Spark Enegry

Adzv

Hi There,

I was hoping someone would be able to help me out with a problem I'm having With Spark Energy.

My girlfriend and I moved into a new flat a few moths ago. When we moved in we had no idea who the suppliers were, so I called British Gas and it turned out they had been supplying Gas & Electricity for the last 2 Years at least. I decided to stick with them, as there prices seemed to be reasonable and they are a well known name.

A few days ago however we received a Letter from Spark Energry asking us for a 15O Pound Deposit. A bit confused by this I called them to find out why they thought they were my supplier.

It turns out that in my Tennancy agreement it states I must use Spark for Gas and Electricity, and Foxtons (Letting Agency) had signed us up to them. They told me have been supplying my electricity since 19th July. This is kind of my fault for not reading it properly.

I havent given them any meter reading and British gas haven't informed me they need a final Meter reading.

I have called British Gas twice and they have assured me they have not received any notification from Spark that I am switching to them.

I have also called Spark twice, who have also assured me that they are now providing me with electricity as of the 19th July, and it would not be possible for them to do this unless British Gas had been contacted.

so at the moment it seems that I have two different companies who think they are providing me with electricity, I intend to call Foxtons tomorrow, but I'm not sure they will help at all?

Any advice would be appreciated.

thanks in advance,

Adam

SPinDerbyshire

You might be able to find out who is supplying your electricity by contacting your local electricty distribution company. You can find this through the National Grid website.

Re your gas supply - the Meter Point Administration Service (0870 608 1524) can give you your unique meter reference number. You can see if this tallies with the details that your suppliers have. It's not unknown for customers to be billed for the wrong meters (in fact it's distressingly common).

vuvuzela

Agents get a commission from Spark for signing you up. Spark are not in your financial best interests to use, so it is a pretty shoddy practice.

Terrylw1

Its only a question of your tenancy agreement and the dates involved.

Does your tenancy agreement state you are liable for all utilities hence not paying via your landlord? If so, the letting agency and landlord have no enforceable right to keep you with Spark or any supplier. No supplier would agree a contract with anyone other than the liable payer, hence they can't do anything. Also, the previous tenant switched o Bgas anyway.

Then its the dates. So, did the letting agency sign up for a date that meant it would registered to them after the cooling off period? If so, you've been correctly switched and you can just switch again 11 working days after the switch date (but the next cooling off period will push you past this constraint anyway)

If they signed up so that your tenancy agreement pre-dates the switch date, I would argue that you have not agreed to the switch and the letting agent knowingly switched a property that they would not be liable for utilities on at the time of the switch. I honestly don't know whether this would be agreed as an Erroneous Transfer and reversed but its an angle.

Personally, I think Ofgem need to make a special clause about a cooling off period & later registration being invalid where the customer changes prior to the switch date like this.

Blame the agent for chasing kickbacks.

If they have signed you up to a more expensive tariff to get a commission, you may be able to argue this but it would be a dispute with a dodgy letting agency, not the supplier.

owtfornowt_2

Hi

We're renting too and got automatically switched over to Spark - I've been trying since March to get switched back to Scottish Power (who provided the previous occupants).

Be prepared for a long battle with Spark - make sure you note everything down that they say/when/who/meter readings on the day you phone them etc and get them to make a note on your file, although apparently not all dept at spark read the notes... print off any emails so you have them to hand when you speak to someone - it's amazing what numbers they pull out of the hat

Keep pushing them if you do not want to be supplied by them - they are not the cheapest and customer services are not the most helpful.

I think I've managed to finally end our saga with them, so hopefully you'll get your supplier sorted soon too.

Terrylw1

owtfornowt wrote: »

Hi

We're renting too and got automatically switched over to Spark - I've been trying since March to get switched back to Scottish Power (who provided the previous occupants).

Be prepared for a long battle with Spark - make sure you note everything down that they say/when/who/meter readings on the day you phone them etc and get them to make a note on your file, although apparently not all dept at spark read the notes... print off any emails so you have them to hand when you speak to someone - it's amazing what numbers they pull out of the hat

Keep pushing them if you do not want to be supplied by them - they are not the cheapest and customer services are not the most helpful.

I think I've managed to finally end our saga with them, so hopefully you'll get your supplier sorted soon too.

You approach a new supplier to get the switch moving.

The issue seems to be with Spark, is that they will object to you leaving even by intentionally breached the industry Standard Licence Condition (SLC), indeed the Spark rep even stated on a thread on this board that different suppliers have their own rules which is completely incorrect as the customer transfer blocking rules are set by Ofgem. So, the rep on here didn't even understand this!

Findles105

Hi guys,

I have just moved into a new flat last week with my friend and we went through Foxtons.

I have just noticed that tenancy agreement states “The Tenant agrees that all accounts for Gas and Electricity will be through Spark Energy and that these will be transferred to the Tenant(s) names at the commencement of the tenancy”

The problem is that we already set up an account with Southern Electric and after seeing numerous bad reviews on Spark Energy, there is no way I'm going with them!

So now, the situation is that I don't know if Foxtons has set up an account under our name with Spark Energy (when we received the Foxtons 'move in package' it stated that Spark Energy would be in touch with us shortly) and I don't know how to get out of this situation.

I know there are a lot of people in the same situation so please if someone has managed to solve this, tell me what to do.

Best,
F

Wywth

Findles105 wrote: »

Hi guys,

I have just moved into a new flat last week with my friend and we went through Foxtons.

