Sparks Energy rejecting energy supply transfer without a reason

Money-savvy-me

Hi there,

I'm in the same boat with this. I'm hoping I can do what you did with your gas and get in really quickly to get British Gas to block the switch. However I'm worried this means I'll be breaking the tenancy agreement by blocking the switch. Can anyone else who has been through this advise of whether the letting agent did anything when you switched providers?

Original poster, is everything with you sorted now? I've read so many bad things; just want some reassurance that there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Thanks!

Fire_Fox

Money-savvy-me wrote: »

Hi there,

I'm in the same boat with this. I'm hoping I can do what you did with your gas and get in really quickly to get British Gas to block the switch. However I'm worried this means I'll be breaking the tenancy agreement by blocking the switch. Can anyone else who has been through this advise of whether the letting agent did anything when you switched providers?

Original poster, is everything with you sorted now? I've read so many bad things; just want some reassurance that there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Thanks!

If you have a dispute with your letting agent/ landlord (it's actually your landlord you are contracted to, the agent is contracted to the landlord) that is nothing to do with your supplier so you should be resolving this yourself.

The people who are named on the tenancy agreement/ supply users are legally liable to pay for the energy, they alone should be opening and closing the account, nobody else should be involved under Data Protection. All the letting agent can legally do is close the outgoing account and ensure on behalf of the landlord this is settled which is basically nothing to do with you.

Are you a new tenant? Have you contacted the existing energy supplier, given them your name, meter readings, payment details and selected a tariff? If so that is all you need to do. After this the only person that can switch is you.

Ignore any rubbish in the tenancy agreement about having to use a particular supplier, this is deemed an unfair and unenforceable clause. If the agent tries to ride roughshod over your rights write to your landlord using the address at which to serve notices on your tenancy agreement.
http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/unfair_contract_terms/oft356.pdf
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/consumer_w/consumer_energy_and_water_supply_e/consumer_energy_supply_e/problems_switching_energy_suppliers/can_you_switch_gas_or_electricity_supplier_if_youre_a_tenant_.htm

Money-savvy-me

Thank you Fire Fox.

In a stroke of luck, the tenant of another flat in the house spoke to me about it and she knows the actual landlord as she goes direct through them rather than the letting agency. She spoke to the landlord, who then spoke to me and says she consents to me staying with British Gas or whoever I choose (she seems lovely) so hopefully that will help.

I am a new tenant yeah and the tenancy agreement said 'the tenant understands that at the commencement date of the let, the electricity is supplied by Spark Energy Limited or is in the process of being supplied by Spark Energy Limited'. That seems more like a statement informing me of the status quo than a legal binding to stay with Spark (I hope!).

When I moved in, I realised the supplier is British Gas and Spark haven't got their mitts on my details just yet (I have it in an email in writing from a Spark representative saying they aren't the supplier yet) so hopefully I have got there in time, and if Spark try to switch me I'll do all I can to prevent it. Spark seem to have managed to switch people without permission before though so I'm worried they'll somehow get through.

In a further complication, British Gas have messed up as well and have registered me with both my flat and the flat below by accident! They have reversed it, but it's just one more thing to worry about. All I want to do is rent a flat and pay for its utilities; I'm a decent tenant!

Anyway, thanks again for your help!

Fire_Fox

You should also have an address at which to serve notices on your landlord on your tenancy agreement, this is a VERY useful thing to have so if you don't write to the letting agent to request it. By all means communicate with your landlord informally as well.