Add your feedback on energy supplier Sainsbury’s Energy

eliroo

I also switched to Sainsbury's via the Energy Club and am having a very poor experience, especially compared to the previous switch I made from British Gas to Coop.

Letter confirming switch date as 26/02 arrived 28/02. Immediately took meter readings and provided electricity via automated phone system as requested. Month went by and still no reference provided to submit gas reading. Called up on 28/03 to query and informed that they've been having a lot of problems due to the volume of people switching, specifically with Electricity switches. Queried why this had not been communicated and why I had to chase this and informed a complaint had been raised and would get sorted now I had called.

Two weeks on and today I find that no progress has been made and I am now paying both Coop and Sainsbury's for my dual fuel supply. Previous Sainsbury's/BG customer assistant didn't raise a complaint only an 'enquiry' and consequently nothing has been done. Informed they have over 2500 complaints in the queue at present! Complaint now apparently raised properly and backdated and will be 'allocated to a handler within 5 working days'. No response on when this will actually be resolved... Very very frustrating and very very irritated.

Hern

newlayabout wrote: »

Switch from Scottish Power not gone well at all. Have changed supplier several times in the past and always gone smoothly. Had I known British Gas were behind this offer I would probably not have changed. I started the switch at the end of February. Still not sure if I have switched electricity supplier or not. The gas supply was changed I received a letter saying I needed to supply a meter reading by the 9th March which was the day the letter arrived. They didn't ask for an electricity reading, consequently Scottish Power are holding onto £262 credit on my account as they say they haven't had a meter reading yet. . .".

An identical experience to ours.

We took advantage of MSE's switching advice service in February, a few weeks before our Scottish Power tariff ran out. A letter dated February 13 from Sainsbury's Energy thanked us "for choosing us as your gas and electricity supplier". It continued:

"We'll contact your current supplier and arrange the switch."

A letter dated March 2 from Sainsbury's Energy said "we will start to supply your gas on 3 March 2015. We need your meter reading before 10 March 2015." The letter was delivered on 11 March 2015. It was sent by 2nd Class Mail. It -- conveniently? -- had no postmark.

I immediately rang 0800 107 4985 and provided the gas meter reading. I have heard nothing since, other than that on April 2, Sainsbury's Energy took its first Direct Debit payment from me.

I tried several times to access my online account but, er, it wasn't ready. Apparently "it could be up to four weeks -- sometimes a bit longer before your online account is up and running". (Sainsbury's Energy letter, March 2 2015.)

I tried again today. I attempted to register, seeing as I couldn't do so before. The website reported that I am already registered. It asked me for a password which I couldn't provide because I've never given it one. I therefore created a new password to replace the password it never had because it was never given it.

I went to My Account and see that I have a gas account but that the electricity account -- though mentioned there on-screen -- doesn't actually exist yet because Sainsbury's Energy hasn't yet it up. Today is April 11. Sainsbury's started setting this up on or near to February 11.

I went to check that the meter reading I provided on March 11th is there. It isn't. Nothing is. Reason?

View Readings History. Sorry, there has been a problem. Unexpected error occurred.

Meantime, meantime:

I have received a FINAL bill for Gas and Electricity from Scottish Power.It is dated April 8. This final bill is estimated.

There's not a consumer anywhere in the land who is legally required to pay an unagreed estimated bill and I'm not about to, either. An energy supplier is just another contractor to my household and I don't pay estimated bills to window cleaners, painters and decorators, gardeners or anyone else. I pay for an actual service that has been accurately accounted for.

Where the UK's energy supply industry is concerned, we have considerable experience of just how accurate its actual bills are. That experience is shaping how we're reacting now. By way of explanation:

Several years ago, we had a dreadful time with the fools then in charge of billing at British Gas. Had we known this Sainsbury's Energy facility was just a snappy title parading as a front end for British Gas, we'd never have taken MSE's switching advice and would never have recommended anyone else to do so, either.

British Gas so serially screwed up our billing that EnergyWatch got involved and hauled 'em over the coals. British Gas agreed with EnergyWatch and so we eventually received a final bill -- agreed between British Gas and EnergyWatch -- which was accurate and we paid it. Then, then. . .

Two months later we received a REVISED final bill that was a lot higher than the earlier final bill.

