The report comes from Which?, the leading consumer organisation, and shows that the big 6 energy companies received over 4 million complaints last year from unhappy customers. The most common issues that complaints were made about were inaccurate meter readings and mistakes made on bills.

It suggested that because many customers failed to pursue their complaints, they were losing out on up to £4 million in compensation.

Julian Morgan, managing director of the Energy Advice Line, the UK’s leading price comparison and switching service for business, said business electricity and business gas customers were in the same position as domestic consumers when it came to billing mistakes.

“Business energy supply companies make mistakes, we know that for a fact, and sometimes these issues go unresolved for so long that customers just get worn down and give up,” Mr Morgan said.

“We help our customers who are switching suppliers resolve these issues by taking them up directly with the utility companies on their behalf. Sometimes because they have dragged on for so long these problems can be difficult to unravel, so having experts on board can help enormously.”

Sally Atherall had given up hope of resolving a dispute with British Gas until she called the Energy Advice Line. One year after she had sold her dog kenneling business, British Gas had sent her a final business energy bill demanding £3,260.

Sally knew the bill was wrong and spent many fruitless, stressful and tearful weeks trying to convince the supplier they had made a mistake. But her complaints were rejected and British Gas insisted that she pay. Sally said they began “pestering” her for the money so much that was too stressed to answer the telephone.

As a last resort, she contacted the Energy Advice Line for help.

“I began to feel helpless, hopeless, tearful and alone,” Sally said. “Fighting against British Gas was useless on my own. I decided to ring the Energy Advice Line one day to try to gather more evidence, as they had arranged my electricity supply for several years.
“What a relief. I told them my story and they offered not only to help me, but to take the case on for me and deal with British Gas on my behalf. They even took time to ring me back to check I was OK as I had sounded upset.

“Eventually, the complaint was brought to the director of customer services for British Gas. They still insisted that I owed them the money and sent me a CD of the voice recordings made when I had telephone them with meter readings in the past.
“A copy of the CD was also sent to the Energy Advice Line. On playing it, they realized that British Gas had used the wrong ‘start’ reads to create my bill. I do owe British Gas a small amount of extra money but nowhere near £3,260.
“British Gas doesn’t care about their customers and have no idea of the heartache they cause when they get it wrong and refuse to listen. Even now, they have not offered one word of apology.”

The Energy Advice Line has also urged business energy users to check their bills to ensure they are being charged the correct level of VAT.
The VAT on electricity and gas for business energy consumers is normally charged at the standard rate of 20% (correct as at 4 January 2011). However, some firms that meet so-called de minimis requirements are entitled to pay VAT at a rate of only 5%.
To meet the criteria for this lower rate, a business must use no more than 33 kWh per day on average for business electricity and/or less than an average of 5 therms or 145 kWh per day for business gas.
Firms that believe they have been paying too much VAT, or have other billing issues, should contact the Energy Advice Line on 0800 915 1800 or visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk

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He recently hosted a breakfast which several business leaders attended, including chief executives from companies such as HSBC, BMW, Fortnum & Mason and Marks & Spencer. There were also senior managers present from some of the largest hotels in London as well as other banks and supermarkets. He reassured those at the breakfast that he would be continuing to work with them to ensure they reaped the greatest benefit from the Games.

At the breakfast, he was listening to them to get ideas about what information they needed regarding the Olympic Games. Mr Johnson has recently been working with Transport for London and has established a website offering transport information for those looking to take public transportation during the Games.

He has also been working with BT to increase the number of internet hotspots across the city so that people can work more flexibly.At the breakfast he also thanked members of the private sector for their sponsorship investments that they’ve made into the capital city as a result of the games. Over £60 million has been invested, which has greatly reduced the burden that the taxpayer has faced.

He stated, “Our businesses are a core part of the success of the Olympic Games and we want to maximise the opportunities available to them. This is going to be a summer that London has never seen before and we are hoping that businesses will be able to benefit from this unique opportunity.” Many other key figures involved in arranging the Olympic Games were also present at the breakfast.

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Santander has recently launched a debt fund valued at £200 million and the company is one of the first to be granted access to this fund. The company has a already been rejected for a loan by 10 banks and the company have commented that if it were granted funding a year ago, when it first wanted it, it would have been able to double its number of staff by now.

Many people are speculating that there will be a second credit crunch which could be worse than the first and the government and banks are currently making commitments to SME’s as they are viewed as essential for a successful economic recovery.

This new fund by the Santander bank is an example of such an offering and RBS and the Lloyds group have also said that they are looking to increase the number of loans they are making to SME’s. These two banks are currently owned by the state and have been some of the largest lenders to SMEs since the financial crisis began.

Many people are expecting the economy to continue to falter over the coming year and many are expecting that even if the scheme is launched they are going to be eclipsed by the state of the economy. The head of retail banking at KPMG has recently commented, “A reduction in global bank lending is only going to be partially offset by this measure.”

