail/SMS Existing Customers The following information will be provided: Flogas Natural Gas name, address E-mail and/or contact number The customer will be provided with a method of unsubscribing at no cost to them. Flogas will operate an opt-in scheme for e-mail/sms marketing Potential Customers E-mail and SMS marketing targeted at potential customers will be carried out in accordance with S.I. 535 of 2003 - European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations Maintenance of Customer Contact List Removal of Customers If a customer indicates (orally, in writing, or by e-mail) that they do not wish to be contacted again for marketing purposes, the customer will be removed from the contact list, or suitably flagged, within 28 days, to ensure that they are not contacted again. If requested by the customer, written confirmation will be provided within 40 days of receiving the request (in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Acts 1988-2003). If an external supplier is used for marketing, all requests for removal will be forwarded to the supplier. Protection of Customer Data Flogas Natural Gas will act in accordance with the Data Protection Acts 1988-2003 at all times Customer data will be used only for those purposes related to the supply of natural gas, and as authorised by the customer Customer data will not be passed on to third parties, with the following exceptions: Data supplied to Bord Gais Networks Other authorised suppliers of Flogas Natural Gas In these cases, only data necessary for the carrying out of the appropriate supplier activities will be provided. Further details on the Flogas Natural Gas data protection policies and procedures are contained in the Flogas Natural Gas Ltd. Data Protection Notice.