We refused to pay: if a supplier issues a FINAL bill and then some months later says oh dear, oops, we miscalculated, then that is the supplier's fault. Consumers cannot be expected, nor are they required, to live in a world where any supplier can send a final bill, then a final final bill, and then, perhaps, a Final Final Final bill of ever increasing amount.

We yet again complained to British Gas. We yet again complained to EnergyWatch. British Gas ignored the complaints. British Gas instead did what it always does, goes off to the debt re-selling market where it regularly shops its unpaid (and in our case, utterly unjustified and factually disputed) bills to whichever debt collecting agency will pay it the most pence in the £.

We were subsequently assailed with calls and letters from what surely had to be one of the sleaziest debt collection agencies around. Obviously, they had not a shred of proof that the debt was genuine. So they couldn't produce that proof. We finally complained to what at that time passed as the financial regulator. Part way through its investigation, the debt collection agency ceased to chase us and that was that, we never heard from it again -- except that our credit record was -- until we then complained about that! --unfairly marked with a reference to a British Gas disputed bill.

What happened then with British Gas is very much what we are keeping in mind now because our solicitors advised us at that time to NEVER -- and I perhaps need to repeat this -- never, ever, discuss a financial problem relating to a bill with any energy supplier over the phone.

Our solicitors said that a phone conversation -- and especially with an energy supplier -- can be later said by that supplier:

* never to have taken place at allor
* to have been unfortunately, er, misunderstood, or
* unfortunately, um, mis-handled, or
* unfortunately dealt with by someone-who-has-left-and-the-paperwork-can't-be-found, or
* was dealt with by the-wrong-person-in-the-wrong-department
oh dear, so very very sorry, won't happen again . . .

Until the next time it happens again.

Today, then, I used Sainsbury's Energy Contact us: tell us more about your enquiry online form to complain that it hasn't undertaken the switch, it hasn't sent out mail in timely and effective fashion, it hasn't bothered to keep us up to date via email or by letter; its website can't tell us whether it is supplying us with electricity; its website can't even show me my "Readings History" because. . . Sorry, there has been a problem.

I completed my online complaint and clicked send. The website reported:

Sorry, there has been a problem. Unexpected error occurred.

The complaint never went through. Fortunately, I'd already copied it and pasted it into a Word document. I logged in again. Tried again. The response?

Sorry, there has been a problem. Unexpected error occurred.

So that's not one but two complaints from me which refer to the occurrence today of a problem / unexpected error that have then met with the response from Sainsbury's Energy:

Sorry, there has been a problem. Unexpected error occurred.

Just before coming here to find out if anyone else is encountering difficulties in dealing with this bunch, I checked my email inbox for any correspondence received in the past hour. There were two emails. Both from Sainsbury's Energy. Both issued within 5 minutes of each other.

Email number 1 is headed: We're sorry you've had cause to complain. Your reference number is 35588xxx. Beneath that text is a reproduction of the complaint I filed online but which didn't go through because. . . well, you know already.

Email number 2 is headed: We're sorry you've had cause to complain. Your reference number is 35588xxx. Beneath that text is a reproduction of the complaint I filed online but which didn't go through because. . . well, you know already.

The difference between the total given in the reference number at email 1 and the total given in the reference number at email 2 is 70. So within 5 minutes of the first being sent, it seems a further 69 others also had to be sent out to other customers. Way to go, Sainsbury's Energy, way to go . . . and especially now, seeing as it has managed to contrive two different Case Numbers for the exact same complaint.

My sympathies, then, to newlayabout and to any other MSEr here caught up in the farce that this great winter switch Sainsbury's-Energy-Also-Known-As British-Gas is turning out to be. As it is, we're abiding by the legal advice received at the time of the abysmal British Gas episode:

1. Never telephone an energy supplier with a complaint about billing. Always put it in writing and send by Next Day certified Royal Mail delivery (and keep the receipt for re-charging the cost of despatch back to the supplier);

2. Never -- ever -- transact anything online with an energy supplier without making a screen capture of each and every page where that which appears on-screen may be needed for the purpose of record;

3. Retain copy correspondence and all ancillary documentation [including computer screen captures] for any subsequent complaint to the regulatory authority;

4. In the event of excessive stress / harassment / perceived obstruction, notify your local Member of Parliament with a view to enquiry being made of the appropriate Government Secretary as to the conduct of the energy supplier involved;

5. Most important of all, do not at any time initiate a telephone conversation with an energy supplier about a billing matter; if a supplier's representative telephones you, make a note of the time, the date, the name of the representative, and write up a record of that conversation immediately thereafter.

