MSE Please Note: Switching Problems using Moneysupermarket

polyphonic99

This is just a word of warning to both MSE and to users of this forum.

MSE recommended switching Gas and Electricity by going from MSE to Moneysupermarket.com, which will then earn you £40 commission back from Moneysupermarket.com when you switch Gas and Electricity supplier.

On 21 September 2009 I took MSE’s advice and initiated a switch from EON to First Utility via Moneysupermarket.com via the link from MSE. I was duly informed that the transfer should take place on 5th November.

On the 5th November the Gas was transferred but not the electricity.

Apparently Moneysupermarket.com had given the First Utility the wrong MPAN number (meter point admin number). They had provided an MPAN number of a “De-energised” meter that had been removed from a property 12 years ago. They should not have been able to do that, nor should the MPAN number still be on the ECHOES database that the industry use to identify individual supplies.

First Utility did not check that the MPAN number they received from Moneysupermarket.com was valid BEFORE sending off the request to EON; a failure in their procedure.

EON received the request from First Utility to transfer the supplies, plus independent notification from me directly that I was transferring to First Utility. EON realised that it was the wrong MPAN number, I spoke to them on the phone and they knew about it, but did nothing to correct the situation. They transferred the Gas but kept the Electricity supply.


On [FONT=&quot]November 6[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT] [FONT=&quot]First Utility, said they would fix the situation, [/FONT][FONT=&quot]but now in December, [/FONT]say their procedures do not allow them for me to stay with them with just a Gas supply and they say they cannot transfer the correct Electricty supply to them on its own; they can only do Gas and Electricity together. Therefore, against my wishes, they are forcibly transferring my Gas supply back to EON. I have been waiting for over 2 weeks for a response from their customer services manager to my complaints.

I don’t know who regulates or licences Moneysupermarket.com to enable it to initiate Gas and Electricity transfers, but obviously there is a training issue here for their staff and there seem no point going back to them to try and transfer again, since I am likely to get the same problem. I don’t hold MSE responsible for recommending Moneysupermarket.com, but I think it important that MSE realise they are recommending a company that doesn’t appear to have the technical expertise to carry out their job nor the customer services to reply to or fix complaints.

None of the three parties, neither Moneysupermarket.com, EON, nor First Utility can tell me who is responsible for the ECHOES database, nor who to go to correct it. I have contacted OFGEM and the Energy Ombudsmen too and they have said it is not an issue they are responsible for.

Meanwhile I am being transferred back to a company, EON, who I was determined to leave, because of their rude and abusive customer services, at their highest tariff.

Any recommendations from anyone about what to do or where to go next would be gratefully received.

factoryworker

polyphonic99 wrote: »

This is just a word of warning to both MSE and to users of this forum.

MSE recommended switching Gas and Electricity by going from MSE to Moneysupermarket.com, which will then earn you £40 commission back from Moneysupermarket.com when you switch Gas and Electricity supplier.

On 21 September 2009 I took MSE’s advice and initiated a switch from EON to First Utility via Moneysupermarket.com via the link from MSE. I was duly informed that the transfer should take place on 5th November.

On the 5th November the Gas was transferred but not the electricity.

Apparently Moneysupermarket.com had given the First Utility the wrong MPAN number (meter point admin number). They had provided an MPAN number of a “De-energised” meter that had been removed from a property 12 years ago. They should not have been able to do that, nor should the MPAN number still be on the ECHOES database that the industry use to identify individual supplies.

First Utility did not check that the MPAN number they received from Moneysupermarket.com was valid BEFORE sending off the request to EON; a failure in their procedure.

EON received the request from First Utility to transfer the supplies, plus independent notification from me directly that I was transferring to First Utility. EON realised that it was the wrong MPAN number, I spoke to them on the phone and they knew about it, but did nothing to correct the situation. They transferred the Gas but kept the Electricity supply.


On [FONT=&quot]November 6[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]First Utility, said they would fix the situation, [/FONT][FONT=&quot]but now in December, [/FONT]say their procedures do not allow them for me to stay with them with just a Gas supply and they say they cannot transfer the correct Electricty supply to them on its own; they can only do Gas and Electricity together. Therefore, against my wishes, they are forcibly transferring my Gas supply back to EON. I have been waiting for over 2 weeks for a response from their customer services manager to my complaints.

