Adrian Childs

I'm on a low income and get the £150 winter fuel allowance.

My monthly payments are £147.

OVO have decided to put this up to £157.

I use very little gas in the summer.

My actual combined bills are £60 on average.

Why are they doing this?

My contract runs out in November and I'll certainly be shopping around.

OK, Liz, my question is, how, as an 18-year-old about to start university, do I get direct debits approved for things like broadband and energy?

I'm renting privately and I've just been rejected for broadband as I failed the credit check.

I'm on the electoral roll, but I don't have consistent income, as you wouldn't if you're an 18-year-old about to start university.

That seems mad.

Can I just say, but for all the supposed sophistication of the way they do it, it's actually a really blunt instrument...

Yes.

You know, it's a bit like calculating car insurance and so on.

It's just a blunt instrument in which you're... I don't know, it seems to work against the consumer every time.

But there's erring on the side of the caution and just being a bit silly, which they are.

Ultimately, the machine is asking an 18-year-old to provide...

to provide some... I totally agree.

And in the meantime, she's not going to get the best details on broadband or energy because she can't get the direct debit.

And she's just got to suck that up.