SPARK energy and changing suppliers

maggirl

Hello, I just got the keys to a rented house last week and the letting agents have said I HAVE to use the supplier SPARK energy.

With all the hassle of moving last week Im only just getting around to setting up my account, i have never heard of SPARK energy and when i typed their name into google it came up with a load of reviews saying how BAD they were.

1) Am I obliged to use them, if the letting agency say I have to?

2) if Im not legally obliged to use them, what is the quickest way to change??

sorry for dumb questions, never done this before!

BitterAndTwisted

Who is paying the utility bills for the property? It's you, isn't it? In that case you are entitled to choose any supplier you like. Letting agents get a kickback for signing properties up to this mob and that's why they've told you that you can't change. This is an unfair term so go ahead and choose your supplier. Your only responsibility is to inform the agents of who they are when you leave the property.

chris_m

Spark are a bunch of opportunistic shysters. A colleague bought outright a flat that had previously been shared-ownership. Shortly after moving in he was somewhat surprised to receive a "sorry you are leaving us" letter from Southern Electric, a supplier he was perfectly happy with. It turned out the shared-ownership company had told Spark that the flat had been sold so Spark went ahead with a transfer of his electric account - without even telling him, let alone asking.

Because Spark had initiated the transfer Southern Electric couldn't do a thing about it, even though their customer didn't want to switch, hadn't been asked about switching and hadn't agreed to it. He had to spend several hours on the phone telling Spark that he did not want their "service", he would not be paying for it and they'd better darned well sort it out. Took several months before it was all sorted IIRC.

SparkEnergy

Hello-

Please let us know if you're referring to the US or the UK Spark Energy. We're not associated, but would like to help answer some questions if you're speaking about the US company.

Thanks for letting us know!

C_Mababejive

This is a common scam amongst letting agents. Bottom line is that they are getting a back hander for suckering you into using spark energy.

Tell your letting agent that you are under no obligation to use Spark energy and that you intend to do your own research and find the best supplier for you.

Yet another case of bent estate agents.

Was it Reeds Rains by any chance??

G_M

All I can add to this debate is:

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Who is paying the utility bills for the property? It's you, isn't it? In that case you are entitled to choose any supplier you like. Letting agents get a kickback for signing properties up to this mob and that's why they've told you that you can't change. This is an unfair term so go ahead and choose your supplier. Your only responsibility is to inform the agents of who they are when you leave the property.

ashleypride

From http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/unfair_contract_terms/oft356.pdf

Table 4.2: Examples of potentially unreasonable prohibitions

Against changing the phone or utility supplier.
The tenant should have the choice of supplier although he may be required to keep the landlord informed of any change and to return the account to the original supplier at the end of the tenancy.

DVardysShadow

SparkEnergy wrote: »

Hello-

Please let us know if you're referring to the US or the UK Spark Energy. We're not associated, but would like to help answer some questions if you're speaking about the US company.

Thanks for letting us know!

This is about the UK Spark, so you can stand down!

Vampgirl

You most definitely don't have to use Spark - you can choose which energy supplier you use! But do be prepared for them sending you lots of letters asking for your bank details....we had that when we moved into our current house. We knew that Spark weren't supplying us so when we started getting letters from Spark (no details, just a direct debit form!) we ignored it at first but then I got fed up did a bit of research and then phoned them up to tell them to stop. At which point they tried to tell me that I was legally obliged to give them my details because they had a contract with the agency, that we would be evicted for breaking our AST if I didn't sign up with them, and a few other things that I can't remember now. They weren't very happy when I told them that I had absolutely no intention of using their services no matter what they threatened me with.....I knew our agency didn't have anything to do with them, and it turns out the agency that the landlady had sacked a few months before gave Spark the address and tried to get another kick-back even though they no longer managed the property!

Spark then went on to claim that they needed my name to take me off their system...which was total rubbish coz the house would have been in the system under the address! I refused to give them my name: I didn't trust them an inch (after their rude, bulling and fake-legal threats) as I had a sneaking suspicion that if I gave them a name to go with the address they'd switch us no matter what I said. Funnily enough though I've not heard anything from them since so they obviously managed to find the property in the system.

sharpee

Maggirl : Did you get it sorted?

We're just about to move into a hosue with the same terms and are looking at the easiest and quickest way to change from Spark

maggirl

Sorry for delay in replying. I seem to have sorted it out, fingers crossed. My tactic was to just ignore SPARK completely.

I contacted my old supplier (Scottish Power- although with the price hikes I may be regretting this now!!) and asked to transfer to them. I have move in readings and readings taken on the day that SP were supposed to take on the energy supply. So if SPARK contact me about a final bill I can give them all the readings, but so far have heard nothing more from them.