Add your feedback on energy supplier Sainsbury’s Energy

MSE_Dan_L

pete7708 wrote: »

Just had an email from the Energey Club saying I could be paying too much for my fuel.


One of the cheaper options is Sainsbury Energy.:D


So if I cancel my contract now with SE and they waive the cancellation charges as they said they would I could be onto a good deal.:T


But can you just imagine the mess with SE as my new supplier and SE as my old supplier. I could have died of old age before they agreed on the meter readings.:rotfl:


It is almost worth trying to see what would happen.:money:

Hi Pete7708

In this situation, rather than cancelling your existing contract, you should be able to arrange with Sainsbury's to simply move it to the new tariff on your existing account.

I hope this helps.

MSE_Dan_L

jsl298 wrote: »

Just wanted to say that Sainsburys have basically ignored me since applying to switch my gas and electricity on 3rd February. The electricity switch went through quickly with no problems but nothing has happened with my gas supply.

I have phoned them numerous times and been told we have gas pipes under unusual ownership which I already knew having switched several times before. They also tell me that someone has been assigned the case and a complaint has been registered due to the long time its taking but still nothing has happened and I have had no updates. I have also emailed them asking for an update but got no response. I have to keep chasing them but as far as I know they still haven't done anything about actually connecting the supply and it is now 15 weeks since I applied to switch.

Hi jsl298

I'm sorry to hear that you've had some problems switching your gas to Sainsbury's Energy. It can sometimes take longer for switches to complete if your gas is supplied by an IGT (Independent Gas Transporter), although it is unusual for it to take so many months. This is because currently your supplier is reliant on the IGT providing information, which it might need to chase.

If you'd like us to escalate this with Sainsbury's Energy, drop and email through to collectiveswitch@moneysavingexpert.com and we'll send this through for you.

capel25

I joined Sainsburys Energy in Sept / Oct last year. Supply commenced in November. As their automated system went wrong in the days I gave my opening readings, they plucked readings out of thin air that were significantly higher than what my readings were (hundreds out). The administrative headache that I went through to get this corrected was ridiculous: comms with my old supplier, photos of meter readings, then more photos of meter readings; very frustrating.

Their online site doesn't necessarily bring up both fuels (I am dual fuel) so you have to 'add an account' but they've used the same supply number for both gas and electric, so going to have to trawl around to find which number I need to add.

What's prompted my feedback is my latest bill. They have an odd way of calculating it, in as much as they deduct one charge from your total direct debits then take the next fuel bill from what's left; thus in spite of them showing the payments as a split! Today I am £125.10 in credit after they've taken my electricity then £12.58 in debit once they've taken my gas. As a result of this, they want to up my electricity D/D from £30.50 per month to £52.50, and my gas from £26.50 to £54.50; this based on a £12.58 debit over the coldest months of the year! How does a £12.58 debit over a 3 month period equate to a monthly increase of £50 per month, grrr. Was £400 in credit with my last supplier, and it took months to get that refunded. Sainsburys are utterly useless from my experience but then not sure any of them are much better.

Steve456

MSE_Dan_L wrote: »

Hi Sniggings - I'd suggest providing both readings to Sainsbury's Energy at this stage.

Rather annoyingly, Sainsbury's Energy is sending out letters that [STRIKE]imply it only needs[/STRIKE] specifically ask for a meter reading for one fuel - make sure you give both.

It's important to know you can't give your opening meter read online either, but the site doesn't [STRIKE]make this very clear[/STRIKE] tell you this at all.

When you give your meter reading you'll need what's called your Meter Point References. These numbers don't change when you move suppliers, so if you can't find this on a letter from Sainsbury's, the number you need is on any previous energy bills.

The electricity number (MPAN) has 13 digits, no letters and might be called your supply number.
Your gas number (MPRN) has 6-10 digits, no letters and might be referred to as your M number.

I have corrected this for you.

Stato71

I switched to Sainsbury's Engery via the MSE Engery Club back in March, both Gas and Electricity from EDF. Gas was transferred without an issue but the Electricity is still in limbo.

I've spoke to Sainsbury's Energy 2 or 3 times since April when I noticed I was unable to submit meter readings and apparently the issue is with the "National Database" and them not being able to update it.

They are dealing with this as a complaint and are keeping me updated but what I can't understand is why this switch is taking so long. I switch my supplier regularly depending on deals and exit fees and I've never had this issue before.

rgk

So reading this thread, it would seem that the promises made regarding service, ease of changeover all came to nothing and many people experienced "ScottishPoweresque" customer service. So what have MSE done about this? I have been offered £20 as an apology for the rubbish service, have other people got any feedback or is this just another reason to make people wary of changing supplier, the opposite of what MSE were trying to achieve?:money:

Anon

My gas was finally supposed to be joining my dual fuel switch (from February!) this week ... but I got a call on switch day saying that for some reason that they were not entirely sure of it had not transferred and it had been escalated. The upshot may be that the switch has to be resubmitted by them again for it to go through. It is being dealt with by complaints but this is poor performance really - you would think switching suppliers and then running your gas and electricity was what they would be good at given it is their core business (British Gas that is, who are apparently behind Sainsburys Enegy).

Fortunately they don't switch off you gas or electricity for the switch to take place as otherwise this thread would be even more active!

Archi_Bald

Complete and utter nightmare service from Sainsbury/BGas.

I had countless issues with my switch (from EDF), and eventually was paid compensation by Sainsburys.

Tonight I wanted to submit my latest meter readings online but my login didn't work any longer. I reset my password, still no luck. Then I saw a message suggesting my account was with BGas - - and indeed, I can log in there with my Sainburys credentials. Nobody has told me my account would be migrated.

BGas have some of my data but not all of it. For instance, they have "lost" my initial meter readings that were submitted in March.

I need to wait until Monday now to ring them about this mess but I am most unhappy that I have to spend even more time with them on the phone over admin matters. I wish I had never left EDF for the few quid I am saving at Sainsbury's and I will ask them to release me from the 12 months contract without penalty because I had just about enough.

EDIT: rang them this morning. Apparently they made some system changes over the weekend which messed up the logins. They have corrected it now and I can l log into my Sainsbury account again. They have also offered to wave the penalty charges if I leave now.

[Deleted User]

It seems you need to have money in your direct debit bank account at least 5 days before its due according to Sainsbury Energy (British Gas) because they take payments earlier than the direct debit date. This happened to my daughter.

Daughter tells me that she accidently deleted the direct debit instruction whilst clearing out some old ones from her online bank account. She rang them straight away and it was put back. She transfers money from a savings account in anticipation of the direct debit.

I think what actually happened is they took the money early and the direct debit bounced because the money was not in place. Her transaction history shows the failed instruction as a debit charge but it also showed that five days later they received from her the direct debit amount as a credit but the balance amount remained unchanged.

They did not receive the amount and it was never taken from her bank account, she's a month short. But if you relied on what was being told to you it would appear as though the money was actually taken. They applied a contra to cancel the debit charge and told lies about what it actually was for.

The British Gas transaction history record is not fit for purpose. If we had not caught this she might have ended up in debt instead she is now in credit because she paid by card the missing amount.

[Deleted User]

You have an online account and have a problem so you call them and then your problems really begin. The advisor you are talking with cannot see the web page you are looking at. So you are immediately at odds with each other.

The only way the advisor can see what you are seeing is if they refer the matter to the online tech team and even then they cannot see what you are seeing until they acquire a temporary password. But they will have to call you back to do this.

When is an online account not really an online account?