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TEDxAmsterdam is scheduled to take place on November 25^th this year and will be held at the Stadsschouwburg Theatre.  Each of the TEDx Talks that feature top speakers will be broadcast on television so that supports of the organization and the general population can be served a gentle reminder of just what it means to be human.

To help show the creative talent that the human brain is capable of producing the organization has teamed up with WE ARE PI to create a documentary that takes a close look at ‘living brains’ and how they are best used to meet an end goal as a human.

Already available for preview, is a magnificent display of 48 dancers that come together to create an actual ‘living brain’ using just their bodies to do so.  The result is stunning and the entire minute clip is something to watch at least a few times and share with friends.  For those who enjoy the living brain, the rest of the conference will also be worth viewing as it is scheduled to feature some of the best creative minds in Amsterdam as they prove that there is more to being human than relying on other devices to do our work.

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Advertising is a funny old business. I should know, I’ve been employed as a copywriter for more years than I’d care to remember. But one of the perks, if you happen to work for a large international agency, is the opportunity to occasionally work abroad.

Not so long ago I took a trip at the last minute to Chicago. Our Creative Director’s PA who was frighteningly efficient managed to compare flights online and find an amazing deal for my working partner and myself to fly American Airlines the next morning, first thing. Better still, when the following morning dawned, and my colleague and I shuffled, bleary-eyed to the check-in desk at Heathrow, we were, for some unfathomable reason, upgraded from Business to First Class. So the pair of us in our tee shirts and jeans traipsed over to the First Class Departure Lounge to take our place among the dapper suited businessmen.

It was a good start to what turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable business trip. This was largely down to the fact that we hadn’t been asked to the Chicago office to produce any creative work. Instead we had been invited to take part in an advertising awards scheme. Let me explain: advertising agencies are obsessed with winning industry awards to demonstrate to potential clients and the world at large, how brilliantly clever they are at selling stuff in a creative and intelligent way.

Now, as it happens, this rather large global agency for whom I worked (and I won’t name names) didn’t have a terribly good track record in this department, so not to be outdone, some bright spark in the New York office had suggested the idea of creating an awards scheme just for the agency’s offices around the world. This way the agency could award itself the awards it so desperately craved. Brilliant.

So there we were, locked in a room with representatives from New York, Chicago, Paris, Milan, Barcelona and Helsinki, deliberating over a bunch of ads and direct mail pieces which had been submitted by all the offices in the network in the hope of winning one of these fabulous awards. I might add here that the awards themselves had been created at great expense and did look rather splendid.

The very good news, however, was that judging would only take place in the morning, and following lunch, we’d be free to explore Chicago at our leisure before flying back home.

As a result, we set off for the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower). From its 103^rd floor you can walk around its Skydeck, 1,353 feet up, and take in the most spectacular views of this majestic city of glass and steel set against the backdrop of the vast Lake Michigan, and the surrounding areas of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

Back at street level we headed for the famous Marshall Fields department store (now Macy’s). I’m not a keen shopper but this building is well worth a visit. The store can trace its heritage back to1880 and this lovely building was completed in 1906. On the top floor there is an impressive and rather touching plaque proudly displaying the names of all employees who had completed 50 years loyal service. The list is remarkably long.

As for those advertising awards, I remember very little indeed.

Alex Pearl is a freelance copywriter and author of ‘Sleeping with the Blackbirds’.

http://sleepingwiththeblackbirds.co.uk http://alexpearlmini.carbonmade.com

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The proposals, which were published in July have been criticised by the British Bankers’ Association for leaving to much scope for national regulators to just act in their own interests and this will come at the cost of overall stability.

The leaders of the worlds top 20 nations have asked the FSB to agree on how failing banks should be brought down in order to prevent more fall out than necessary to the rest of the financial system. There are two main options currently, one of which involves the sale of the banks assets. Another is for it to be dramatically scaled back in size and function as a smaller entity.

The new guidelines by the FSB require that banks will have to decide what should happen to them should they have a crisis. Angela Knight from the British Bankers’ Association has said, “The regulations need to be sufficient and clear and allow countries the time to implement measures.”

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In the consumer services area, values declined around 15%, while business volumes dropped 25%. Richard Woodhouse from CBI has said, “This is further evidence of the decline in the services sector. With the economy the way it is people are having to cut back their spending and this will affect the amounts that households spend on services.

“Something that we did not expect was the fall in business and professional services as well, we thought this would remain steady or grow. This type of services has continued to grow its staff numbers however while consumer services are restricting hiring at the moment.”

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In the past five years there has been a significant rise in the number of customers making official complaints regarding their bank, building society or credit card company. Many of these complaints relate to the sale of payment protection cover.  Sometimes known as PPI or loan insurance, payment protection is sold with credit cards, loans and mortgages. It is meant to protect a customer if they cannot work due to accident, sickness or involuntary unemployment by stepping in to take over their repayments. Unfortunately, PPI doesn’t always provide the level of cover you may expect, can be very expensive and has often been mis-sold.