Where Scottish Power is concerned, we're going to advise it that no, consumers can't be billed with estimated bills unless the consumer accepts that what is estimated is indeed correct. We don't.

As to the component of the bill which relates to electricity usage, we will be seeking an assurance that the meter reading number on which its accounting is based is indeed the end number for the Scottish Power bill and the start number of whatever bill is to be issued by whoever-it-is that has taken over from Scottish Power.

I can only repeat the advice given on here by others: if you're thinking about switching to Sainsbury's Energy. . . Don't.

retepetsir

Still no idea if I've actually had my electric switched over, so far the letter only stated gas and I've heard nothing since!

Edit: No sign of goodwill jesture on our account even though the switch was all messed up. The meter readings appear to be shown as 'late' (they weren't) so no doubt estimates were used.

I should have stayed with EDF

Hern

retepetsir wrote: »

Still no idea if I've actually had my electric switched over, so far the letter only stated gas and I've heard nothing since!

Edit: No sign of goodwill jesture on our account even though the switch was all messed up. The meter readings appear to be shown as 'late' (they weren't) so no doubt estimates were used.

I should have stayed with EDF

Hopefully you've kept the first letter you received from Sainsbury's Energy because in very small print at the bottom of the page is this:

Sainsbury's Energy is the trading name of British Gas Trading Limited.

Such a pity that MSE -- so very obviously out of its depth here, even though it acted with the best of intentions -- failed to make clear that this has nothing to do with the supermarket giant.

More important than that small print truth, however, is this assertion of responsibility:

We'll contact your current supplier and arrange the switch.

From that point onwards, British Gas made itself accountable for everything that has happened. No ifs. No buts.

This is increasingly showing all the signs of a massive profit-seeking mess in which so many. . . oddities are piling up that the prospect of regulatory investigation isn't going to be headed off with a paltry £20 compensation. . .

oxters

I am still awaiting replies to these.

"I attach a copy of your acknowledgement. That's 11 days ago with a promise of contact within 5 days!

I have just joined you from EDF - a company with an excellent website and great customer service.

Since you have my money and I am contracted to you, I expect better service than this.

I shall advise Money Saving Expert of this problem and I expect this complaint now to be handled with urgency.

You may have had to contact my previous supplier, and it may be Easter, but if you had at least given a progress report, I would not be a very unhappy customer right now.

We're looking at your enquiry

Dear Mr xxxxx

Thank you for your enquiry. Your reference number is xxxxxxxxx

Just to confirm, the details of your enquiry are as follows:

Can you contact me please. I have submitted a reading today and received a shocking statement. My final gas reading with EDF was on 19 Feb at 10331 It seems you have transposed this to 10133 which perhaps explains matters? Can you please correct this and contact me to confirm? The Electricity start reading is correct per my final reading with EDF.

Your enquiry has been received and one of our Customer Service Advisors will contact you within the next 5 working days.

Yours sincerely,


Lynda Campbell
Head of Customer Service

Email reference: SE/EMAIL/SYS/QURY/CONF

Sent from my iPad

Hern

Oxters: nope. You're not the only customer. The possibility that there are actually 100s of customers caught up in a switching disaster that is entirely the fault of British Gas -- forget the nonsensical pretence about Sainsbury's Energy -- grows stronger by the hour. The regulator is going to have to look into this eventually but meantime, it's going to be of benefit to everyone who has made a complaint on this thread not to keep on posting in isolation here but to make contact via pms with each other for the purpose of information sharing.

I am particularly interested in hearing from other posters (for the avoidance of confusion, I have maintained the pretence that Sainsbury's and British Gas are working together in supplying gas and electricity):

i) the date they received their first letter from Sainsbury's Energy (sic) welcoming them as customers and the date which appears on the letter (this is the same letter which confirms that Sainsbury's Energy is now responsible for your switch);

ii) the date they actually received their letter from Sainsbury's Energy asking them to provide a gas meter reading (the letter will only be about gas; it will say your electricity switch is still underway) and the date which Sainsbury's Energy has put on that letter;

iii) the date they telephoned Sainsbury's Energy with that meter reading;

(iv) the confirmation they have received that the meter reading they provided has been accepted and has not been substituted with an "estimated reading", an "estimate" made by Sainsbury's Energy;

