Add your feedback on energy supplier Iresa

Raxiel · 3 March 2017 at 11:48AM

lisaweirl wrote: »

Hi

On 2nd February 2017 I requested of Iresa a switch of electricity supply from Eon, asking for it to be done on or as soon after 24th February as possible, having been advised by a generic energy switch organisation that it normally takes three weeks so don't put your order in until the beginning of February.

On 17th February I got an email from Iresa stating that I would be transferred with next 14 days. I wrote back reiterating that I wanted to waive the cooling off period and be connected to them on 24t fb or soon after. No reply.

The 17th was the end of your cooling off period, the 14 days after that is the time it actually takes them to switch.

So there was no indication from Iresa that anything was amiss. On 24th February I emailed Iresa to verify all was on track. They said that they hadn't done anything because they didn't have my MPAN number (which was optional on the application form). I sent that to them within the hour and have been chasing them ever since.

Here's a copy of their emails to me: Hi Lisa,
Thank you for your email. I had a better look at your account and it appears we haven't started supplying electricity to your property. we require your MPAN number which can be found on a previous bill.
please accept my apology for any inconvenience this may have caused.

As you say, it's optional. AIUI They should be able to look up these figures against the address in the database. While providing it yourself can help, the only thing they should NEED on the switch date is the meter readings.

Then on 1st March:

I am very sorry about the delay getting a response to your email. We have had a sudden upturn in the amount customers who have expressed an interest in joining Iresa. Which has impacted on our performance. We have now made changes that going forwards will minimise customer waits for calls to be answered and for replies to customer emails.

Which is what a few of us here have suspected given their recent performance.

The transfer has failed due the meter details not being supplied in time. This means that EON is still your supplier. I am very sorry for this but if still wish for us to supply the property could you please reply to this email and we will attempt to take the supply.

I still haven't had confirmation that they are willing to supply me even though they have taken first payment. Every time I try to call them in customer services I am 32nd in the queue so put the phone down. When I try calling Sales it states I am first in the queue but I end up putting the phone down after 15 minutes because no one answered. So currently on a standard tariff and tearing my hair out.

Does that help?

Have you spoken to E.ON at all through this, have they had any contact from Iresa since the 24th?
Have Iresa asked you for meter readings, have you sent any?
Does your online account work, does it have any meter points set up?

Iresa may be in breach of their licence by taking so long for the switch but I'll let others more knowledgable on the subject comment about that.

Hope you get sorted out soon.

System · 3 March 2017 at 11:58AM

Raxiel wrote: »

Iresa may be in breach of their licence by taking so long for the switch but I'll let others more knowledgable on the subject comment about that.

.

Suppliers have to use their reasonable endeavours to transfer a supply within 35 days from receiving an application to switch. The problem is defining what is reasonable. Ovo used to say that it could take weeks to transfer gas supplied by an IGT.

It is worth making a report to consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk as Ofgem does monitor Supply Licence compliance.

icharus · 3 March 2017 at 12:11PM

haddock22 wrote: »

I signed up on 2 feb and electricity went through on 22 feb but still no signs of gas as yet.Should i be worried?

Yes, I believe we should be worried. It is obvious from the posts on this thread that Iresa are not coping and/or incompetent.

Yesterday, I finally got a not too coherent response to my e-mails of the beginning of February. The reply did not explain the reason for the transfer delay, but said the problem had been passed to the appropriate department who would be in touch. The e-mails have now been annotated as resolved!!! I was told the same thing over the telephone 3 weeks ago!!

EON said that there is no hold up at their end and that my gas supply should have been taken over on the 16th February.

I applied to transfer on the 11th January and adopted a belt and braces approach. I provided all meter references details on that day and subsequently. I have provided all meter readings. My Iresa account is still not showing readings for my electric supply and nothing at all for my gas supply, not even a contract date.

My first direct debit went through on the 30th January, I have just checked and strangely no further dd has been taken.

I have given up on attempting a meaningful communication with this company. They take over a month to respond to e-mails. Waiting on the telephone has on two occasions taken over an hour. They make repeat promises to deal with the matter and nothing happens. I don't use Twitter.

The cracks are beginning to show. Given their very poor Customer Relations Department and obvious operational problems, I anticipate that the SWHTF with this company quite soon, and we will be left to clear up their mess.

With hindsight I would not have transferred to this company, and I do not recommend them.

I expect I will be alerting Ofgem to the problems by mid week. I suggest others do the same.

System · 3 March 2017 at 12:14PM

lisaweirl wrote: »

No still waiting to be connected even though I requested a switch on or near to 24th February. Completed form on 2nd February, having been told to apply three weeks ahead of wanting to be switched. Excuse that they didn't have my MPAN number which I supplied to themwithin an hour of them requesting it (my having chased for a completion date). They are now asking me whether I still want to be with them, which I have said yes to, if they can resolve quickly but no reply. Cannot get through on phone. Absolute nightmare.

Iresa has set up its systems to accept a switch; wait 14 days and then initiate a transfer request. Their FAQs state that the transfer process will take about 16 days - 30 days from application. My switches went through on days 30 and 31 from application.

icharus · 3 March 2017 at 12:17PM

Are there a significant number of complaints on Twitter, and are the complaints being fobbed off or actually dealt with?

I don't have a Twitter account.