One of the major reasons customers choose to make a payment protection insurance claim is because of the high number of exemptions attached to many payment protection policies. Exemptions are things that the insurance does not cover and usually includes pre-existing medical conditions as well as common ailments such as back pain, depression and stress. In most cases customers do not find out how many exemptions their policy has until they try to use it. One survey conducted by the Competition Commission, in 2008, found that just 15% of customers who tried to use their loan PPI policy received a payout – for credit card PPI the figure was just 11%!

If the terms, conditions and exemptions of your policy were not clearly explained this may be considered grounds for a claim for mis-selling and you may be entitled to make a PPI reclaim.

Another criticism of payment protection cover is the high cost of policies. Loan PPI usually costs between 13%-25% of the loan value. The cost is added to the loan and will incur interest meaning your debt and repayment period may be considerably increased. If your lender did not fully explain the cost of your PPI this could amount to mis-selling and you may be able to make a claim.

Although a failure to explain the terms and costs of a payment protection policy can be considered mis-selling there are many other circumstances in which a policy may be regarded as mis-sold. If you were told the policy was compulsory or that taking out the cover would improve your chances of being given credit you were given the wrong information and could make a claim. Likewise, if you felt pressured into taking out a policy or it was added without your knowledge.

One of the most significant forms of mis-selling is where policies were sold to customers who either didn’t need or couldn’t use them. If, for example, you have cover in place elsewhere or were in secure employment with full sick pay entitlement, you may not have needed the cover and it probably should not have been offered to you. In the most severe cases customers were sold policies they were ineligible to use. A common example here is customers over the age of sixty-five who usually cannot be covered and customers who were retired, unemployed or in full time education and who obviously wouldn’t need to be covered for loss of employment! If you think you were mis-sold a policy that you didn’t need or were ineligible to use, you are entitled to make a claim for compensation.

You may also be able to make a claim if you have paid unfair credit card charges in the past. A 2006 investigation by the Office of Fair Trading found that bank charges applied by some banks and credit card companies for late payments and over the limit fees were unfairly high. Some banks were found to have applied charges of up to £35 claiming they were necessary to cover costs, but the Office of Fair Trading found that a maximum charge of £12 should be applied for late payment and over the limit fees. As a result of the investigation, most lenders have lowered their charges. The investigation has also opened the door for customers who have paid unfair fees in the past to start claiming back bank charges.

If you have paid unfair credit card fees or been mis-sold payment protection cover you have the right to make a claim. More than a million unhappy customers have already registered a complaint and many have received thousands of pounds in compensation. You have the option to speak to an advisor at The PPI Claim Company to discuss whether you have a case for mis sold ppi.

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As opposed to a normal pension plan which holds your money in a set plan or equity and relies mainly on interest to boost the fund, you get to choose exactly where you want to invest your money. This also ensures that your investments are tailored to your needs instead of your money being placed in markets and equities selected by others.

Anyone who is over the age of 18 and has been a UK resident for at least 5 years is eligible for a SIPP. The flexibility appeals to those who are comfortable about making their own investments, and taking control of their destiny so to speak. It is for this reason that SIPPS had previously been so popular in the trade, with the likes of pension personnel, investment bankers and the like choosing this method of saving for their retirement.

If you reasonably savvy when it comes to investments and are looking to build up your pension fund using a flexible and tax efficient method, a SIPP could be a perfect choice. As long as you accept that projected growth isn’t guaranteed and you are prepared to tie up your money until you are at least 55, as well as bearing in mind that tax treatments many also change over time.

The flexibility is the big selling point of SIPPs, and many enjoy the fact that are given the opportunity to explore a wider range of investment opportunities, and also those who have been in business much prefer to have sole control over their investments rather than leaving them to somebody else to sort out on their behalf.

Now as great as they seem, like every product in this market, a SIPPs plan won’t suit everybody. Those who want unrestricted access to their money need to look elsewhere, as do those who want to invest directly in such equities that aren’t currently covered by SIPPs, such as commercial properties. Take time to weigh up the pros and cons before opting for a SIPPs plan, and make the correct and informed choices regarding your pension.

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In fact, the company seems to be more than stable as it continues to increase its hold on other regions of the world moving a few years ago into new regions such as Brazil.  This move was significant given the fact that Brazil is thought to be one of the top growing economies in the world right now and is actually a very low risk area when compared to other areas such as the hurricane epicentre that is known as the Gulf of Mexico.  In other words, there is not a great deal of threat to Brazil both in terms of political unrest and natural disasters.

Lloyds also expanded into China over the last few years after it received its official licence to trade within the country allowing them to write reinsurance business over about 90% of the Chinese market, which opened up their doors and the potential for underwriting home grown Chinese insurers who were interested.    Given the fact that losses can occur just about anywhere for reasons that cannot be predicted, whether it be an economic recession, political unrest, or as mentioned natural disasters, by spreading the risk of insurance around the world then losses can be offset when they occur unpredictably.

This is one reason why the reinsurance market can be a great way to buy into a little peace of mind because with the right insurance and the right premium, you can rest assured that your investment and money will be well guarded.

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