(v) if a submitted reading has been substituted with an estimated reading -- that is, if the figures you provided for billing purposes have been radically changed without reference to you -- then please confirm;

(vi) the financial position the poster may be in as a result of Sainsbury's Energy handling of their switch -- my position, fortunately, is that I cancelled my Direct Debit before final settlement with my previous supplier, so no money has been taken from me, the billing has been frozen because of the ludicrous "estimated readings", and the only money that has gone out is to British Gas trading as Sainsbury's Energy. Others may not be so lucky;

(vii) the date of the letter received (if it actually has been received yet) confirming the date from which their electricity supply will come from Sainsbury's Energy;

(viii) any difficulties they may have encountered with their Sainsbury's Energy online customer account, particularly in regard to any inability to view their Meter readings history. Those submitted readings are essential for accurate billing purposes but some customers may be encountering "technical errors" such that they cannot see any mention of the data which they have provided.

Feel free to pm me.

retepetsir

Hern wrote: »

Oxters: nope. You're not the only customer. The possibility that there are actually 100s of customers caught up in a switching disaster that is entirely the fault of British Gas -- forget the nonsensical pretence about Sainsbury's Energy -- grows stronger by the hour. The regulator is going to have to look into this eventually but meantime, it's going to be of benefit to everyone who has made a complaint on this thread not to keep on posting in isolation here but to make contact via pms with each other for the purpose of information sharing.

I am particularly interested in hearing from other posters (for the avoidance of confusion, I have maintained the pretence that Sainsbury's and British Gas are working together in supplying gas and electricity):

i) the date they received their first letter from Sainsbury's Energy (sic) welcoming them as customers and the date which appears on the letter (this is the same letter which confirms that Sainsbury's Energy is now responsible for your switch);

ii) the date they actually received their letter from Sainsbury's Energy asking them to provide a gas meter reading (the letter will only be about gas; it will say your electricity switch is still underway) and the date which Sainsbury's Energy has put on that letter;

iii) the date they telephoned Sainsbury's Energy with that meter reading;

(iv) the confirmation they have received that the meter reading they provided has been accepted and has not been substituted with an "estimated reading", an "estimate" made by Sainsbury's Energy;

(v) if a submitted reading has been substituted with an estimated reading -- that is, if the figures you provided for billing purposes have been radically changed without reference to you -- then please confirm;

(vi) the financial position the poster may be in as a result of Sainsbury's Energy handling of their switch -- my position, fortunately, is that I cancelled my Direct Debit before final settlement with my previous supplier, so no money has been taken from me, the billing has been frozen because of the ludicrous "estimated readings", and the only money that has gone out is to British Gas trading as Sainsbury's Energy. Others may not be so lucky;

(vii) the date of the letter received (if it actually has been received yet) confirming the date from which their electricity supply will come from Sainsbury's Energy;

(viii) any difficulties they may have encountered with their Sainsbury's Energy online customer account, particularly in regard to any inability to view their Meter readings history. Those submitted readings are essential for accurate billing purposes but some customers may be encountering "technical errors" such that they cannot see any mention of the data which they have provided.

Feel free to pm me.

Hern - will see if I can compile that info for you

bill-from-derby

Transferred to Sainsburys on 23 feb. Absolutely no problems. Trouble now is that I can't get my previous supplier (Extra Energy) to give me a final bill. They have completely ignored my e mails. Anyone else in the same boat????????????

alanwsg

bill-from-derby wrote: »

Transferred to Sainsburys on 23 feb. Absolutely no problems. Trouble now is that I can't get my previous supplier (Extra Energy) to give me a final bill. They have completely ignored my e mails. Anyone else in the same boat????????????

Sort of, although I haven't tried very hard to get a final bill.

Previous supplier was Flow, I switched gas+elec on 5th March, every thing went pretty smoothly as I was pre-warned about having to phone-in initial meter readings from this thread.

One thing is I'm expecting £30 cashback from the CEC, wonder when (if?) that'll turn up.

MSE_Dan_L

alanwsg wrote: »

One thing is I'm expecting £30 cashback from the CEC, wonder when (if?) that'll turn up.

Most people who switched through the collective switch should now have received (or will very shortly receive) their cashback. It is paid directly into your bank account under the reference 'EnergyClubCashBk'.