System · 3 March 2017 at 12:22PM

icharus wrote: »

Are there a significant number of complaints on Twitter, and are the complaints being fobbed off or actually dealt with?

I don't have a Twitter account.

You don't need one. Google Iresa Twitter to see how Iresa is responding.

They do seem to be having some issues but I suspect the same can be said for most suppliers. We do live in an age where people expect everything to happen immediately.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc · 3 March 2017 at 1:28PM

lisaweirl wrote: »

Hi

On 2nd February 2017 I requested of Iresa a switch of electricity supply from Eon, asking for it to be done on or as soon after 24th February as possible, having been advised by a generic energy switch organisation that it normally takes three weeks so don't put your order in until the beginning of February.

On 17th February I got an email from Iresa stating that I would be transferred with next 14 days. I wrote back reiterating that I wanted to waive the cooling off period and be connected to them on 24t fb or soon after. No reply.

So there was no indication from Iresa that anything was amiss. On 24th February I emailed Iresa to verify all was on track. They said that they hadn't done anything because they didn't have my MPAN number (which was optional on the application form). I sent that to them within the hour and have been chasing them ever since.

Here's a copy of their emails to me: Hi Lisa,
Thank you for your email. I had a better look at your account and it appears we haven't started supplying electricity to your property. we require your MPAN number which can be found on a previous bill.
please accept my apology for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Then on 1st March:

I am very sorry about the delay getting a response to your email. We have had a sudden upturn in the amount customers who have expressed an interest in joining Iresa. Which has impacted on our performance. We have now made changes that going forwards will minimise customer waits for calls to be answered and for replies to customer emails.

The transfer has failed due the meter details not being supplied in time. This means that EON is still your supplier. I am very sorry for this but if still wish for us to supply the property could you please reply to this email and we will attempt to take the supply.

I still haven't had confirmation that they are willing to supply me even though they have taken first payment. Every time I try to call them in customer services I am 32nd in the queue so put the phone down. When I try calling Sales it states I am first in the queue but I end up putting the phone down after 15 minutes because no one answered. So currently on a standard tariff and tearing my hair out.

Does that help?

Hello lisaweirl and welcome to the Forums.

Whilst with us, did you have an online account? If you did, you'll be able to see on there when Iresa apply to take your account. As soon as they do, our online services will be locked down. You'll still be able to view the account but you won't be able to do anything like change tariff, enter meter readings, alter a Monthly Direct Debit etc.

Were you on one of our fixed tariffs? If you were, provided Iresa apply to take over within the Price Protection window (open 49 calendar days before the tariff end date until 20 working days after), we'll keep you on the cheaper prices whilst the switch goes through. This will be up to the supply end date even if this is after the tariff end date. If we receive the request after the window closes, though, we'll put you on our standard Energy Plan from the tariff end date until the supply end date.

The new supplier drives a switch. They'll send us the meter readings they intend to use to open their account and we'll use these to close our account. This stops the same energy from being charged twice. The readings go through a third party. They check they're in line with past usage at the property. Although there's little I can influence until we receive these readings, I'll be happy to check where we're at. Drop an email to the address in my Profile if you would like me to see what's happening at our end.

Sorry you're leaving lisaweirl and hope this helps.

Malc

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc · 3 March 2017 at 1:53PM

Raxiel wrote: »

Have you spoken to E.ON at all through this, have they had any contact from Iresa since the 24th?
Have Iresa asked you for meter readings, have you sent any?
Does your online account work, does it have any meter points set up?

As above Raxiel, always happy to check things from our end for any customer switching away from us although I'm a bit hamstrung until readings come through. Could help ease customer's minds if they're unsure the supply has been applied for.

Malc

icharus · 3 March 2017 at 2:22PM

Before I contact Ofgem I decided to telephone EON to determine if there was a problem at their end.
A nice helpful lady explained to me that although I applied to transfer from the 11th January that my electric supply was changed over on 7th February and my gas supply from the 16th February. She said that the only hold up at their end was the fact that EON had not received any readings from Iresa. I supplied all my meter references and readings throughout.
Apparently she said that EON are not permitted to get involved at their end, until 42 days after the changeover of both electric and gas. She said that they can and will raise the matter with Iresa if the matter is still outstanding at that point.

It was great to get my call quickly answered by EON and time taken to explain the nuances of the problem. A marked contrast with that of Iresa.

It is such a pity that the differential in EONs tariffs was so marked.

System · 3 March 2017 at 2:47PM

icharus wrote: »

Before I contact Ofgem I decided to telephone EON to determine if there was a problem at their end.
A nice helpful lady explained to me that although I applied to transfer from the 11th January that my electric supply was changed over on 7th February and my gas supply from the 16th February. She said that the only hold up at their end was the fact that EON had not received any readings from Iresa. I supplied all my meter references and readings throughout.
Apparently she said that EON are not permitted to get involved at their end, until 42 days after the changeover of both electric and gas. She said that they can and will raise the matter with Iresa if the matter is still outstanding at that point.

It was great to get my call quickly answered by EON and time taken to explain the nuances of the problem. A marked contrast with that of Iresa.

It is such a pity that the differential in EONs tariffs was so marked.

I don't doubt that as Iresa is so popular at the moment that their priority is getting people on supply. I agree that they need to improve their behind-the-scenes processes including resolving the ongoing calorific value issue that was raised with them before Christmas.

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