Apologies; yet ANOTHER thread about leaving Scottish Power!

lanstrom

I gave notice (Right To Cancel) to SP that I was changing provider on the 14th July and promptly received an automated response saying that had received my email and would deal with it shortly. Its now 12 days later and I still not had a written confirmation that they will keep me on this deal (as per their own email). Am I supposed to get a confirmation or not ?

Thanks.

jalexa

qaiq wrote: »

eg, if all the suppliers raised their prices by 20%, and your tariff is guaranteed to 2% below some other one, they couldn't argue that no contract change has occurred because their price is still 2% below. Your prices have changed absolutley.

As far as I am aware...

I happen to agree with that (and backfoot) but there was quite a debate in this thread, and no clear conclusion other than at least Scottish Power and British Gas were reported as implementing a "waiver".

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3369410

The worrying thing was that the "no *right* to a fee free early termination" argument was reported as being the MSE article author's and Ofgem's opinion.

backfoot

jalexa wrote: »

The worrying thing was that the "no *right* to a fee free early termination" argument was reported as being the MSE article author's and Ofgem's opinion.

Has anyone produced an Ofgem source (document) for this 'so called interpretation'?

I think it's a simple matter. Variation = No termination fee.

No variation = Termination Fee.

Price guarantees are just that. Nothing else.

Cardew

jalexa wrote: »

The worrying thing was that the "no *right* to a fee free early termination" argument was reported as being the MSE article author's and Ofgem's opinion.

Exactly!

They state:

Under those rules, Ofgem stresses not all variable rate customers are eligible to escape their exit fee, such as where there is no change in the contract term.

In particular, this applies to customers whose deal tracks their suppliers' standard rate by giving a percentage discount off that price.
Such a contract would allow for a rise as there is no monetary definition of the standard rate.

Nearly all the tariffs that are not fixed, or standard rate, have such a provision i.e. x% below the Standard rate.

backfoot

Cardew wrote: »

Exactly!

They state:

Such a contract would allow for a rise as there is no monetary definition of the standard rate.



Nearly all the tariffs that are not fixed, or standard rate, have such a provision i.e. x% below the Standard rate.

No monetary defintion of the standard rate ! Nonsense. It's in their tariff tables.

Where does it say that in the Regulations?

jalexa

backfoot wrote: »

Has anyone produced an Ofgem source (document) for this 'so called interpretation'?

No. I'm very disappointed with the MSE article author.

backfoot

jalexa wrote: »

No. I'm very disappointed with the MSE article author.

Yes quite regularly they fire of an article and fail to participate again.

Sort of unaccountable snippets.

For something important, like this, there needs to be a trail back to the legislation or an authority on the matter. If indeed there is an Ofgem contact, I for one would like to challenge the 'so called view' being put forward.

I see these 'below standard price' guarantees as absolutely worthless, where they can start at a very high discount only to be reduced considerably soon after.

Ofgem should be hitting this sort of sharp practice hard and certainly not supporting them with additional fees where it occurs.

Under basic Contract Law the Contract is essentially Unfair,one sided and non negotiable. This gives rise to a claim under various statutes if they try to add other conditions.

jalexa

backfoot wrote: »

Ofgem should be hitting this sort of sharp practice hard and certainly not supporting them with additional fees where it occurs.

Indeed. It's not impossible Ofgem paid their legal advisers a lot of money but didn't undertstand the draft.

This issue is not actually *what* Ofgem think but *when* they first "wised up" to *their* toothless interpretion (as reported by MSE) and *what* they then did to resolve the issue. Guaranteed Discount tariffs have appeared towards the top of the comparison tables for most of the last 12 months. Its not as if this is a new issue.

Southern Electric are about to launch something confusingly called "Fixed Discount Jan 2014", which, wait for it, guarantees a 2% discount against variable standard rates until 2014.

So is Ofgen saying that anybody daft enough to sign up to a 2% discount is locked into a variable tariff until 2014?

We need the truth.

And only a "fixed" tariff should be able to include the word "fixed".

Do you think Southern Electric are cocking a snook at regulation?