Have I found a get out?

keith1950

Oh yeah, and I've got to have a new personal page so it's all pointing to 'brand spanking new account'.

Just out of interest, what is the address that is showing on your new 'personal page'.

It sounds to me as if they have just switched you onto a different tariff, do you have a completely different customer account number??

debtfreeby2013

keith1950 wrote: »

Just out of interest, what is the address that is showing on your new 'personal page'.

It sounds to me as if they have just switched you onto a different tariff, do you have a completely different customer account number??

The correspondence is going to my parents address at the moment but yes I have a different account number and it's a different tarrif. I was on the online energy saver 16 but now am on the online fixed July 2013 tarrif or something like that.

I think I'm going to phone them on Tuesday and tell them I've reconsidered and will not be setting up a new account with anyone until I am in the property and know what's what.

Terrylw1

jalexa wrote: »

Indeed. But what *exactly* is the system allowing the agent to enter?:(

Change of supply is largely an automated affair but it relies on data flows in and out, largely in a specific order. I'm not saying they having built it wrong, they could, but if they havent built their system to handle the BSC prescribed process, they would face action from Elexon for non compliance. They could also impose fines or even better, which has been done before, suspend their registration licence so they can't gain any new customers until the suspension is lifted.

What may be possible is if the operator has sufficient system privelages, they could circumvent the process completely and set up another suppliers data on their system by creating a dummy account, over coding address, MPAN/MPRN etc...they would never get readings or be able to update any industry data without rejections...but its always possible to do things like this in a billing engine. I doubt call centres would have those types of accesses though.

Terrylw1

debtfreeby2013 wrote: »

The correspondence is going to my parents address at the moment but yes I have a different account number and it's a different tarrif. I was on the online energy saver 16 but now am on the online fixed July 2013 tarrif or something like that.

I think I'm going to phone them on Tuesday and tell them I've reconsidered and will not be setting up a new account with anyone until I am in the property and know what's what.

Whatever they have done, it would have to be against your current property. Can you check your registered address and your MPAN/MPRN? They should for your current property.

If they have done it for the new address, someone has completely circumvented to industry process. So, expect to get billed by them and the correct registered supplier, the latter being the legally entitled party.

Change of supply passes between suppliers via the local distributors registration service, it only matters what the local distributor holds as the supplier.

Consumerist

A further complication that may arise is that if you have transferred to a different tariff with the same supplier then there is no cooling-off period. A cooling-off period only applies if you change supplier.