The Big Switch (Which/38 Degrees)

meggsy

According to The Mail on Sunday "Which? admits it is possible that it may not be able to secure a deal.
The campaign has so far cost Which? £570,000. It hopes to cover this by charging a fee to the winning firms for the extra business they acquire"

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bills/article-2116166/SSE-Ovo-Utilita-turn-backs-Big-Switch-campaign-Which.html#ixzz1pT6Cab61

jwarren66

thanks meggsy

- the plot thickens

so now there are 3 energy companies saying they won't deal with Which
- SSE, OVO, and Utilita

have OVO and Utilita said why? (SSE put out some reasons in a press release - that bark01 put up)

Which have obviously have rattled some cages! and £570,000 investment is pretty significant. though if they are getting a big referral fee they will make millions.

I think I'll ask peoplepower if any companies have refused to do business with them.

macman

jwarren66 wrote: »

thanks meggsy

- the plot thickens

so now there are 3 energy companies saying they won't deal with Which
- SSE, OVO, and Utilita

have OVO and Utilita said why? (SSE put out some reasons in a press release - that bark01 put up)

Which have obviously have rattled some cages! and £570,000 investment is pretty significant. though if they are getting a big referral fee they will make millions.

I think I'll ask peoplepower if any companies have refused to do business with them.

So does that mean that 5 of the Big 6 will deal with them? SSE are the smallest of the 6, their loss is not a deal-breaker if the others are on board.

SwanJon

macman wrote: »

So does that mean that 5 of the Big 6 will deal with them? SSE are the smallest of the 6, their loss is not a deal-breaker if the others are on board.

Think SSE are the second biggest supplier (but can't find anything nice and easy to link to to back it up).
I think it's more a case of opening the door for the others to follow suit.

The smaller suppliers have more to gain (as a smaller proportion of the 'new' customers will be their customers already), and they are more likely to adapt pricing to this volume of customers.

echoecho_2

I just don't know if the energy suppliers could handle this many new customers at once. The call centres, websites and systems would be inundated. I just don't see how they can manage such a huge number of transfers at the same time, unless they stagger the transfers (unfair as some customers will get cheaper prices sooner) or employ new staff (costs loads and need training).

grumpynotoldman

Hahaha , so 38 degrees are commies:eek: for wanting to reduce the cost of energy to the consumer, and Which are dodgy because they are going to make a few quid out of switching 200,000 people in one go. (not unlike all the other comparison sites then are they, just some of them share their fees with consumers)
I'm all for reducing the income of a bunch of Russian oligarchs, who got their companies by dodgy dealing, and subsequently corrupt practices. (see High court judgements ad nauseum.) Just because someone sold off and deregulated the energy producers & distributors (free market economics works a treat No?) doesn't mean it has to stay that way.
I'm more interested in getting renewable, cheap(er) not-for-profit energy from an ethical company that has credibility in the marketplace.
I'll be following up what the COOP energy are offering.
Cheapest doesn't always equate with best, especially when comparing hidden costs (via general taxation for instance for decommissioning nuclear), and subsidised LPG, shale gas extraction or generally !!!!!!ing up the planet like BP & Shell have recently reported.:rotfl:

jwarren66

agree with grumpynotoldman above - ALL the switching sites have been trying to make money out of this.

At least Which say they are putting all the profits into their energy campaign.

According to the guardian today Ecotricity are claiming Which stand to make up to £8million and they have declined to deal with them.

... though i think no small energy company will be able to deal with 200,000 people in a switch. Makes me puzzled as to why 28 degrees teamed up on this - they have done campaigns against the big six - but this seems to be a way of helping the big six and stuffing all the small companies (or have i missed something?).

can't post the link to ecotricity article in the guardian as I am new user ... anyone know when I will be allowed to post a link?
Its in Gaurdian Money section

finding this switching lark fascinating - wonder what will happen next? think it will be more small energy companies saying no to Which.

meggsy

British Gas not taking part in Big Switch now ...


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/household-bills/9175504/British-Gas-refuses-to-take-part-in-Big-Switch.html

MillicentBystander

I can only imagine the pandemonium that would ensue if EDF won the 'contract' and had to get 200k+ new punters onto their 'billing' system. Sacrebleu...

Terrylw1

As I said on the other thread, the industry has constraints on mass exercises so are Which even looking to remove such blocks or are they doing what sales people do, flog the contract, run and not dirty their hands with the practicalities of operational work.

The demand it would put on all Los I g and the unlucky gaining suppluer would reduce services and increase costs.

Which did it with 20k customers...big deal, that's smallfry.