Energy Complaints Procedure

We aim to provide a high-quality service for all of our customers.  However, we recognise that occasionally we may not achieve every aspect of that goal.  In the event that this happens, we have a formal complaint process in place to address and resolve our customer’s concern.  Any complaint is recorded on our CRM system, and will be used internally to continually improve our service so that such issues can be avoided in the future.  We can assure you that any customer complaint will be treated with courtesy and respect throughout the process.

A copy of our complaint process is available to you for free by post or email on request, and we hope that our outline provided below explains how our complaint process works (including timescales) and the steps we ask you to take if you wish to escalate your complaint to the Ombudsman, where applicable, should you not be satisfied with the outcome of our review of your complaint.

How to raise a complaint?

Should you wish to make a complaint, please contact the energy complaints team:

By Email: energycomplaints@purchase-direct.co.uk

By Telephone: 01707 299100

By Post: Purchase Direct, Wallace House, 4 Falcon Way, Welwyn Garden City AL7 1TW

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 2 working days. Please note that our business hours are 08:30 to 17:00 Monday-Friday.

Our complaint process

  • Acknowledgement – we will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 2 working days so that you know we have received it.  We will also confirm the name of the person who will be dealing with the complaint throughout the process.
  • Review – We will endeavour to review any complaint within the next 10 working days following acknowledgment, with a view to sharing our outcome in this timeframe.  During the review period we may need to request further information, documentation or clarification from the customer and/or suppliers involved in the complaint.
  • Our Decision – Our intention is to provide the outcome of our investigation within the 10 working day period outlined above.  Should this not be possible for any reason, we will update you on progress and provide a revised date that we will aim to provide our decision by. 
  • Your Decision – We ask that you let us know whether you accept our decision within 10 working days of receiving it.  Should you not accept our decision, we will ask for feedback and any additional information that will assist with the extended review whilst the investigation continues.
  • Additional Review Decision – If our earlier decision is not accepted, leading to a further review, we will again endeavour to reach our outcome and decision on the additional review within 10 working days of you telling us your decision.  Should this not be possible for any reason, we will update you on progress and provide a revised date that we will aim to provide our decision by.  As before, during the review period we may need to request further information, documentation or clarification from the customer and/or suppliers involved in the complaint.
  • 8 Week Letter – Whatever stage has been reached in the above process eight weeks after we first received your complaint, should the complaint still be an ongoing matter then we will send you an 8 week letter.  Once you have received that letter you are entitled to raise a complaint to the Ombudsman.  Please see below for details on businesses entitled to do this, and the relevant contact details.
  • Deadlock Letter – If you chose to reject our decision(s) then we will send you a deadlock letter.  This letter confirms that you have rejected our decision(s) following our investigation of your complaint. Once you receive this letter you are also able to raise a complaint to the Ombudsman if your business is entitled to do this.
  • Complaint Resolution – There are a variety of ways a complaint might be resolved, for example apologising, making a goodwill gesture to our customer, or providing a form of compensation.

The Ombudsman

If you are a microbusiness you are entitled to raise your complaint to the Ombudsman, should you feel it has not been resolved either:

  1. 8 weeks after the complaint was raised with us, or
  2. Once you have received a deadlock letter from us (whichever of these two points comes sooner)

The Ombudsman is an independent body who remain impartial throughout the process of reviewing and deciding the outcome of disputes between us and our microbusiness customers.  There is no charge to you as the customer for the Ombudsman’s services.

If you accept the Ombudsman’s decision following their review of the complaint, we must then honour that decision.  You are not bound to accept the Ombudsman’s decision and instead may choose to take other courses of action should you so wish.

The Ombudsman’s contact details:

By Email:  enquiry@ombudsman-services.org  (emails are responded to within five working days)

By Telephone:  0330 440 1624  (8am-8pm Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm Saturday)

By Post:  Energy Ombudsman, PO Box 966, Warrington, WA4 9DF

Website: www.ombudsman-services.org