Add your feedback on energy supplier Sainsbury’s Energy

MrsBaird

We are having such a nightmare trying to switch both Gas and Electric to Sainsburys/British Gas. Used MSE to switch on January 4th as it looked like a great deal, but now on March 31st we still have not been able to get confirmation that the electricity supply has actually been changed over despite the Gas already being sorted. The letter asking for the meter readings arrived 3 days after the cut off date and after several aborted phone calls as we were losing the will to live after 40minutes on hold each time, we tried entering the meter reading online only to get an email 3 days later saying there had been an issue with the readings and could we please submit them. Tried this 3 times before we sent an email stating that we were not happy with the service. Received a phone call tonight from Sainsburys and basically they have no idea what is going on, what is switched and when it is likely to be sorted. The woman on the phone told us to just cancel our original direct debit and wait. Obviously bit concerned that we may well either get charged by both suppliers or if we cancel said direct debit we may get charged by the bank if it can't go through. HELP!

MSE_Dan_L

Vortigern wrote: »

Please define "took longer than it should have"

Sainsbury's Energy suggest that my switch took place on the due date, claimed to have lost my meter readings and when I resubmitted the readings today then said that my readings had in fact been used for the switch some 3 weeks ago. I can log on to SE but can't see any opening statement. I have not had a final bill from my previous supplier, who owe me several hundred pounds.

Sainsbury's has told us that it will be making a goodwill gesture to switchers to the Discount Fix Feb 2016 tariff, based on the date it starting supplying you. This should normally happen within 3 weeks of your application date.

As part of the energy industry's switching process, if a supplier hasn't received (or in your case cannot locate) your opening meter readings, estimated readings will be provided to your old supplier. Your old supplier should then use these to generate your final bill.

However if the estimates are way out, you should be able to challenge this - we've asked Sainsbury's for more information about how this works and to post the details on the forum - but to do this you'd need to contact it directly on 0800 294 0193.

retepetsir

grimmis2k wrote: »

What a nightmare 3 month on and I have no idea who is looking after my gas and electricity . I am paying 2 companies for the same thing . This was meant to be easy MSE you should be ashamed offering them as a supplier this has been so stressful wish I had never left EDF

I also wish that I'd never left EDF!

EDF have refunded me some credit so I guess that both my gas and electric accounts are closed. However I'm not sure Sainsburys Energy even passed on my correct readings?!

Edit: I have a funny feeling the values sent to EDF were vastly incorrect as I was massively in credit over the winter. Frustrating.

MSE_Dan_L

grimmis2k wrote: »

What a nightmare 3 month on and I have no idea who is looking after my gas and electricity . I am paying 2 companies for the same thing . This was meant to be easy MSE you should be ashamed offering them as a supplier this has been so stressful wish I had never left EDF

I'm sorry to hear about this problem. Unfortunately it remains fairly common issue with energy switching, if your old supplier hasn't processed (or hasn't received) your final meter readings it will often continue to take payments.

If your switch has definitely gone through - it sounds like it will have given that Sainsbury's now has started taking direct debits (but you may wish to double check), you should be fine to cancel your EDF direct debit at this point.

Once EDF produces your final bill, any leftover credit should be refunded to you. For more on this take a look at the MSE Energy Refund Guide.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/reclaim-energy-bill-refunds

pete7708

MSE_Dan_L wrote: »

However if the estimates are way out, you should be able to challenge this - we've asked Sainsbury's for more information about how this works and to post the details on the forum - but to do this you'd need to contact it directly on 0800 294 0193.

Dan,


My estimated readings are way, way out. The actual readings only just above those taken last September.


So I phoned the number you have given which only connects to the normal Customer Service number with the exceptionally long waiting times. :mad:

I persisted and SE acknowledge they now have the correct readings, we checked again to make sure, and have passed them on to the previous supplier, Scottish Power.
(Although they do not do it themselves and it has to go via a third party). :huh:


Their system shows that the readings have not been accepted by SP and every 5 days that this happens the computer escalates the problem to the third party. Mine has been escalated twice so far. The call handler says it can take 25 days to get sorted but does not know what happens if the problem still exists then.