I don’t know who regulates or licences Moneysupermarket.com to enable it to initiate Gas and Electricity transfers, but obviously there is a training issue here for their staff and there seem no point going back to them to try and transfer again, since I am likely to get the same problem. I don’t hold MSE responsible for recommending Moneysupermarket.com, but I think it important that MSE realise they are recommending a company that doesn’t appear to have the technical expertise to carry out their job nor the customer services to reply to or fix complaints.

None of the three parties, neither Moneysupermarket.com, EON, nor First Utility can tell me who is responsible for the ECHOES database, nor who to go to correct it. I have contacted OFGEM and the Energy Ombudsmen too and they have said it is not an issue they are responsible for.

Meanwhile I am being transferred back to a company, EON, who I was determined to leave, because of their rude and abusive customer services, at their highest tariff.

Any recommendations from anyone about what to do or where to go next would be gratefully received.

i wont comment on the veracity or otherwise of switching companies, and whilst i'm all for people not overpaying/getting the best deal, sometimes people chase a saving, with money the only priority without considering service; we have to pay for service; that said i guess you were leaving more because of poor service than price, from your post; your area of address is First Utility; they say they can't supply you because they are duek fuel only, but it is there error that YOU are NOT duel fuel with them; with regard to eon not doing anything, eon cant; the new supplier controls the process and an existing supplier cannot give up the supply unless requested; suply hasn't been requested because First Utility haven't requested the supply that eon holds. You have to purse this with First Utility, moneysupermarket are only the shop window not the owner/producer/supplier.

In short the easiest way to resolve this is either 1) get First utility to apply for correct MPAN, accepting it will join your gas later than you wanted and agree to waive statutory notice period (so should take 4 instead of 6 weeks to get elec with them) or 2) ask First Utility to send back gas to eon as an erroneous transfer, and choose a different new supplier who you feel may deliver the service as well as price you require, ensuring YOU give them the right MPAN)....

Wot do you mean by "at (eons) their highest tariff"?

Joyful

I would first check that the billing you are getting from Eon is on the correct MPAN. If correct take a note of it and make sure this one moves supply. I don't know if the switching sites allow you to enter your MPAN though.

I think the problem may be that although a meter was de energised years ago the MPAN is still live. Your current supplier should be able to get this closed down but only if they supply it.

This sort of thing can cause problems through switching sites. If people speak to an energy company though basic checks should happen to stop this problem.

Haarlem

polyphonic99 wrote: »

This is just a word of warning to both MSE and to users of this forum.

Apparently Moneysupermarket.com had given the First Utility the wrong MPAN number (meter point admin number). They had provided an MPAN number of a “De-energised” meter that had been removed from a property 12 years ago. They should not have been able to do that, nor should the MPAN number still be on the ECHOES database that the industry use to identify individual supplies.

Any recommendations from anyone about what to do or where to go next would be gratefully received.

I am surprised if Moneysupermarket.com have access to MPAN's for verification. If they do, I think there could be data protection issues

Can someone currently in the industry confirm this.

Scott_Byrom

Polyphonic,

I'm sorry to hear of the issue you faced when trying to switch your energy supplier. Clearly this shouldn’t happen – the process should be seamless – and indeed it is for most people.

The problem surrounding your MPAN number, which appears to be the driving factor behind your difficulty in changing supplier, is generated from an external address look-up system called QAS. This system provides moneysupermarket.com with the meter number associated to the address you provide and is designed to help identify your unique meter(s). We are in discussion with QAS to understand why its records store such an old meter number for your address and will of course update you with our progress to ensure this issue does not prevent you from switching in the future.

However, the priority now is to ensure you are able to move energy tariff as quickly as possible to the right deal to ensure we can help reduce your energy bills as we enter the most costly time of year when consumption can equate to as much as 50% of the annual amount you pay. I’ll contact you directly by phone to take this forward with you.

We understand this has been extremely frustrating, please be assured that we will do all we can to help resolve this with you.

Kind regards,

Scott Byrom
Energy Channel Manager
moneysupermarket.com