Quickest time possible to switch suppliers

wakeupalarm

What is the absolute quickest time to change suppliers?

It is usually quoted that it takes 4-8 weeks to change supplier, but having looked at a change I made last year to EDFenegy it only took 23 days from applying to EDF starting to supply. This was for a single fuel deal though. There Is a 14 days cooling off period but I'm sure that one of the company representatives stated that it cannot be done in less then 28 days.

Mr_K

I've switched several times, usually takes 1-2 months for dual fuels. Confusingly the Gas and leccy change can be weeks apart. Giving them an up to date meter reading might help, but it's in your old suppliers interest string it out as long as possible...

Terrylw1

The 4-6 weeks normally quoted is based on the handover of data between the new Supplier, old Supplier, new Supplier agents, old Supplier agents and the local MPAS who your registration passes through.

There are certain periods that cannot be reduced e.g. objection periods which have to expire otherwise Suippliers could breach their licence obligations. However, after that it's all about speed of data transfer.

Less 28 days is possible but if your hand hold the process, it could be less. It won't even be less than 14 days, but thats not just your cooling off period, it's the waiting on the objection periods to expire.

It's allso easily possible that it can take 6 months, 1 year and beyond...and it does for some unfortunate customers. This occurs due to open disputes e.g crossed metering sites, and we often a problem prior to their change which only makes them harder.

Eitherway, you are always billed from a specific date which the date they apply to register you to. It just means that some disruption to DD's can be experienced on the losing & gaining side.

Personally, this industry is not really set up for fast transfers and there is a llot of data going back and forth which can easily fall down. Also, Suppliers get into backlogs and not all these factors are within the realms of their control due to the open market e.g. new Supplier appoints a new Meter Operator (holds all the meter data, services the meter point, etc) so the old Suppliers Meter Operator has to pass the current meter details to the new Meter Operator. When that goes wrong, Suppliers have little control since the old Meter Operator may be an agent they have never held contracts with hence they have no escalation process other than good faith or the long winded largely pointless escalation route to Elexon for help.

Terrylw1

Mr_K wrote: »

I've switched several times, usually takes 1-2 months for dual fuels. Confusingly the Gas and leccy change can be weeks apart. Giving them an up to date meter reading might help, but it's in your old suppliers interest string it out as long as possible...

Whether they do string it out or not, will not affect the date of handover itself unless they lodged objections, upheld them hence a new registration has to be placed which means a newer registration date.