I then called SP and they acknowledge receipt of the Gas meter readings from SE. Unfortunately though is not the reading that SE have on their records and SP say it is marked up as estimated.:rotfl:


They say the Electric can take a lot longer to arrive as there are more people with Electric meters than Gas. :question:


Suppose I will just have to wait the 25 days to see what if anything happens.

paisleybuddy

Was dubious about switching to Sainsbury's Energy after reading the negative comments. Well I had nothing to worry about. Kept up to date with several letters and the switch went through on the date advised. The only thing I had to contact them about was when amount for only 1 energy instead of the 2 was taken out of the bank. I phoned up on the Freephone number supplied and advised 15 minutes waiting time, well as a Freephone number I just held on and call answered within the 15 minutes by a nice guy who when I questioned about my query he checked, apologised and told me the date the 2nd amount would be taken out by direct debit. This happened as advised on the date he said. Found call centre staff to be polite, knowledgeable and willing to help. Early days yet but glad I switched through the cheap energy club every penny counts.

Lennon

My switch went through reasonably hassle free other than they have me down as Ms instead of Mr and I didn't fancy waiting in a queue to trying and correct it.

The deadline for receiving the initial meter readings was the same day as the letter arrived which wasn't ideal. I got the impression from the letter I needed to do these via telephone which I did.

I had the correct reading used for gas but an estimated one for electricity. I'm fairly certain this is Scottish Power's fault though as they used to estimate my readings every single time for this even when I had provided them as requested. Luckily they wern't too far off the actual value though. I'm still having issues with the idiots at Scottish Power though, claiming they will be taking £150 direct debit despite me being in credit with them (and now having received a cheque)

royjep

After contacting Sainsburys Energy, regarding the lousy customer service Waiting 25 days for a reply to my email) i have been told that i still have to pay the £60 exit fee. Here is their reply to my last email.

*******************************************************

Hello Mr Jephcote

Thank you for getting back in touch with us about your gas and electricity account.


I’m ever so sorry for the delay in getting back in touch with you and that you’ve decided to leave us. I’ve taken a close look at your account and I can see it started with us back in November last year. You chose the Fixed Price October 2015 tariff at that time. This account has now closed on 22nd March and we are working with your new supplier to finalise the meter readings and send out a final bill. This will include exit fees of £30 per fuel.


Recently we had a collective switch to a specific tariff and there was an unprecedented volume of customers who took up the offer. This did cause a few problems for a short time and there was an agreement to consider waiving the exit fees only in specific circumstances. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to your account. You started with us a few months before the collective switch and the tariff they offered isn’t the one you were on. I know this will be a disappointment for you, but you will be charged the exit fees of £30 per fuel.


Thank you so much once again for your patience. I’ve registered a complaint on your account for you. If you would like to review our Complaint Handling Procedure please visit our website at or alternatively, reply to my email and we’ll arrange to send you a copy free of charge through the post.


I’ve addressed the issues you've raised and closed this query for you, if you have any future enquiries please reply to me and I’ll be happy to help.


* I hope this email has been a help for you today.


Many thanks

Maureen Jones

Energy Expert

*******************************************************

Don't have anything to do with this company. I have even stopped shopping with them now, and will NEVER have anything to do with Sainsburys again.

They will probably make more money from exit fees than selling gas and electric, they are a complete joke.

* I can't believe the line:
"I hope this email has been a help for you today".
Guess what, NO losing £60 has NOT been a help today.
Taking the rise or what?

Middlestitch

Not impressed. Have submitted my meter readings online (gas and electricity) four times over the last month and on each occasion have had an e-mail saying the website is having 'technical problems'. How about getting on and sorting these 'technical problems' out...?

scout59

I've been with Ovo for the last year after switching to them through the CEC and haven't had any problems at all. After getting a reminder email from the CEC I was just about to switch to Sainsburys Energy - the company the CEC recommend for me... And then I checked this thread. The end result is that I'm more than likely to stick with OVO. I don't even want to chance going through the hassle other people are experiencing, not for a saving of roughly £50 (including the CEC £30 cashback)
With all the problems that people are highlighting on here with SE I really don't understand why MSE are offering SE as a viable option?? On my CEC home page it clearly lists the problems with other suppliers Customer Services and warns about new suppliers not having feedback yet BUT there is NOTHING on the SE summary - you have to click on the link that brings you here to the forum. If the CEC want to continue offering SE as an option then surely they should also highlight the problems in the same way they are with other suppliers?? I've been a big fan of MSE for years but this has dented my faith somewhat
Just glad I had time to check the thread out before I completed the switch! Thanks Forum Posters