I have just noticed that tenancy agreement states “The Tenant agrees that all accounts for Gas and Electricity will be through Spark Energy and that these will be transferred to the Tenant(s) names at the commencement of the tenancy”

The problem is that we already set up an account with Southern Electric and after seeing numerous bad reviews on Spark Energy, there is no way I'm going with them!

So now, the situation is that I don't know if Foxtons has set up an account under our name with Spark Energy (when we received the Foxtons 'move in package' it stated that Spark Energy would be in touch with us shortly) and I don't know how to get out of this situation.

I know there are a lot of people in the same situation so please if someone has managed to solve this, tell me what to do.

Best,
F

You can't switch account until you have an account

If Foxtons did what they said they would (I wouldn't bank on it) then your switch should go ahead without issue.

Why don't you contact Spark Energy and find out?

Why are you listening to Chinese Whispers on the internet anyway? Dont you want to save yourself some money? If you don't, I'm not sure why you joined MoneySavingExpert.com
(well I probably do )

macman

You are in a deemed contract with the existing supplier (which could already be Spark), so you can't have'already' have set up a account with SE?
If you don't have an account with the existing supplier, any transfer will be blocked by them.
Next time it might be an idea to read the tenancy agreement before signing it-you should have just struck out that clause. LL's and agents cannot dictate who supplies your utilities.

Harry_Harrington_3

Since October of last year i have been held to ransom by Spark Energy.
A company who's services i have never engaged.
A company that has obstructed me from using my preferred supplier on 5 occasions.
A company that seemingly charges almost triple the amount of my preferred supplier.
A company that has never responded to my requests to investigate these huge bills.
A company that i have had to spend days trying to contact.
A company that has cause me nothing but stress and anxiety.
A company that has sent threatening emails, texts and letters despite the request to investigate the costs.

When I moved into my new property in OCTOBER 2012 I contacted my preferred supplier in the usual manner to move their services over.

Sometime later i received a letter from them stating that a company called SPARK ENERGY had refused to allow this to happen. This is something i have never experienced from any other supplier.

I tried in vain to contact SPARK by telephone but after some 3 days of trying to get through i resorted to the online option which did not work either.

I then received a gigantic bill from SPARK for over £400 for 5 weeks gas.
Finally after wasting a few more days of failed attempts i got through to a team leader no less.

Michael said in writing that - (I can confirm that we are in the process of disputing your initial Gas meter read based on customer reads you have provided us.)

Michael also took £82 in payment. an amount that i also questioned as being rather high for 5 weeks gas usage in a 1 bedroom flat.

I have never heard anything at all from Mr Blackwood since that day. I did email a further 7 times and call constantly but with no joy.

What i did get was threatening letters -texts - emails regarding the money and also letters stating that i faced possible charges of 15% should i not settle.

15th Jan i received a 5 page letter (NOT DATED) asking for £434.50, £331.09 and £389.94. Any one of these amounts is at least 60% higher than was expected.

I called the "customer service" and after 30 minutes waiting got through and asked to speak with a manager i was reassured that a manager would call back at 1pm. I received no call.

I have since contacted 3 energy supply companies British Gas, Utility Warehouse and Southern Electric to get a quote to compare. All of whom gave estimates for my one bed room flat ranging from £41 per month GAS& ELEC to £48 per month GAS & ELEC. NOT THE £94 per month that apparently SPARK ENERGY consider fair.

I have now received a letter dated 15/02/2013 "You're Leaving us" I called the 0845 034 7474 with no response, i sent an up to date meter reading.

I have received another letter from my preferred supplier Utility Warehouse 18/02/2013 informiong me that Saprk Energy have again "objected to the transfer"

And finally, SPARK sent me a letter offering a 15% discount on the most expensive fuel bill i have ever received thinking this will resolve the matter.

I have contacted my supplier, which i might add took one call and about 20 minutes, rather than 15 calls and 3 days like it does with Spark Energy, and given them my meter readings for comparison. As suspected the bill is, as they and several other energy companies have quoted, less than half the cost of Spark Energy. £225 to be exact.

If Spark Energy had not obstructed the process and responded accordingly and not blocked me from using my supplier then £225 this is this is the amount i would have paid.

I am still waiting for a response to resolve this matter.

I cannot believe the despicable level of conduct this organisation chooses to operate under. I have moved property some 5 times over the last eight years and on every occasion the change over to my preferred supplier has taken a few days with out any problems or extra costs at all. Now through no fault of my own or my preferred supplier i have had 5 months of stress, wasted time and a ludicrously high bill from Spark Energy.

Please inform me of why Spark energy think it is fair to then charge me nearly triple an extra for services i have never wanted, and because of your appalling customer service, made it virtually impossible for me to resolve this matter despite my 40+ calls and numerous emails to do so.

I have every intention of making this story and the hundreds of other similar story's that other people have sent to me PUBLIC. On every social media platform, every consumer publication, ever TV company, radio company, national press and of course OFGEM.

macman

Welcome to the forum. Spark are notorious for obstructing switches, but you haven't really helped yourself here. As above, you were in a deemed contract with the existing supplier (Spark) when you moved in-you cannot switch away from them without first registering for an account with them. As soon as that was done, you could have commenced a switch.
Without an account in your name, any attempt to switch will be refused. This isn't exclusive to Spark (any supplier would do it). All your other issues are.
You cannot 'move' gas and electricity accounts over from one property to another, and haven't been able to for years, ever since deemed contracts were introduced at the time of de-regulation. A switch typically takes 3 to 5 weeks. So how you can have moved suppliers 5 times 'within a few days' is quite baffling.
As for Spark, put in your formal complaint, wait the 8 weeks and and take it to the Ombudsman. It's the only way you'll have a hope of resolving it.