How much debt can you carry over to new supplier?

1carminestocky

Like a lot of things with regard to the energy companies, this needs standardising IMO, and CLEAR written guidelines should be drawn up and adhered to. If not, like has been intimated, even energy company employees don't really know what to say to their customers. It's this sort of ambiguity that IMO causes so much bad feeling with customers, the fact that you can get 2 very different answers from 2 different call centre jockeys. It's not the worker's fault IMO, the fault lies clearly at managment AND regulator level...

Premier_2

45XKM wrote: »

...This is my understanding you can check with Energy Watch. www.energywatch.org.uk

According to them:

How do I change my supplier?


Once you are happy that you have selected the supplier best suited to meet your needs, changing is a fairly simple process: ...

• Pay any outstanding bills owing to your existing supplier. If you do not, they may prevent you from transferring.

http://www.energywatch.org.uk/help_and_advice/saving_money/further_info/index.asp

I guess part of the issue could be:

When can my supplier not disconnect me because of a balance outstanding?
... [FONT=Arial, Helvetica]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]If the debt you owe is to a previous supplier. For example, if you changed from British Gas to Npower and owed British Gas money, British Gas are not allowed to disconnect your supply after you have changed (although Npower can if a further balance accrues)
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http://energywatch-ext--tst.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/energywatch_ext.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2253&p_created=1098042286&p_sid=FU5K7pej&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=2253&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MjksMjkmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWRlYnQ*&p_li=&p_topview=1

In law, a debt is an amount of money that remains unpaid 28 days after it has been requested in writing.

http://energywatch-ext--tst.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/energywatch_ext.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3105&p_created=1102112687&p_sid=IY85bpej&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MjksMjkmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWRlYnQ*&p_li=&p_topview=1[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica]

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nugget2407

Well, thanks for all that useful info. If nothing else, a little confusing. Scottish Power told me 2 weeks ago I COULD transfer whatever debt I had over. Today they say "No". Southern Electric said that my application to switch WAS due to my outstanding balance as recorded in July, although I have since paid two further instalments by DD as normal and it has obviously been reduced somewhat. SE did say, however that some debts are carried over. She checked with 'registration' dept and they confirmed that on this occasion the application would be objected again until the debt is cleared entirely, whether it be £100 or £5. So it seems a bit 'pot luck' and a way of your present supplier to keep hold of you. Still, I have a further two applications from Scottish Power to Southern Electric and then they can still re-apply after a further 3 months after that and still allow me the fixed rate I applied for back in July. So looks like I'll get to them in the end! Just a bit frustrating when so many people from the companies tell you different stories.

DS-2

1carminestocky wrote: »

Like a lot of things with regard to the energy companies, this needs standardising IMO, and CLEAR written guidelines should be drawn up and adhered to.

I can't see the confusion (honest). First off, the incumbent supplier can only object for reasons that are set out in their T&Cs. Second, debt is usually one of those reasons - if they haven't reserved the right to object for debt, then they can't do it.

As paulineonline123 and premier broadly indicated, as long as the money owing is not owed on an overdue invoice, then technically there is no debt that would support an objection.

Though, whether those rules are being adhered to is something that I'm not in a position to judge.

spiro

There is an industry procedure for transferring of debt between suppliers were the customer is equipped with a prepayment meter, it makes no mention of customers with credit meters.

brysiewysie

spiro wrote: »

There is an industry procedure for transferring of debt between suppliers were the customer is equipped with a prepayment meter, it makes no mention of customers with credit meters.

But have you ever seen a transfer of this type take place?