Changing from British Gas to Scottish Power this could be a daft question!

katies_mum

Hi
I have today received an email from Socttish Power asking me to supply a meter reading taken between today and 10 November as they will be starting to supply my gas on the 5th November.

This is where I am now getting confused. If I give them a reading today what happens to the gas used between today and the 5th November? surely the reading should be done the day the switch over takes place.

Sorry if I`m confusing you, but I am really baffled by this and was wondering if anyone can possibly explain how it works (I have never changed suppliers before).

Many thanks.

fightyfish

how it should work is your new supplier will give the read to your old one- both suppliers will use the same reads. So it wouldn't matter too much if they both used the reads you gave today, BG will be a little down but only by a few pounds worth of gas and this is tolerated within the industry to allow the process to work smoothly. You just need to be sure that the opening reads used by SP and the closing reads on your BG final bill are the same and correspond to the reads you gave. As long as both suppliers use the same reads your billing is ok.

katies_mum

Thank you fightyfish, why couldn`t they have explained it like that to me in their email! I`m assuming that Socttish Power will give my reading to British Gas and I don`t have to do anything (their email said they do everything) its just a bit scary when you are not 100% sure. I`ll just keep a note of the reading in my diary to check when the final bill arrives. I am also in credit with BG will they automatically pay that credit back into our bank account after the final bill?

We are currently with Scottish Power for our electricity and yet they say they are not ready to change that over! I thought the gas and electicity would both be done on the same day, otherwise how will the DD work? can anyone help with regards to this?

Thanks again.

Scottish_Power

Hi if you e-mail [EMAIL="onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com"]onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com[/EMAIL] with your details, we can help. Thanks David @ ScottishPower

katies_mum

Thanks for replying, I have sent in my meter reading. I`m sure I`ll hear something soon about the electricity afterall thats not changing companies.

Pincher

I started the switch on 9th September, and got the e-mail asking for readings on 9th October. Got the Completion e-mail on 22nd October.

I'm getting "no online access" when I try to register for online management. It seems that I have to wait for an e-mail with the password, once they have set up my online account: which IS NOT ready yet.

I wonder if it would take two months if they had no computers.
With all the crazy touchy feely human rights EU directives, why don't we outlaw computers, and demand everything is done on real paper? Saves Royal Mail, solves the unemployment problem.
Can school leavers still read these days?

macman

If you wanted to get it spot on, why didn't you wait until 5/11 to submit your reading?

Pincher

Got the e-mail saying my online account is Live.
Logged in OK. Starting readings match E.On's closing readings.

The Electricity reading was mine, but the Gas reading was an estimate. I think I submitted the Gas reading one day earlier than the date range they gave me, but the switchover dates are not the date I submitted the readings on anyway. Minor discrepancy, not important.

Waiting for E.On to refund the account balance, then it's all done.

DUTR

katies_mum wrote: »

Thanks for replying, I have sent in my meter reading. I`m sure I`ll hear something soon about the electricity afterall thats not changing companies.

Don't panic Katie, I switched to SP from BG and Npower last year, all smooth as a nut, only thing to watch out for after the switch is that when you submit a meter read online, do it shortly after the DD date otherwise you may find they wish to increase the DD much above your original agreed figure.

katies_mum

Thanks all, waiting to see what happens on Monday 5th.

MickyJ

Scottish Power will provide this meter reading to your previous provider. Scottish power will use the meter reading you gave them to start your account, and your previous provider will use the same reading to close your account.

The dates they've given you are known as the 'meter read window' whereby they can use a meter reading at any time between these dates.

One of the the two providers involved will 'lose out' slightly and the other with 'gain' slightly, but this is acceptable to both parties. Therefore, there is no period of time whereby the energy used is unaccounted for.